The upcoming episode of NBC's acclaimed Dateline is set to cover the brutal murder of John O'Keefe, a police officer, and the possible involvement of Karen Read, his long-term girlfriend in the same. The case is still filled with mysteries, as the exact reason or the killer for the case hasn't been deciphered.
Karen Read was charged with the murder after authorities found incriminating evidence against the equity analyst. The prosecution claimed that the intoxicated Karen hit John O'Keefe with her car after dropping him off at his fellow police officer's home after a night of bar hopping. This blunt force trauma coupled with hypothermia from a devastating snowstorm on the night of the murder killed the police officer.
However, Karen Read didn't plead guilty, and ultimately the first trial of the accused ended with a hung jury. Currently, Karen remains free on bail and is awaiting another trial where the prosecution is building up a case against her.
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The intricacies of this case will be covered in detail on the upcoming episode of Dateline on NBC when it airs on Friday, October 18, 2024, at 9 p.m. EST. Read on for more details about the crime and the probable criminal.
Who is Karen Read, and what did she do?
Karen Read is a native of Blacksburg, Virginia. She later moved to Taunton, Massachusetts, with her parents, where she did her schooling. A bright and ambitious young woman, Karen studied at Bentley University, where she earned her Bachelor’s and Masters degrees. She also came across John O'Keefe during this time.
However, O'Keefe and Read went their separate ways after college and only reconnected during the COVID-19 lockdown. By 2020, when John was living in Canton, Massachusetts, the pair began dating again.
Although there were rumors of turbulence in the relationship between John and Karen, things didn't seem serious till a particular trip to Aruba in December 2021, where cracks between the couple deepened.
On the night of January 28, 2022, met a few of their friends from the Boston Police Department, and they went on bar hopping. After getting thoroughly intoxicated, the group decided to go to fellow police officer Brian Albert's house. At around 4 a.m., Karen claimed that she was worried John hadn't returned home and went in search of her boyfriend with a couple of others.
They allegedly found John outside Brian Albert’s home, unresponsive. As 911 arrived, they found John dead from blunt force trauma and hypothermia. The only evidence police found around John O'Keefe's body was shards of glass. Karen's car's taillight was also broken, which seemed to indicate that she hit him while trying to back up the car, killing him in the process.
She was soon taken in and charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene of personal injury and death. She pled not guilty and got out on bail.
Where is Karen Read now?
Karen Read went on trial in April 2024. Her defense team argued that she was being framed for the murder by John's fellow police officers. Despite the pieces of evidence against Karen, the jury couldn't reach a verdict, and the trial ended without a sentence.
As of now, Karen remains out on bail and is awaiting her second trial, which should lead to some concrete judgment. Her next trial is scheduled for her new trial is scheduled for January 27, 2025.
The upcoming episode of Dateline on NBC will cover this case in more detail. Stay tuned for more updates.
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