Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman acquitted of killing her police officer boyfriend, has announced she is working on a book about her experience. In her first in-depth interview since the trial, she spoke on the Rotten Mango podcast about the case and its aftermath.
Read was accused of hitting John O'Keefe, a Boston police officer, with her SUV and leaving him to die outside a Canton home in January 2022. She and her defence argued that police framed her to protect another officer. “Based on his injuries, it looks to me like he got into a fight and fell backwards. Someone in that house killed John O’Keefe,” she said.
During the podcast, Read expressed fear that law enforcement might try to kill her and stage a suicide. “I live alone; I’m like a sitting duck. Will I be hanging from a doorknob in my house?” she said. She also addressed criticism of her lack of public emotion, stating she had grieved privately before the trial and would not cry in front of the prosecution or O'Keefe's family.
Read revealed financial difficulties and said she is living with her parents. She and her team are working on a book expected to be published within five years. Despite her acquittal, she struggles with lingering fear and anxiety. “I’m trying to understand why I haven’t felt more celebratory,” she said.
Read's first trial ended in a mistrial, and she was found not guilty of all charges except a misdemeanour drunk driving charge in the retrial. Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey, who led the prosecution, announced he will not seek re-election.
