Verdict slips: Choices Karen Read jurors face

BOSTON —

Jury deliberations in the Karen Read retrial are underway after weeks of testimony in the high-profile murder retrial that centered on the prosecution’s theory of a rocky relationship that turned fatal and the defense’s claim of a police cover-up.

The jury will return verdict slips to Judge Beverly Cannone when deliberations come to an end.

Cannone amended the original verdict slip for one of the offenses after the defense urged the court to make the choices more clear to jurors.

Here’s a look at the charge as it appears on the new verdict slip for Offense 2. (Note changes were only made to Offense 002. No changes were made to Offenses 1 and 3)

Offense 001: Murder in the Second Degree

In the above-entitled case, we the Jury say that the Defendant is:

1.___ Not Guilty

2. ___Guilty of Offense as Charged: Murder in the Second Degree

Offense 002 – Manslaughter while Operating a Motor Vehicle under the Influence of Liquor

In the above-entitled case, we the Jury say that the Defendant is:

1. __Not Guilty of the offense charged or any lesser included offense.

(If you find the defendant not guilty of the offense charged or any lesser included offense, stop and sign the verdict slip.)

2. __Guilty of offense as charged: Manslaughter while Operating a Motor Vehicle under the Influence of Liquor

( check one or both of the following):

__Manslaughter while Operating a Motor Vehicle under the Influence of Liquor

and/or

__ Manslaughter while Operating a Motor Vehicle with a Blood Alcohol Level of .08% or greater

(If you find the defendant guilty of Manslaughter while Operating a Motor Vehicle under the Influence of Liquor, stop and sign the verdict slip. If you find her not guilty of Manslaughter while Operating a Motor Vehicle under the Influence of Liquor, then continue below)

3. __Guilty of Lesser included offense: Involuntary Manslaughter

(If you find the defendant guilty of the lesser included offense of Involuntary Manslaughter, stop and sign the verdict slip. If you find her not guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter, then continue to the next page)

4.__ Guilty of Lesser included offense: Motor Vehicle Homicide (Felony-OUI Liquor and Negligence)

( check one or both of the following):

__ Motor Vehicle Homicide under the Influence of Liquor

and/or

__ Motor Vehicle Homicide by Operating a Motor Vehicle With a Blood Alcohol Level of .08% or greater

(If you find the defendant guilty of the lesser included offense of Motor Vehicle Homicide (Felony – OUI Liquor and Negligence), stop and sign the verdict slip. If you find her not guilty of Motor Vehicle Homicide under the Influence of Liquor, then continue below)

5. __Guilty of Lesser included offense: Operating under the Influence of Liquor

(check one or both of the following):

__ Operating a Motor Vehicle under the Influence of Liquor

and/or

__ Operating a Motor Vehicle with a Blood Alcohol Level of .08% or greater

(If you find the defendant guilty of Operating a Motor Vehicle under the Influence of Liquor, stop. If you find the defendant not guilty on this offense and all other offenses, check the first box on page 1)

And this is the unanimous decision of all twelve members.

Date: 2025

Foreperson

Offense 003 – Leaving the Scene of an Accident Resulting in Death

In the above-entitled case, we the Jury say that the Defendant is:

I. _ Not Guilty

2. __ Guilty of Offense as Charged: Leaving the Scene of an Accident Resulting in Death

Judge gives stern warning to Karen Read’s defense team as court prepares for her second trial

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Karen Read’s case returned to court Tuesday with a harsh warning for her defense team and a long to-do list as attorneys prepare for the start of her second murder trial.

Judge Beverly Cannone said she determined that defense attorneys deliberately misled her about their relationship with two expert witnesses who testified at the first trial. The defense presented those witnesses as independent but later admitted to paying them after the first trial ended in a hung jury.

“Based on all the evidence, I conclude that there has not been the candor required of all lawyers — (that) has not been demonstrated here. I find that there have been repeated misrepresentations made to the court by defense counsel, and I conclude that they were deliberate,” Cannone said.

The judge then called Read and her attorneys to the bench for a private sidebar, which the courtroom camera was not allowed to record.

Cannone later said Read indicated that she wants to keep all her current lawyers. The judge said she will respect that wish and not ban them from the second trial. The judge could still decide to punish the lawyers at a later date.

Read, 45, of Mansfield, is accused of hitting her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, with her vehicle outside of a home in Canton during a snowstorm on Jan. 29, 2022.

Also Tuesday, the prosecution asked to incorporate a new statement from a documentary series about the case that began streaming this week on Investigation Discovery. In it, Read reveals that when she found O’Keefe, “he had a piece of glass perched on his nose, just wedged like a splinter would be.”

The prosecution has claimed O’Keefe was holding a cocktail glass when Read allegedly backed into him.

“I’d like to consider this new information that we just learned last night,” Special Prosecutor Hank Brennan said.

Read’s second trial is scheduled to begin on April 1, but the defense said it might need a delay if a federal appeals court throws out some of the charges.

