(NewsNation) — Jurors in the trial of Massachusetts woman Karen Read, who faces second-degree murder and other charges in the death of her boyfriend, said Friday they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict, but were told by the judge to continue deliberating.
This is the fourth day of jury deliberations. Judge Beverly Cannone heard arguments from both the Commonwealth, who wanted them to continue, and Read’s defense team, who said the jury already had sufficient time. Cannone ultimately decided she wanted to see jurors discuss the case more before deciding they are hung.
John O’Keefe, a 16-year veteran of the Boston Police Department, was found unresponsive in a snowbank outside of a fellow officer’s home in Canton, Massachusetts in January 2022. He was rushed to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Prosecutors claim Read hit him with her SUV outside of the home during a snowstorm after a night of drinking. The couple was going to the other officer’s house to hang out with friends, but witnesses testified that neither made it there.
Defense attorneys, though, say Read is the innocent victim of a police cover-up. O’Keefe, Read’s lawyers say, was killed during a fight at the house and dumped on the front lawn.
“‘Look the other way’ — four words that sum up the Commonwealth’s entire case. Four words that sum up the hopes of those who have tried to deceive you. Conflicts of interest? Doesn’t matter. Just look the other way,” defense attorney Alan Jackson said during closing arguments this week. “That’s what they’re counting on. But the uncontroversial fact is you have been lied to in this courtroom. And your job is to make sure you don’t ever, ever look the other way.”
During the trial, prosecutors relied heavily on what Read reportedly said in the moments after O’Keefe’s body was found. For example, witnesses reported her saying something along the lines of, “I hit him, I hit him, Oh my god, I hit him.”
If she’s convicted, she could face life in prison with the possibility of parole.
The case has divided the community of Canton, the Boston suburb where O’Keefe was raising his niece and nephew after their parents’ deaths and where many of the witnesses and even investigators know one another.
A number of Read’s supporters have gathered outside of the courthouse, dressed in pink, during the eight-week-long trial. On Friday, about 100 of them were waiting as the jury continued deliberations.
Dedham, MA – April 29: A Karen Read supporter who did not wish to give her name held a sign as she and other supporters stood a short distance down the road from Norfolk Superior Court. (Photo by Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
“Karen Reed was framed for murder by the very people that are sworn to protect us that we trust to keep us safe,” one woman said in an interview with NewsNation on Thursday. “That’s why I’m here today. Karen Reed could be any one of us, and there’s never been a case like this where there is so much scientific evidence that exonerates Karen Read.”
Reporting from NewsNation correspondent Alex Caprariello contributed to this report.