Judge Orders Jury to Continue Deliberations in Karen Read Murder Trial After Failing to Reach Unanimous Verdict

Deliberations Still Underway

The judge in the Karen Read murder trial has ordered the jury to continue deliberations after they reported their inability to reach a unanimous verdict. The jury comprised of six men and six women, who are deciding on Read’s case for allegedly killing her boyfriend, a police officer, in a drunken driving incident, reported their impasse on Friday. They expressed in a note to the court saying, “Despite our exhaustive review of the evidence and our diligent consideration of all disputed evidence, we have been unable to reach unanimous verdict”.

Judge’s Instructions

After hearing the arguments from both the defense and prosecution, Norfolk County Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone instructed the jury to keep deliberating. She told the jury, “Lunch will be arriving shortly, when it comes, I’d ask you to clear your heads, have lunch and begin your deliberations again”. Following her orders, the jury resumed deliberations until 4 p.m. local time. They are set to continue on Monday morning.

Accusations and Allegations

Karen Read stands accused of fatally hitting her boyfriend, a police officer, with her car while under the influence and then fleeing the scene, leaving her boyfriend to die. However, Read’s defense has countered these charges by accusing off-duty police officers that were present at the scene of beating the victim to death, placing his body outside their residence, and then conspiring to pin the crime on Read. This widely publicized case has fueled accusations of police cover-up, misconduct, vulgar texts from a leading investigator, and has even led to vigorous advocacy supporting Read’s innocence.

Prosecution vs. Defense

The prosecution and defense have different takes on the jury’s note. Norfolk County Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally argued that it was premature to give the jury any special instructions as the note didn’t affirmatively indicate that they couldn’t come to a conclusion. Contrarily, defense attorney David Yanetti believed that the jury should be read the Tuey-Rodriguez criminal model instructions, highlighting the possibility of a hung jury. The judge chose to side with the prosecution and instructed the jury to continue deliberations, deciding against reading the Tuey-Rodriguez instructions.

Read’s Charges

Read, 45, has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and leaving the scene of a collision resulting in death. If found guilty of second-degree murder, Read faces a lifetime sentence in prison as per Massachusetts law. The body of her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, was uncovered bruised and battered in the snow in January 2022, outside the home of a fellow Boston police officer.

Public Interest and Missteps

This case has generated significant public interest due to allegations of witness tampering, a federal probe into the investigation, and supporters rallying for “Free Karen Read.” However, the prosecution’s case has encountered some setbacks attributable to improper investigative practices. The distasteful texts messages sent by Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor about Read in a private chat have sparked widespread criticism. Proctor referred to Read as a “whack job,” ridiculed her medical conditions, and commented that he found “no nudes” while going through her phone for evidence.