“It’s a different jury that we would pick. It’s a different strategy that we would employ,” defense attorney Alan Jackson said.

“We’re ready, but were just accommodating the first circuit appeal,” Read said outside the courthouse.

The case is expected to return for additional pretrial hearings on Thursday, and attorneys were left awaiting numerous decisions from the judge. Topics include a request to reinstate a buffer zone around the courthouse during the second trial, whether the defense can argue someone else was responsible for O’Keefe’s death and numerous disputes about various witnesses.

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Live Updates from Courtroom:

• 11:36 a.m. Judge concludes the hearing for today and says they will resume on Thursday.
• 11:34 a.m. As they discuss the possibility of another trial delay, John O’Keefe’s mother is holding her head in her hand and being comforted by a family member seated next to her.
• 11:33 a.m. Judge says the big issue is jury selection. She says the publicity surrounding the case will make finding a jury even harder. She says a large pool of jurors is already being called. Finding a new pool would take months.
• 11:32 a.m. Brennan says he expects his case to last less than a month. Jackson says he expects his case to last 1.5 to 2 weeks.
• 11:31 a.m. Assistant District Attorney Calleb Schillinger, who’s handling the prosecution’s case in the federal court, is now addressing the judge. Says he also doesn’t know the timeline of a decision. Says “Commonwealth is strongly opposed to moving the trial.”
• 10:26 a.m. Hearing resumes. Jackson is arguing for the trial to be delayed because a pending appeal in the federal courts. Jackson says if the appeals court decides to dismiss some of the charges, it would put the defense in a difficult position. Jackson says he does not know when the appeals court will decide.
• 10:46 a.m. Brennan points out that doctors from Good Sam testified at first trial for how they took Read’s blood and preserved it. Alessi says, as the judge often does, this is a new trial.
• 10:43 a.m. Alessi says hospital blood draws do not follow the same rules as criminal lab blood testing. Says prosecution must establish the reliability of hospital blood draws before results can be allowed as evidence.
• 10:39 a.m. Judge moves on to the defense’s request to exclude the blood-alcohol testing and analysis. (Reminder: Read’s blood was tested the next morning at Good Samaritan Hosp, and experts estimated her blood-alcohol level was well over the limit at the time she arrived at 34 Fairview.)
• 10:32 a.m. Brennan says the Commonwealth was “patting the butts” of bloggers for a job well done. Brennan says he has no intention of raising the witness intimidation issue during his initial questioning. Jackson says he wonders where this “ire” from Brennan comes from. “Was he listening? I didn’t bash a witness,” Jackson says. “Sure, there may have been communication” between Read and Kearney, Jackson says, but insists that’s very different from directing witness intimidation.
• 10:30 a.m. Jackson concludes. Brennan says Jackson’s speech “defies reality.” Brennan says in new documentary, Read talks about speaking frequently with Aidan Kearney. Brennan says there will be a related motion in another courtroom this afternoon.
• 10:28 a.m. Jackson says during first trial, Jennifer McCabe “decided she wanted to talk about that issue.” Jackson says he doesn’t want a “free-for-all” of witnesses, suggesting Read is responsible for witness intimidation.
• 10:25 a.m. Jackson says a grand jury found “no evidence” that Read is responsible for alleged witness intimidation. Says prosecution knew this before the first trial. Judge says she initially ruled that such testimony would be excluded during the first trial but that Jackson “opened the door” to it during his questioning. Jackson disagrees and wants to “revisit the issue.”
• 10:23 a.m. Jacksons says, “There is an enormous amount of emotion” in the community “and we don’t control that.” (Read and blogger Aidan Kearney spoke privately as she arrived in the courtroom this morning.)
• 10:22 a.m. Judge moves on to next issue. Jackson wants to ban witnesses from testifying about alleged witness intimidation by third-parties. Jackson says “vial acts” against witnesses are in no way connected to Read.
• 10:20 a.m. Both sides agree that they will not coach witnesses after they begin testifying during the second trial.
• 10:18 a.m. Brennan says he worries the questioning by the attorney’s might digress during group questioning. He wants jurors to fill out questionnaire instead. Jackson says questionnaire is good idea. Judge says she is a big supporter of group questioning but not in this case. She says that’s because of the intense public attention on this case. Wants both sides to agree to a questionnaire. Judge wants a one-page, two-sided questionnaire.
• 10:16 a.m. Jackson is now asking for permission to ask questions of potential jurors during jury selection AS A GROUP instead of individually. Says he would limit questions to certain categories, like views on drunk driving.
• 10:10 a.m. Brennan says a witness is entitled to attend closing arguments. Says defense is taking an “unsolicited bashing” of these witnesses. Brennan notes he is not asking to exclude Read’s family members who might be called to testify.
• 10:04 a.m. Little is now arguing to exclude members of the Albert and McCabe families and Brian Higgins from the courtroom after they testify. Several of those witnesses attended closing arguments. Little says at least one juror felt intimidated by their presence.
