Latest news with #KarenRead
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Karen Read to Turn Trial Tribulations Into Film Adaptation
Fresh off her acquittal, Karen Read is turning her two-trial ordeal over the 2022 death of her then-boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, into a feature film. Just last week, Read was acquitted of charges of second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter under the influence, and leaving the scene of the crime in relation to O'Keefe's death; jurors did find her guilty of operating a car under the influence of alcohol. More from Rolling Stone Karen Read Found Not Guilty of Murder in Retrial Karen Read Lawyer Says Case Is 'Definition of Reasonable Doubt' as Second Trial Begins Officer in Karen Read Case Joked About Searching Her Phone for Nudes in 'Pivotal' Trial Moment Police believed that Read drunkenly backed into her then-boyfriend the night of Feb. 2, 2022, with her SUV, and fled the scene. She previously pleaded not guilty at the first trial, which ended in a mistrial after a hung jury. With her tribulations behind her, Read will now focus on telling her story in her own words, re-enlisting her lead trial attorney Alan Jackson to 'develop a scripted project chronicling the story behind the case that sparked a national firestorm and ignited conversations about justice, power, and truth in America.' 'I've lived in this town with John. I saw what it takes for a small group of powerful people to be 'above the law,'' Read said in a statement. 'I struggled for over three years to overcome this power and corruption, eliciting help from tens of private investigators, multiple attorneys, and eventually – the federal government. It was ultimately a groundswell of local residents and a grassroots campaign that afforded me the resources I needed to fight back.' LBI Entertainment, which partnered with Read and Jackson on the project, added, The story of Karen Read — recently found not guilty after a sensational trial that drew wall-to-wall media coverage and inspired a fierce public reckoning — is more than a courtroom drama. It is a story about a woman targeted, a defense mounted against overwhelming odds, and a system under scrutiny. With exclusive access to both Read and Jackson, the upcoming project will reveal the story behind the prosecution, the defense's counter-investigation, and the cultural explosion that surrounded the case. Drawing on their first-hand experience, the project will reflect Read's insight into the investigators' conduct and showcase Jackson's architecture of a murder defense built from the ground up in the war room.' In addition to the screen adaptation, Read and Jackson are also simultaneously shopping a book project based on the trials. Jackson added, 'This case revealed how fragile the pursuit of justice can be. Our hope is that telling this story, in all its complexity, will do what the courtroom couldn't — show the public what it really takes to confront corruption.' Best of Rolling Stone Every Super Bowl Halftime Show, Ranked From Worst to Best The United States of Weed Gaming Levels Up
Fox News
16 hours ago
- Fox News
Fox News True Crime Newsletter: Bryan Kohberger dealt major blow, Karen Read fallout, Suzanne Morphew murder
WHODUNIT? Kohberger team hit with major blow as judge rejects bid to name alternate suspects UNEXPECTED LIFELINE: Leaked evidence could affect death penalty in Idaho murder trial, ex-prosecutor says DEADLY CONNECTIONS: Two more witnesses emerge in Kohberger trial, including suspect's jail guard FIGHTING BACK: Relatives of slain cop fume as ex-girlfriend Karen Read walks free: 'Sickening' 'SO MANY HOLES': Karen Read trial jury foreman calls on federal agency to 'get justice for John O'Keefe' LEGAL FURY: Lawyer fires back after Karen Read prosecutor warns of 'witness abuse' LOSING CONTROL: This is the moment Karen Read's lawyers say prosecutors handed them the case SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER MURDER MYSTERY: Barry Morphew accused in wife's killing for second time in 5 years: how it unfolded BACK IN COURT: Barry Morphew seen for first time after being booked into jail in murder case LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? FIND MORE ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Mass. author writing book about Karen Read case hopes to ‘find the heart of the story'
A Massachusetts-based author is writing a book about the Karen Read murder case, the people involved, and everything that unfolded in the town of Canton following the death of John O'Keefe. Karen Read after the verdict: Watch Boston 25's hour-long special Dave Wedge, a best-selling author behind the book, shared his thoughts on Read's recent murder acquittal and what he hopes to accomplish with his latest literary work in an interview with the Brockton Enterprise. Wedge, a Brockton native, was at Dedham's Norfolk Superior Court when jurors in Read's second trial found her not guilty of the most serious charges in the 2022 death of O'Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend. 'If ever there was a case that had tremendous reasonable doubt, this is it,' Wedge told the newspaper. 'It's very sad to me that the O'Keefe family doesn't have justice, and they may never know what actually happened that night. It was such a drunken mess.' Wedge, who recently published 'Blood & Hate: The Untold Story of Marvelous Marvin Hagler's Battle for Glory,' says he's aiming to have his latest book finished this year and published in 2026. 'It's not a story about Karen Read,' Wedge told the newspaper. 'I'm just going to try to find the heart of the story, like I do with all my books, and tell that story that's going to make people understand what happened that night and learn the impact that it had on these families, especially the O'Keefe family.' Prosecutors said Read hit O'Keefe with her SUV, leaving him to die in a blizzard outside the home of fellow Boston officer Brian Albert, at 34 Fairview Road in Canton on Jan. 29, 2022, following a night of drinking. Her lawyers successfully defended her, painting a sinister picture of police misconduct and theorizing that O'Keefe was, in fact, killed by colleagues, followed by a vast cover-up. RELATED: John O'Keefe's family speaks out after Karen Read verdict, acquittal celebrations Karen Read attorney Alan Jackson blasts special prosecutor in new statement Juror says Karen Read was 'innocent,' calls investigation into John O'Keefe's death 'sloppy' 'Feel like I'm floating': Karen Read's parents speak out after murder acquittal Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Fox News
