DEDHAM, Mass. (WPRI) — Karen Read’s fate could be in the hands of a jury before the end of the week.
It’s been almost two months since her high-profile murder trial first started, and jury deliberation is expected to begin this week.
Read, 43, of Mansfield, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe.
Prosecutors rested their case on Friday after 68 witnesses were called to the stand.
They said O’Keefe was found unresponsive in a snowbank outside of a Canton home in January 2022. O’Keefe, a 16-year veteran of the Boston Police Department, was rushed to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Prosecutors say Read hit him with her SUV outside of the home during a snowstorm after a night of drinking. The couple was going to the home to hang out with a group of friends, but witnesses testified neither of them entered the home.
The defense says Read is the innocent victim of a police coverup. They claim O’Keefe was actually killed during a fight inside the home and his body was dumped on the front lawn.
The defense has three more witnesses to call, two accident reconstruction experts and one medical examiner. They expect to rest their case on Monday and closing arguments are expected to begin Tuesday.
