Several Jurors Have Been Dismissed in Karen Read's Murder Trial
Read is charged with murdering her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe.
Published June 25 2024, 2:50 p.m. ET
On Jan. 28, 2022, after an evening of drinking, Karen Read reportedly dropped off her boyfriend — Boston police officer John O'Keefe — at a friend and fellow cop's home in Canton, Mass. When O'Keefe didn't come home the next morning, Read returned to the friend's house and found her boyfriend lying dead in the snow.
Police zeroed in on Read, who was eventually charged with second-degree murder.
Prosecutors believe Read hit O'Keefe with her car. Read's defense claims that O'Keefe's body was beaten inside the home and then dragged outside; they've also maintained that Read was framed by the police.
Amid the media firestorm around Read's trial — which started on April 16, 2024, in Massachusetts Superior Court — more than one juror has been dismissed. Here's what we know.
More than one juror was dismissed in the Karen Read trial.
On June 25, ahead of closing arguments, the trial was delayed for an hour when a juror was dismissed.
"Breaking: A juror was just dismissed from the Karen Read trial on the morning before closing arguments. This is the juror who was brought in 2x to sidebar," tweeted reporter Ted Daniel.
According to Yahoo's breakdown of the morning, at around 9:45 a.m., a female juror "spoke briefly with everyone at the sidebar and then left." The same juror returned again at 10 a.m. to speak at the sidebar before leaving. The rest of the jury (14 of them remaining) was then brought in and seated and the trial continued around 10:10 a.m.
This follows the news from June 12 that another juror had been dismissed, with the judge telling the court that it was for "personal reasons," per WCVB.
Reporter Jessica Machado also tweeted about another dismissed juror from June 14 as well.
"Last Friday, one of the jurors in the #KarenRead trial was dismissed from serving on the jury," Machado wrote, later adding: "Sources tell me that this juror was 'badmouthing' Karen to other jurors in the jury room. Some of the things being said included Karen always turning around talking to her parents as well as Karen smiling and making faces."
"Sources tell me one juror had enough and spoke up and allegedly other jurors were questioned and said 'she needs to go,'" Machado continued.
Closing arguments are currently underway. Read, who is a former adjunct professor at Bentley College, could face life in prison.