• 10:01 a.m. Defense attorney Elizabeth Little is now requesting that Karen Read be allowed to attend when the jury views the scene and the SUV. Brennan says he does not oppose view but wants the SUV to be seen by jury at a different location. Judge says if she allows Read to attend, there needs to be separate transportation for her and a way to keep onlookers away. Little says the SUV should be at the scene for sake of efficiency. Judge says she would like Read to attend but needs to work out details.
• 9:58 a.m. Judge moves on to defense motion to exclude the “Aruba witnesses” from the second trial. Brennan says they do not intend to use the “Aruba event” during the second trial. Reminder: Witnesses testified that Read became upset after seeing a woman kiss O’Keefe at hotel in Aruba.
• 9:54 a.m. Brennan says Hanley’s report is not admissible and can’t be shown to the jury. He doesn’t say why. Brennan says a recent documentary includes statements from Read about the glass, including that O’Keefe took her vodka glass from the SUV. Judge says she will hold off on deciding this issue until hearing more evidence. Says maybe the two sides can work out a compromise.
• 9:51 a.m. Defense attorney Alan Jackson is asking the judge for permission to let Hanley use a “chalk”, in other words a visual representation that helps explain complicated testimony.
• 9:50 a.m. Judge issues no immediate ruling on Wolf. Moves on to another issue regarding testimony of Christina Hanley, a forensic scientist at the State Police crime lab. She testified at first trial about a broken cocktail glass found near O’Keefe’s body and on Read’s SUV bumper.
• 9:47 a.m. Brennan returns for 2nd time. Says it’s “obvious” a neurosurgeon would understand why a patient is dying.
• 9:43 a.m. Brennan concludes. Alessi returns. Say Brennan did not demonstrate how Wolf’s methodology is accepted practice. Alessi says even if Wolf can talk about “cause of death”, he should not be allowed to talk about “manner of death.”
• 9:39 a.m. Brennan says Wolf is qualified. Says his experience is “far superior” to any pathologist because he has treated patients before they die. Says Wolf has conclude that O’Keefe suffered contrecoup injury, meaning it manifests on the opposite side of the head from initial impact.
• 9:34 a.m. Alessi concludes. Special prosecutor Hank Brennan begins. Says Dr. Wolf is not “neurologist” but rather “neurosurgeon” with “significant experience.” Begins to detail his resume. Says Wolf has treated tens of thousands of patients with head injuries.
• 9:32 a.m. Alessi says Wolf is not qualified and his methodology is unproven. Wants Wolf’s testimony to be limited.
• 9:26 a.m. Alessi says Wolfe has concluded that John O’Keefe died from a fall backwards and not from being hit by something like a hammer. Alessi says there is no support for the idea that O’Keefe fell backwards.
• 9:23 a.m. Judge moves on to next issue regarding the testimony of of a prosecution witness, Dr. Aizik L. Wolf, a neurologist. Defense attorney Robert Alessi says Wolf is not qualified. (This is not the same person as the ARCCA witness, Daniel Wolfe.)
• 9:16 a.m. Judge says she will not remove the out-of-state lawyers’ permission to participate in this trial. “I’m not going to tolerate false statements,” the judge says. Judge says she will ALLOW ARCCA experts to testify as long as defense complies with discovery requirements
• 9:15 a.m. Read and her attorneys return to their table. Judge says no greater right than right to fair trial. Judge says Read has expressed “strong desire” to continue with all her current lawyers.
• 9:12 a.m. The judge is talking directly to Read. Her attorneys are standing behind her listening.
• 9:11 a.m. Judge says there was a flagrant violation of the discovery requirements by the defense. She calls defense attorneys AND READ to a sidebar. This is the first time Read has been invited to the bench. Prosecutors are remaining in their seats.
• 9:09 a.m. The judge enters. Says she will start with the prosecution’s motion to exclude the ARCCA witnesses. The judge says there have been repeated deliberate misrepresentations by the defense counsel about these witnesses.
• 9:08 a.m. A final pre-trial hearing is getting underway. We expect both sides to argue several motions, including the defense’s motion to dismiss the charges.

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What to know about the case:

Read, 45, of Mansfield, pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges. The prosecution says she hit her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, with her vehicle outside of a home in Canton during a snowstorm on Jan. 29, 2022, following a night of drinking. Her defense argued that someone else was responsible for killing O’Keefe.

The defense centered on allegations of a cover-up involving members of several law enforcement agencies. They say O’Keefe was beaten inside the home, bitten by a dog and then left outside.

Testimony in Read’s first trial began on April 29, following opening statements. It ended on July 1, when jurors reported being hopelessly deadlocked, and a mistrial was declared.

Read’s team vowed to keep fighting, and her defense has waged a considerable battle across multiple courts, attempting to get charges dropped or have the case thrown out entirely. Meanwhile, a federal investigation into the case concluded without any charges being filed against police.

Her second trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection on April 1.