Karen Read smiles upon learning of her not guilty of murder verdict in Dedham, Massachusetts, on Wednesday, June 18, 2020

Not guilty of murder but guilty of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

That’s the jury’s determination in the case against Karen Read.

She was charged for the death of her Boston policeman boyfriend John O’Keefe.

Prosecutors claimed she ran into him and killed him during a blizzard in January 2022.

BREAKING: Jurors reach verdict in Karen Read’s retrial in the murder of her Boston police officer boyfriend pic.twitter.com/zZD4XqfBRn

— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 18, 2025

The verdict from jurors said she was not guilty of second-degree murder, which was the most serious claim. But they convicted her on of a lesser offense of driving a vehicle with a blood-alcohol content of .08% or more.

A report from Fox News said a special prosecutor in the case, Hank Brennan, asked the judge for a sentence of a year of probation and for her to be ordered into an outpatient program, which is routine in the jurisdiction for first drunken driving offenses.

The jury also returned not guilty verdicts to drunken driving manslaughter and fleeing the scene of a deadly accident.

It was her second trial. During the first, last year, jurors deadlocked.

Her supporters burst into cheers on hearing the decision.

The month-long testimony included statements from two women, Jennifer McCabe and Kerry Roberts, who said they were with Read when O’Keefe was found lying in the snow and unresponsive. McCabe claimed Read said, three times, “I hit him.”

The report said the couple and others had been out drinking before an after-party at the home of Brian Albert. O’Keefe was found on Albert’s lawn hours later.

Prosecutors alleged Read hit O’Keefe and drove to his house without him. Read’s defense said she never hit him, suggesting the injuries came from a dog attack and a party altercation.

The Norfolk County jury had been deliberating since June 13.

“Today, our hearts are with John and the entire O’Keefe family. They have suffered through so much and deserved better from our justice system,” said a statement released by members of the Albert and McCabe families. “While we may have more to say in the future, today we mourn with John’s family and lament the cruel reality that this prosecution was infected by lies and conspiracy theories spread by Karen Read, her defense team, and some in the media.”

The jury has posed several questions to the judge during deliberations, including about whether there could be a split verdict.

Beverly Cannone, the judge, said she was unable to answer hypotheticals.

Bob Unruh

Bob Unruh joined WND in 2006 after nearly three decades with the Associated Press, as well as several Upper Midwest newspapers, where he covered everything from legislative battles and sports to tornadoes and homicidal survivalists. He is currently a news editor for the WND News Center, and also a photographer whose scenic work has been used commercially. Read more of Bob Unruh's articles here.