What was the verdict of Karen Read’s first trial? Details explored ahead of A Body in The Snow on ID 

Karen Read, a woman from Massachusetts, was accused of murdering her boyfriend John O'Keffe, a cop from Boston police. On January 29, 2022, Karen dropped John off at one of his colleagues' house after partying in a bar. However, when the victim didn't return to his residence, Read went out for a search.

In the morning, Karen discovered the body of her boyfriend outside Brian Albert's residence, where John was supposed to visit. Autopsy reports revealed blunt force trauma and hypothermia to be the cause of death. Karen Read came under prime suspicion, since her broken tail light pieces, were found at the crime scene.

However, after a series of court trials over two years, Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone declared the case to be deadlocked.

As per CBS News, on July 1, 2024, after 23 hours of deliberation, Karen Read's case was declared to be a mistrial due to a hung jury. A Body in The Snow: The Trial of Karen Read explores the complete story behind the murder of John O'Keefe. The docuseries is set to make its release on March 17, 2025, on Investigation Discovery.

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Karen Read's attorney tried to dismiss charges against her after the verdict was declared

Read's attorneys tried to dismiss charges against her after the mistrial was declared (Image via Pexels)

As per CBS, Karen Read was charged with three counts including second-degree murder, homicide while driving under the influence of alcohol, and leaving a scene where the victim faced injury or death. As per an NBC Boston article, published on August 9, 2024, Attorney Martin Weinberg conveyed the defense argument to Judge Cannone. As per Weinberg's statement:

"The real issue here is legally what do we do when we now know that jurors are declaring to the court that they believed they reached a verdict of not guilty."

He additionally asked the lawyers to be authorized and contact other jurors with affidavits. Weinberg additionally pleaded with the judge to schedule a hearing, with the other jurors. Another NBC Boston article, published on August 23, 2024, reported that Judge Beverly Cannone after inspecting Karen Read's case, refused to dismiss the two charges against her.

"After careful consideration, this Court concludes that because the defendant was not acquitted of any charges and defense counsel consented to the Court's declaration of a mistrial, double jeopardy is not implicated by retrial of the defendant," Judge Beverly Cannone wrote in her 21-page ruling. "The motion is therefore DENIED."

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The lead investigator in Karen Read's case was suspended from his duties

The lead investigator Michael Proctor was convicted of sending vulgar texts to Read (Image via Pexels)

As per a CBS article, published on July 9, 2024, Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor, was the lead investigator behind John O'Keefe's murder case. It was on July 8, 2024, when Trooper Michael Proctor was suspended from the case duty, without any pay.

The hearing was held virtually at the Massachusetts State Police Headquarters in Framingham, Massachusetts. Reportedly, Proctor was transferred to a field service division in South Boston, excluding him from the detective unit of Norfolk District Attorney's Office.

Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor was confronted of sending abusive comments to Karen (Image via Pexels)

Michael Proctor was confronted with the inappropriate text messages he sent to Karen Read. As per CBS, in one of the messages, Proctor referred to Karen as:

"wh*ckjob [expletive]", while also adding in another message, "hopefully she kills herself."

Colonel John Mawn provided a statement on X profile of the Massachusetts State Police. Colonel Mawn wrote,

“Our focus remains on delivering the highest level of police services with professionalism and integrity.”

He further added:

“This follows our previous decision to open an internal affairs investigation after information about serious misconduct emerged in testimony at the trial. This investigation is ongoing.”

Michael Proctor was in the service for almost ten years, before he was suspended. As per CBS, on November 4, 2024, the defense team and prosecution on Karen Read's case filed for a second criminal trial. This was scheduled to start on January 27, 2025, but is currently postponed to April 1, 2025.

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