Judge impounds names of Karen Read jurors citing 'real and present risk of personal harm'
DEDHAM — Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone on Thursday ordered the list of jurors in the Karen Read murder case to be indefinitely impounded after one juror told the court he or she is in "fear for their safety and the safety of their family."
After several days of jury deliberations, Cannone on July 1 declared a mistrial in the case of Read, a Mansfield woman accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend, Braintree native John O'Keefe.
Cannone on Thursday impounded the names of the six men and six women who served on the jury after one of the jurors, referred to as Juror Doe, filed an emergency motion seeking to have their names impounded indefinitely.
"Through their affidavit, Juror Doe has established that publication of the list identifying the names of the empaneled jurors will present a real and present risk of personal harm to jurors and to the integrity of their service," Cannone wrote.
The case has drawn widespread national attention as Read and her defense team claim she is the victim of an elaborate cover-up. Throughout the trial, Read's supporters demonstrated outside the courthouse.
Aidan Kearney, the Holden blogger known as Turtleboy, covered the case extensively and was part of drawing attention to the trial. Kearney is facing multiple counts of witness intimidation tied to allegations he harassed witnesses in Read’s case.
Read charged with second-degree murder
The defense and the prosecution made their closing arguments June 25 in the trial of Read, who was charged with second-degree murder after O'Keefe's body was found in the driveway outside the Canton home of a fellow Boston police officer Jan. 29, 2022, during a snowstorm. Prosecutors say Read was drunk and angry when she purposely hit him.
But defense attorneys for Read say she was framed for O'Keefe's death.
Read is also charged with manslaughter while driving drunk and leaving the scene of personal injury and death.
Prosecutors called more than 65 witnesses in testimony that started April 29.
The defense's list of witnesses was much shorter and included a plow driver who said he did not see anything on the lawn in Canton where O'Keefe's body was found.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Judge impounds names of Karen Read jurors due to 'credible' fears
