Karen Read Found Not Guilty in High-Profile Murder Trial one year of probation for OUI

Dedham, MA — June 18, 2025

At precisely 3:01 PM this afternoon, a Norfolk County jury delivered a dramatic and long-awaited verdict in the case of Commonwealth v. Karen Read, finding her not guilty on all charges related to the 2022 death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe.

The courtroom in Dedham erupted with emotion as the verdict was read aloud. Supporters of Read, who have long insisted she was framed, wept and embraced, while prosecutors sat stone-faced in the front row. Read, who has spent the last three years fighting charges of second-degree murder and motor vehicle manslaughter, broke down in tears.

The jury deliberated for several days following a contentious and nationally-watched trial that featured accusations of police misconduct, alleged evidence tampering, and explosive testimony from witnesses who contradicted the government’s timeline of events. The case gripped Massachusetts and drew intense media attention across the country.

Read was accused of striking O’Keefe with her SUV and leaving him to die outside a fellow officer’s home in Canton. The defense argued the case was a cover-up and pointed the finger at others present that night, suggesting that O’Keefe was killed inside the house and left outside after the fact.

Following the verdict, Read’s attorney, Alan Jackson, called the outcome “a triumph of truth over power,” adding, “The Commonwealth tried to bury our client under a mountain of lies, but this jury saw through it.”

Prosecutors did not speak to the press immediately after the decision, but the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office is expected to issue a statement later this evening.

Karen Read now walks free after more than three years of accusations, national headlines, and a polarizing public debate that may continue well beyond today’s verdict. She does get one year of probation for OUI.