2 days ago
- Fox News
Family of slain Boston cop John O'Keefe fumes as ex-girlfriend Karen Read walks free: 'Sickening'
Print Close By Michael Ruiz Published June 26, 2025 The family of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, killed on Jan. 29, 2022 during a blizzard, is still searching for justice this week, days after jurors cleared his ex-girlfriend Karen Read of homicide charges. Read, 45, will serve a year of probation for drunken driving but was not guilty of second-degree murder, manslaughter and fleeing the scene of a deadly accident. "The only way that we would have found some kind of peace in this would've been a guilty verdict," Vanessa Rizzitano, O'Keefe's cousin and a former Boston 25 journalist, told the outlet. SPECIAL PROSECUTOR WARNS KAREN READ SUPPORTERS' BEHAVIOR IS 'ANTITHESIS OF JUSTICE' She said that an eruption of cheers from Read's supporters outside the courthouse made her "sick to [her] stomach" and Read's claim, moments later, that "no one had fought harder for justice for John O'Keefe" enraged the family. "Hearing those words come out of her mouth, literally, was sickening," Rizzitano told the station. The prosecution, his family, his loved ones, including myself, were the ones that fought the hardest for Johnny. — Vanessa Rizzitano, John O'Keefe's cousin Read repeated the claim at a celebratory dinner with her family and legal team hours later. KAREN READ'S LAWYERS IDENTIFY EXACT MOMENT PROSECUTION 'LOST THE CASE' IN MURDER TRIAL "No. The prosecution, his family, his loved ones, including myself, were the ones that fought the hardest for Johnny," Rizzitano said. "Not you." GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB Jurors spent four days deliberating after hearing more than 30 days of testimony in her retrial on the charges. Last year, a deadlocked jury resulted in a mistrial at the end of her first proceeding. Special prosecutor Hank Brennan, a high-profile defense attorney asked to lead the case after last year's hung jury, told Fox News Digital Monday that he was disappointed with the verdict, "and the fact that we could not achieve justice for John O'Keefe." SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X "After an independent and thorough review of all the evidence, I concluded that the evidence led to one person, and only one person," he said. "Neither the closed federal investigation nor my independent review led me to identify any other possible suspect or person responsible for the death of John O'Keefe." Prosecutors alleged that Read backed her 2021 Lexus LX 570 SUV into O'Keefe outside a house party and fled the scene after a night of drinking. She came back with two other women nearly six hours later and found him unresponsive on the ground. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Police missteps, including the firing of a lead investigator, sloppy work at the scene and a disputed chain of custody for key evidence, left plenty of reasonable doubt for jurors. The defense argued that something else caused O'Keefe's injuries and denied a collision ever happened. Print Close URL
Fox News
2 days ago
- Fox News
Karen Read trial jury foreman calls on FBI to investigate Boston police officer's death
The jury foreman in the Karen Read retrial called on the FBI to take its own look into the death of Boston Police Department officer John O'Keefe. Jurors on June 18 found Read not guilty of second-degree murder, but found her guilty of operating a vehicle while under the influence with a blood-alcohol level of .08% or greater. Juror No. 1 told the Boston Herald that the FBI should do its own investigation into O'Keefe's death. "There are so many holes that need to be filled," Juror No. 1 said. "Now that the FBI knows Karen Read is not a suspect, something happened, and multiple jurors feel that way." The juror, who asked to remain anonymous, said the FBI should "get justice for John O'Keefe." "No one local should be involved in the investigation," the juror said. "It was lazy police work… and we should start some type of investigation of what went on in that house." Special prosecutor Hank Brennan, following the verdict, requested Read be sentenced to one year of probation and enrollment in the 24D outpatient program, which is routine for a first drunken driving offense. The not guilty verdict on the top charge of second-degree murder came following nearly a month of testimony and four days of jury deliberation. Prosecutors accused Read of killing O'Keefe, her boyfriend, on Jan. 29, 2022, while she was driving her car drunk during a blizzard. O'Keefe's body was found lying in the snow during the early morning hours of Jan. 29. Kerry Roberts and Jennifer McCabe testified against Read, saying she was panicked when she called them on Jan. 29 to tell them that O'Keefe was missing. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB In court, McCabe alleged that Read repeatedly said, "I hit him" on the morning that O'Keefe went missing. Timothy Nuttall, a paramedic, said he overheard Read saying "I hit him" three times. According to witnesses, Read and O'Keefe were out drinking on the night of Jan. 28 with friends, including McCabe. The couple was invited to an after-party at Brian Albert's house, but they didn't attend. SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER Read's defense team maintained during the trial that Read never hit O'Keefe, instead blaming his injuries on an altercation with other men at the after-party. According to witnesses who testified in court, while Read's car was outside Albert's house, she and O'Keefe weren't seen at the after-party. Read told reporters that she saw O'Keefe enter the house prior to her driving away. Fox News Digital reached out to the FBI for comment.
