Who is Karen Read, what is she accused of and when does her retrial begin?

On January 29, 2022, the body of Boston Police Office John O’Keefe was discovered outside the home of a fellow police officer in the suburb of Canton in Massachusetts. His body was found in the snow, bruised and battered.

USA Today reported that Karen Read, “the (then) 44-year-old Mansfield woman was accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend, 46-year-old John O’Keefe, after he was found dead in the snow on a fellow officer's lawn on the morning of Jan. 29, 2022.

Karen Read goes on to plead not guilty to charges of of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and leaving the scene of a collision resulting in death. However, in July 2024, a judge declares a mistrial in the murder trial of Karen Read.

However, a retrial of Karen Read is set to begin on April 1, and CNN has reported that she is set to be supported by a legion of fans. Rita Lombardi took a leave of absence from work during her first trial and told CNN that “I actually ran that whole sidewalk at the courthouse for 12 weeks, and also said: “I wanted to draw more attention, so I started ordering pink pom-poms from Amazon because people around the world would say ‘Why did these people have pom-poms at a murder trial?’

If convicted, what is Karen Read’s sentence likely to be?

If Karen Read is convicted, she will face life in prison.

Where is John O’Keefe buried

John O’Keefe is buried in the Blue Hill Cemetery in Braintree, Massachusetts, where he grew up.

Do Karen Read’s family support her?

Karen Read’s parents William and Janet Read have been vocal in support of their daughter. Two weeks after her murder case was declared a mistrial, Karen Read sold her Massachusetts home for $810,000.

The Patriot Ledger reported at the time that the listing read:"This turn-key home features gorgeous hardwood floors throughout, central air, a beautiful sun-drenched kitchen with granite counters, center island and custom cabinets, as well as 2 generous size bedrooms on the first floor, which would be perfect for in-laws or an au pair suite."