Karen Read, accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, in a January 2022 blizzard, has filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court. This dramatic move aims to halt her ongoing retrial, which began jury selection on April 7th, 2025. Read’s legal team argues that a retrial on two of the three counts against her – including second-degree murder – would violate the Double Jeopardy Clause. Their central claim rests on the assertion that the jury in her first trial had reached a unanimous, albeit unannounced, not-guilty verdict on these specific charges.
The prosecution alleges that Read struck O’Keefe with her vehicle and left him to die in the severe blizzard conditions. Read has consistently maintained her innocence throughout the legal proceedings. Her petition to the Supreme Court highlights what her lawyers describe as a ‘final and unanimous, but unannounced, decision’ of not guilty by the previous jury. This unprecedented legal argument is now at the center of a high-stakes battle before the highest court in the land.
This case has garnered significant media attention, particularly given the circumstances surrounding O’Keefe’s death and Read’s high-profile relationship with the deceased police officer. The ongoing retrial and the Supreme Court petition represent a crucial juncture in the legal proceedings, with the outcome potentially setting a precedent for future double jeopardy cases. The Supreme Court’s decision on whether to grant the stay will determine whether the retrial continues, or if Read’s legal challenge will succeed in preventing a second trial. We will continue to monitor this developing story and provide updates as they become available.
