John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty
Karen Read has opened up about the traumatic loss of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, who was found unconscious in the snow outside a fellow officer’s home in 2022. O’Keefe’s unexpected death was devastating enough, but Read says being accused of killing him turned the tragedy into an ongoing nightmare.
After a night out together, O’Keefe was reportedly dropped off by Read outside the Canton, Massachusetts, home of retired officer Brian Albert. Prosecutors allege Read accidentally backed into him with her car before driving away, leaving him to succumb to his injuries in the snow. Read, however, vehemently denies the charges and says she’s been the victim of a cover-up. “Other than feeling wrongfully persecuted and prosecuted, I feel incredibly violated,” Read told Vanity Fair in the first of a two-part interview series.
Read’s first trial ended in a hung jury, but prosecutors are preparing to try her again in January 2025. According to Read, police quickly focused their investigation on her, executing multiple searches of her home, seizing her phones, and publicly revealing her text messages. She describes the police investigation as invasive and insists she’s innocent, saying her life has been thrown into upheaval by the allegations.
Her defense team argues that O’Keefe, 46, was not hit by her car but was instead the victim of an altercation with people inside the Albert residence, who allegedly moved his body outside and attempted to pin the blame on her. “I believe whatever happened to John was a setup to teach him a lesson or tune him up, and it got out of control,” she stated. “No one would choose to kill someone in their own home and then set it up so sloppily.”
The evidence presented in court revealed O’Keefe had sustained multiple injuries, including two black eyes, facial lacerations, and scratches on his arm, which a defense expert testified could be consistent with a dog attack. Prosecutors maintain these injuries resulted from being struck by Read’s SUV. The medical examiner concluded the cause of death was “blunt impact injuries of the head and hypothermia,” but did not classify the death as accidental or homicide.
The charges against Read include second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. She has pleaded not guilty to all counts, adamantly asserting that she had no hand in O’Keefe’s death.
For Read, the journey has been deeply isolating. “Other than feeling wrongfully persecuted and prosecuted, I feel incredibly violated,” she shared. The case has gained significant media attention, with many questioning the plausibility of either side’s claims, and speculation mounting over what actually transpired that night.
As the retrial looms, Read is hopeful for a different outcome. Part two of her Vanity Fair interview, which will delve further into her perspective on the trial and her future, is set to be released on October 30.
