Suvechha Sarkar
The morning of January 29, 2022, began unexpectedly for Karen Read when she was unable to reach her boyfriend, John J. O’Keefe III, fondly known as J.J. Shortly after, he was discovered unresponsive outside a fellow officer’s home in Canton, Massachusetts. After he passed away in the hospital on that same day, the investigation took a turn when authorities focused on Karen. The episode titled ‘Karen Read: The Verdict’ of ABC’s ’20/20′ and Lifetime’s ‘Accused: The Karen Read Story’ focuses on the circumstances surrounding his death and the two trials that fueled intense public debate. They also feature details about what transpired in the courtroom during the two trials.
Karen Read Became the Focus of the Investigation After John O’Keefe’s Death
According to Karen Read, she first crossed paths with John J. O’Keefe III, lovingly known as J.J., in February 2004, at his sister Kristen Furbush’s birthday party. She stated she and John soon grew closer, but parted ways after a while. Around 2020, they reportedly reconnected when John texted her on Facebook, and they began dating. Things seemed to be going well until everything changed on January 29, 2022. As per official records, around 8:30 pm on January 28, Karen joined John at a local bar for drinks. Shortly after, Karen and John went to another nearby bar, where they joined some of his friends, Chris and Brian Albert, Brian’s wife, Nicole Albert, and Nicole’s sister, Jennifer McCabe.
Investigative reports state that Brian later invited Karen and John for an afterparty at his house. The CCTV footage of the bar reportedly captured John exiting around midnight on January 29. According to reports, it also captured Karen exiting shortly after and them driving off. Around 5 am, she reportedly began calling John’s friends to ask about his whereabouts, as he had not returned home. While searching for him, Karen and his friends discovered him unconscious by the road outside a house in Canton on January 29. Unfortunately, he passed away in the hospital shortly. It soon launched an investigation during which officials first focused on Karen.
Karen Read Was Arrested Based on Witness Accounts and Forensic Clues
According to police records, during questioning, Karen claimed that after exiting the bar around midnight, she and John headed for the Albert family home. In her statements, she claimed that after reaching there, John decided to go inside and check if everyone had arrived, but when he didn’t return after 3 minutes, she allegedly left for home since she was having stomach problems. During the investigation, authorities reportedly found that the right rear taillight on Karen’s car was broken. Court records specify that authorities later discovered a few broken pieces of taillight from the location where John was found. Those were reportedly found to be consistent with the broken taillight of Karen’s vehicle. Reports state that when the Albert family members were questioned, they insisted that John never came inside their home on January 29.
Investigative reports state that some of the officials allegedly heard Karen say, “I hit him” at the scene. According to police records, the detectives believed that after dropping off John, Karen allegedly hit him with her car while backing up, since she was driving under the influence. Ultimately, Karen was arrested on February 1, 2022, and initially charged with motor vehicle manslaughter, negligent homicide, and leaving the scene of a collision causing death. On June 9, 2022, Karen was indicted on enhanced charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of personal injury resulting in death.
Karen Read Was Acquitted of Major Charges During Her Second Trial
After her arrest, Karen pleaded not guilty to all charges and was released on a $50,000 bail. Her first jury trial began in April 2024, during which the prosecution argued that Karen was intoxicated on January 29, 2022, when she allegedly hit John with her SUV before driving off. Several witnesses were also presented, who reportedly testified that John didn’t go inside the Albert family home that morning. On the other hand, the defense provided an autopsy finding which reportedly revealed John had scratch marks on his hand. They claimed that John was injured inside the house party, possibly in a fight or bitten by a dog, and then was allegedly placed outside. According to court records, the defense provided surveillance footage as evidence.
The footage reportedly captured Karen backing up her car in John’s driveway and bumping into his car. The defense reportedly claimed it could’ve been the time her taillight was broken. Official reports state that the defense alleged that the lead detective on the case, Michael Proctor, was biased towards Karen and led an improper investigation. Reports state that Michael’s text messages were submitted to the court, where he reportedly made derogatory remarks about Karen to several people. As per reports, the defense claimed that Karen had originally asked, “Did I hit him?” at the scene instead of “I hit him.” Ultimately, the jury deadlocked after deliberation, leading to a mistrial on July 1, 2024.
The retrial of Karen commenced in April 2025, during which the prosecution called an expert as a witness, who reportedly testified that Karen’s SUV had backed up while being accelerated on January 29, 2022. They reportedly claimed that John’s cell phone data showed that he allegedly didn’t move far from the driveway to enter the Albert family home. On the other hand, the defense claimed that there was no direct evidence to prove that a collision occurred that morning. Ultimately, the jury acquitted Karen of all three major charges in June 2025 and found her guilty of operating under the influence (OUI). She was reportedly sentenced to one year of probation.
Karen is Currently Facing Civil Litigation While Rebuilding Her Life
In August 2024, John’s family filed a wrongful death civil lawsuit against Karen, seeking $50,000 in damages for wrongful death, emotional distress, and related claims. In October 2025, a judge reportedly dismissed the emotional-distress claim involving John’s niece but allowed most other aspects of the lawsuit to move forward. As of January 2026, a status hearing in the wrongful death lawsuit was postponed. On the other hand, in November 2025, Karen filed a separate civil lawsuit against multiple law enforcement officers and witnesses involved in her criminal investigations and trials. According to reports, the suit alleges malicious prosecution, conspiracy, gross misconduct, and civil rights violations. As of writing, no public reports have specified information about the progression of the lawsuit.
Long before Karen faced this grave ordeal, she had been dedicated to carving out a unique path for herself. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Bentley University in 2001. She then continued her academic journey at Bentley College – Elkin B. McCallum Graduate School of Business, before graduating in 2004. Karen began her career in August 1998 as a Trading Room Assistant in Hughey Center for Financial Services and worked there until May 2001. Three months later, she joined Brown Brothers Harriman as a Client Account Manager, a position she held until August 2004. Karen then transitioned into the role of Financial Analyst at Sensata Technologies.
Karen moved on from Sensata Technologies in September 2007 before joining Fidelity Investments as an Equity Research Analyst and Tech Sector professional. She has also been working as a Faculty member in the Finance Department at Bentley University since June 2008, focusing on capital markets and corporate finance. As of writing, she appears to be focused on her career and has chosen to lead a quiet life away from the limelight. Yet, amid everything, Karen still holds the memories of John close to her heart. During a press conference after she walked away a free woman, she stated: “No one has fought harder for justice for John O’Keefe than I have — than I have and my team.” Regardless, Karen appears to be trying her best to move forward in her life, despite the loss she has experienced.
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