According to the New York Post, Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman charged with murdering her police officer boyfriend, has broken her silence in a new interview with ABC News.
Read, who is accused of running over Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe with her SUV in January 2022, maintains her innocence and alleges a law enforcement cover-up surrounding his death.
In the interview set to air on ABC's "20/20" on September 8, 2024, Read recounts the night O'Keefe was found dead and expresses her belief that investigators are concealing the true circumstances of his passing. The case has garnered significant attention, with Read's supporters rallying behind her claims of a potential conspiracy.
Read provided her account of discovering O'Keefe's body on the night of January 28, 2022. She described arriving at the scene with two friends and finding O'Keefe unresponsive on the ground. Read stated:
I jumped out the passenger side, and I fell into the street. His eyes were shut, and he had spots of blood in different areas on his face, and he was still — not stiff, but still. It was cold. I felt cold, but I didn't feel dangerously cold and it was just an odd feeling to know that I'm OK. I'm not dying, but he's here with me, and he's dying, and I can't warm him up.
The defendant's recollection offers a personal perspective on the night's events, which have been heavily scrutinized throughout the legal proceedings.
In the interview snippet, Read directly accuses investigators of concealing information about O'Keefe's death. When questioned about the potential motives for such a cover-up, Read responded simply, "Because he's dead."
This allegation aligns with her defense team's arguments throughout the case. Her lawyers have previously claimed that O'Keefe was killed inside the home of another police officer and that Read was framed as a "convenient outsider."
Prosecutors allege that Read struck O'Keefe with her vehicle after a night of drinking and left him to die in a snowstorm. Read and O'Keefe had reportedly been bar-hopping on the night in question before she dropped him off at a fellow officer's home. Her defense team contends that O'Keefe's death occurred inside the residence and that Read has been wrongfully accused.
Read's initial trial, which lasted two months and featured 74 witnesses, ended in a mistrial in July 2024. The judge declared a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict following five days of deliberations.
The high-profile nature of the case drew large crowds of Read's supporters to the courthouse, causing disruptions in the town of Dedham. These supporters, fascinated by the possibility of a law enforcement conspiracy, have continued to rally behind Read.
In a recent statement, Read likened her supporters to Vietnam War protesters, urging them to continue their efforts as she faces a retrial. She expressed gratitude for their support, stating:
Thank you. I hope I meet all of you one day, and I don't know you but I love you. You're brave. You would've protested the Vietnam War and ended it. And this is the modern equivalent to that, so thank you all.
Karen Read is currently awaiting her retrial, scheduled for January 27, 2025. She faces charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating a vehicle under the influence, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.
The upcoming trial is expected to once again draw significant public interest, as it revisits the complex and contentious circumstances surrounding Officer John O'Keefe's death. Read's interview with ABC's "20/20" may provide new insights into her perspective on the case and her claims of innocence as she prepares to face the charges against her for a second time.
