Karen Read's New Trial Date Set Weeks After Mistrial
Karen Read will go on trial for a second time in 2025 in connection with the death of her boyfriend John O'Keefe
John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty
Karen ReadKaren Read, who is accused of drunkenly running over her boyfriend in January 2022, will face a new trial on January 27, 2025.
The swift hearing regarding the trial date, which was live streamed by Boston 10, also addressed the defenses motion to dismiss charges against Read, but the judge ruled that a hearing regarding that motion will take place on August 9. Read was present during the hearing, but did not speak to the judge.
Read is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of her boyfriend, 46-year-old John O’Keefe, who prosecutors say was run over by Read's SUV in late January 2022 after a night out drinking, NBC Boston previously reported. Despite evidence the prosecution says proves Read ran over O’Keefe while backing out of the driveway of his friend's home, her attorneys have long claimed she’s the victim of a cover-up and was falsely accused.
Read was initially charged with manslaughter in connection with O'Keefe's death, but the charge was eventually upgraded to second-degree murder. She also faces charges of motor vehicle manslaughter while driving under the influence and leaving the scene of a collision causing injury and death, Boston.com reported.
Related: Mistrial Declared in Karen Read Case After Jury Can't Reach a Verdict in Murder Trial
On July 1, after a two-month, highly publicized trial, a mistrial was declared when the jury could not come to a unanimous decision on if Read was guilty of the charges, Boston.com, NBC Boston and MassLive.com reported.
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Related: Defense Slams Prosecutors After Karen Read Mistrial as State Says It Will Retry Case
Read's lawyers have since filed a motion to dismiss two of the charges Read faced, The Patriot Ledger reported. According to the motion, her lawyers claim that the jury was only hung up on one of the charges she was facing, but they all agreed she was not guilty of the second-degree murder charge or leaving the scene of a collision, The Patriot Ledger reported.
The decision on the defense's motion to dismiss will be determined in August.
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