The Karen Read retrial may be over, but we'll never truly be free of the case. (And now what do we do with ourselves?)

Boston Globe

20-06-2025

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All around the world, people who couldn't even believe they cared held their breath until, finally, the verdict was read in open court: Karen Read was not guilty of murdering John O'Keefe. Not guilty of manslaughter. Guilty only of operating a vehicle under the influence.
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The defense team hugged. The victim's family disappeared from view, as if they had done something wrong. Law enforcement mustered on the steps of the courthouse.
The pink bosoms heaved, their hearts full, their eyes on the courthouse doors. It was like waiting for the royal family, or maybe the pope, to take the balcony. Finally, their icon appeared. Read and attorney Alan Jackson flashed the American Sign Language sign for 'I love you.' Attorney David Yannetti pumped his fists.
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'No one has fought harder for justice for John O'Keefe than I have,' Read said.
It was glorious — the release they'd all been waiting for — but eventually the stars left the stage and climbed into dark cars and pulled away, and the crowd dispersed and the traffic in downtown Dedham began to flow, and that seemed to be that. The end of an era.
Supporters of Karen Read react after she was found not guilty of second-degree murder on Wednesday in Dedham.
Josh Reynolds/Associated Press
Or, was it? Painful as it is, perhaps now is a good time to recall the
Indeed, no sooner had the jury delivered its verdict than the last three and a half years began to feel like merely the prelude to an even juicer season, starting, of course, with the hunt for the real killer!
'The time has come to scrutinize the actions of [people] who were caught lying — committing perjury during the trial,' a Read supporter wrote on Facebook.
On the X platform, the snark and 'gotchas' continued with zest, as if the trial hadn't ended.
'Imagine getting convicted of a DUI and you walk outside to streets full of people cheering you on,' one post read.
'The saddest part of the Karen Read saga is John O'Keefe is still dead and the people who actually murdered him will never be punished thanks to the thin blue line,' read another.
It was the same story outside the courthouse, where Read supporters were trying to propel the action forward.
'Bev needs to go! Bev needs to go!' the crowd chanted, waving American flags and gunning for Judge Beverly Cannone.
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Aidan Kearney, the now-supercharged blogger known as Turtleboy, announced that he was at last free to reveal that he's involved with a
The plot points kept coming. Some of the trial's witnesses
put out a somewhat ominous statement. 'While we may have more to say in the future, today we mourn with John's family and lament the cruel reality that this prosecution was infected by lies and conspiracy theories,' read the statement from Jennifer McCabe, who was with Read when she found O'Keefe's body in the snow; Brian Albert, who lived at the home where O'Keefe's body was found, and others.
The town of Canton, apparently desperate to move forward (as if), put out its own declaration. 'We encourage members of the community to move forward together, treating one another with respect through civil, constructive dialogue,' it said.
And throughout the region, regular citizens began to face a scary reality: themselves. What would they turn to to take their minds off their own lives now?
What
are
people
going to do now that they don't have the Read trial to watch or discuss or argue over? Sure, there are books to read, hobbies to develop, and nonprofits at which to volunteer.
Then again, considering the pending
Beth Teitell can be reached at