'Lazy Police Work': Karen Read Juror Calls for FBI Probe
On a warm Wednesday in June, a cheer erupted outside a Massachusetts courthouse that echoed across the nation. Karen Read, once accused of murdering her Boston police officer boyfriend, walked free. But the buzz didn't stop at the verdict — it only got louder when jurors began breaking their silence.
A Controversial Case That Gripped the Nation
Karen Read was tried twice for the death of John O'Keefe, a Boston police officer found outside a Canton home in January 2022. Prosecutors alleged that Read, intoxicated and enraged, reversed her SUV into O'Keefe after a night out and left him to die in the snow.
Her defense argued the opposite — that Read was the scapegoat in a botched police-led cover-up and that the real cause of O'Keefe's fatal injuries occurred inside the home he was supposed to enter that night.
The first trial ended in a mistrial. The second, a media frenzy, concluded with Read acquitted of murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene of bodily injury. She was convicted only of operating a vehicle under the influence and sentenced to one year of probation.
Jurors Break Tradition — and Silence
Usually, jurors fade into anonymity after a high-profile trial. But not this time. While it's legal for jurors to speak to the media after a verdict, it's typically discouraged. Still, several jurors have shared their thoughts, frustrations, and lingering doubts.
The jury foreman, who chose to withhold his name, told the Boston Herald, "There are so many holes that need to be filled. Now that the FBI knows Karen Read is not a suspect, something happened, and multiple jurors feel that way."
He emphasized the investigation's failures, saying, "No one local should be involved in the investigation. It was lazy police work," according to PEOPLE.
He pointed to a critical oversight — the fact that police failed to immediately search the home at 34 Fairview Road, even though that's where O'Keefe was last seen alive.
Questions That Never Got Answers
Juror Paula Prado told WBZ that she was "100% convinced" Read wasn't responsible, pointing out inconsistencies in the evidence, including injuries to O'Keefe's body that didn't align with being hit by a car, according to the New York Post.
She also found it odd that two key individuals — the homeowner, Brian Albert, and a federal agent who had exchanged texts with Read — never testified.
Juror No. 12, who also chose to stay anonymous, shared in an interview with WCVB that she initially leaned toward a guilty verdict but shifted her view after reviewing the legal definitions of each charge with fellow jurors.
Juror No. 4 told TMZ he simply did not believe Read's SUV had struck O'Keefe.
Another juror remembered the crowd outside the courthouse erupting when the not-guilty verdicts were read and said it was a moment she'd never forget.
The Jury's Verdict: Innocent, But Not at Peace
Despite Read's acquittal, some jurors were left with unresolved questions. The foreman told the "TODAY" show, "No one could prove that she did this crime ... Karen Read is innocent," according to Boston.com.
He also added that "something did happen to Mr. O'Keefe, and it's foul play or whatever you want to say," but stopped short of speculating on who might be responsible.
Multiple jurors have now joined calls for federal investigators to reopen the case. "We just need to find justice for John," the foreman told PEOPLE. "And get his mother some peace."
An Unsettled Ending
While Read walks free, the case is far from closed. The jury has spoken — but not with finality. Their unusual decision to speak out post-trial has pulled the curtain back on how the verdict was reached and why many of them still feel uneasy.
The FBI, so far, has declined to comment on whether it will re-examine the case.
References: Karen Read jury foreman appeals to FBI to reopen the murder investigation | 'Karen Read is innocent': Jury foreman speaks out after verdict | Another Karen Read juror speaks out, says she hopes O'Keefe family finds justice | Karen Read juror '100%' certain she didn't kill John O'Keefe: 'Something happened inside the house' | Jury Foreman Voted to Acquit Karen Read of Murder. Now He Says FBI Should Reopen Investigation
