Jan. 28–29, 2022 (night of incident):
Karen Read and Boston police officer John O’Keefe went out drinking with friends before heading to the Canton home of Brian Albert. Later that night, O’Keefe was found unresponsive in the snow outside the home.
- 1 a.m.: Voicemails and texts showed tensions between Read and O’Keefe.
- 4–5 a.m.: Read expressed panic to friends, allegedly saying, “What if he’s dead? What if a plow hit him?”
- 6 a.m.: O’Keefe was found in the snow. Emergency responders recalled Read saying, “I hit him. I hit him.”
Jan. 29, 2022: Investigators disagreed on the timing of a Google search about “how long to die in cold.”
Jan. 31, 2022: Autopsy ruled O’Keefe’s cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head and hypothermia.
Feb. 2, 2022: Read was arrested and charged with manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide, and leaving the scene.
June 10, 2022: Grand jury indicted her on second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and related charges.

2023 – Defense Pushes Cover-Up Allegations

May 3, 2023: Read’s attorneys argued O’Keefe was beaten inside Albert’s home and framed, citing dog bite injuries.
May 24, 2023: Defense accused law enforcement and witnesses of orchestrating a cover-up.
Aug. 2023: Judge denied prosecution’s request for a gag order.
Oct. 11, 2023: Blogger Aidan “Turtleboy” Kearney, who had been reporting aggressively on the case, was arrested for witness intimidation.

2024 – Evidence Battles & First Trial

Feb.–Mar. 2024: Prosecution cited DNA evidence from Read’s broken taillight; defense countered with FBI analysis saying SUV damage didn’t match O’Keefe’s injuries.
Mar. 13, 2024: Trooper Michael Proctor, lead investigator, came under internal investigation over misconduct and ties to case witnesses.
Apr.–Jun. 2024: First trial unfolded with weeks of testimony, including paramedics, police officers, and key witnesses like Jennifer McCabe.
Jul. 1, 2024: Jury declared deadlock; mistrial was announced. Proctor was suspended.

2024–2025 – Pre-Retrial Battles

Fall 2024:
- Prosecutors sought phone records from Read’s father.
- Vanity Fair published an in-depth interview with Read.
- Wrongful death civil case against Read was delayed until after retrial.
Nov.–Dec. 2024: Both sides fought over expert testimony and evidence access. Trial rescheduled for April 1, 2025.
Early 2025:
- Proctor faced misconduct hearings.
- Supreme Judicial Court rejected Read’s appeal to dismiss charges.
- Federal investigation into O’Keefe’s death closed with no charges.

2025 – Second Trial

Apr.–Jun. 2025: Retrial held at Norfolk Superior Court. Jury selection began April 1, opening statements followed. Testimony revisited taillight evidence, Google searches, and alleged misconduct by investigators.
Jun. 13, 2025: Jury began deliberations.
Aug. 27, 2025: Jury acquitted Karen Read of second-degree murder and manslaughter but convicted her of driving under the influence of alcohol.

The Story Behind the Trial

Prosecution’s case: Read struck O’Keefe with her SUV after a night of drinking and left him to die.
Defense’s case: Read was framed to cover up a violent altercation at Brian Albert’s home, where O’Keefe was allegedly attacked. They argued taillight evidence was manipulated and investigators were compromised.

The case divided Massachusetts, with strong public debate, media scrutiny, and questions of police integrity, evidence handling, and possible corruption.