Karen Read says she didn’t kill her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, a Boston police officer who died on January 29, 2022. She claims she dropped him off at a friend’s house in Canton, Massachusetts, after a night of drinking. Prosecutors say she hit him with her SUV and left him in the snow, but Karen’s side is different. She believes John was attacked inside the house by other police officers and then left outside to die. Her lawyers say she’s been framed, and evidence like his injuries supports her story.
A new documentary, A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read, shares her account. It started airing on Investigation Discovery (ID) on March 17, 2025, at 9 p.m. ET, running for three nights until March 19. You can also stream it on Max.
Karen Read’s Trial, and What’s Her Side of the Story?
Karen Read’s first trial started on April 29, 2024, in Norfolk Superior Court, Dedham, Massachusetts. She was charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while driving under the influence, and leaving the scene of a deadly crash after her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, died on January 29, 2022. The trial lasted nine weeks, with 74 witnesses and over 650 pieces of evidence.
Prosecutors alleged Karen Read struck O’Keefe with her SUV outside a Canton home after she had been drinking and abandoned him to die in the snow. They presented a broken taillight containing O’Keefe’s DNA and a voicemail in which Read screamed, “John, I fu*king hate you! ” Witnesses recalled that she queried, “Did I hit him? ” when his body was discovered.
The defense rested on June 24, 2024, and five days of negotiations ended with the jury unable to agree. On July 1, 2024, Judge Beverly Cannone declared a mistrial because the jury was “deeply divided.” The case will go to trial for a second time on April 1, 2025.
Karen Read’s side of the story is different. She says she didn’t kill O’Keefe and is being framed. In an interview with Vanity Fair, she said, “I’m not backing down now. As scary as a potential conviction is, I will go to jail for something I didn’t do before I plea out. I will never give them that win.” She claims she dropped O’Keefe off at Brian Albert’s house after a night out and went home.
She told Dateline NBC, “I actually texted my father and I said, ‘I think John is dead,’” after finding him in the snow hours later with friends. Her lawyers say O’Keefe was beaten inside the house, possibly by other police officers, and left outside.
They point to his injuries—like cuts and scratches—not matching a car hit, and argue police covered it up. Read mention in a talk to ABC News, “This is no life. I’m not in prison, but this is no life. I’m stressed every day. I’m waiting for the next shoe to drop,” showing how hard the case has been for her.
Who is John O’Keefe? The Man Linked to Karen Read’s Case
John J. O’Keefe III, nicknamed “JJ” or “Johnny,” was born on December 8, 1975, in Braintree, Massachusetts. He grew up there with his parents, John and Margaret, and his siblings, Kristen and Paul. John went to Braintree High School and later studied at Northeastern University. John also had a master’s degree from UMass Lowell in criminal justice.
In 2014, he moved to Canton, Massachusetts, to raise his niece and nephew after his sister Kristen and her husband died months apart in 2013 and 2014. John became their guardian, building a home for them. He joined the Boston Police Department and worked there for 16 years, known as a dedicated officer. On January 29, 2022, John was found dead outside a house in Canton during a snowstorm. He was 46 years old.
His body was discovered in the snow near the home of another officer, Brian Albert, after a night out with his girlfriend, Karen Read. An autopsy said he died from head injuries and hypothermia. Karen was charged with hitting him with her SUV and leaving him, but she says he was attacked inside the house. The case is still being investigated and has led to a trial.
How Did John O’Keefe Die? Details Explained
John O’Keefe, a Boston police officer, died on January 29, 2022, in Canton, Massachusetts, during a snowstorm. His body was found in the snow outside Brian Albert’s house on Fairview Road around 6 a.m. His girlfriend, Karen Read, had dropped him off there after a night of drinking at two bars, C.F. McCarthy’s and Waterfall Bar & Grille. An autopsy showed he had head injuries, including skull fractures, cuts on his face, and two black eyes. It also said hypothermia helped cause his death.
Dr. Geetha Natarajan, the medical examiner, reported, “O’Keefe had blunt impact injuries of the head and hypothermia,” according to court records from the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors say Read hit him with her SUV and left him, pointing to a broken taillight and his hair on her car. Read says he was attacked inside the house, not hit by her vehicle. Eleven witnesses told police O’Keefe never went inside. He was transferred to a Samaritan Hospital in Brockton, and then there he was declared dead. The case remains unclear, as there are two different stories.
What Happened to Karen Read?
Karen Read is currently living in Mansfield, Massachusetts, as of March 19, 2025. She is out on bail, waiting for her second trial for the death of her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, a Boston police officer. Her first trial in 2024 ended in a mistrial because the jury couldn’t agree. She was charged with second-degree murder and other crimes after O’Keefe was found dead in the snow in Canton in January 2022.
She pleaded not guilty and was released on $50,000 bail in February 2022. Since then, she has been staying at her home in Mansfield, a town about 25 miles south of Boston. Her next trial is set to start on April 1, 2025, in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham. She has been attending court hearings and working with her lawyers while free on bail.
Watch A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read streaming on Investigation Discovery.
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Hilfa, Senior Writer at Hilvaro, excels in pop culture journalism. She crafts engaging content on movies, TV, & trends, fueled by her love for storytelling & entertainment.
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