Karen Read is on trial in connection with the January 2022 death of her boyfriend John O’Keefe
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The jury in the high-profile murder trial of Karen Read, a Massachusetts woman accused of killing her police officer boyfriend in 2022, told the judge on Friday, June 28, that they are deadlocked despite a rigorous, four-day review of the evidence.
Read, a former Massachusetts college professor, is accused of murdering John O’Keefe, 46, who was found dead in the snow outside a friend’s house the morning after he was allegedly struck by Read, who prosecutors say was intoxicated, as she backed out of a driveway in Canton, Mass..
Her attorneys have maintained she was framed, and that she’s a victim of a cover-up by police.
In a note to Judge Beverly Cannone on Friday, the jury foreperson said, in part, “I am writing to inform you on behalf of the jury that despite our exhaustive review of the evidence and our diligent consideration of all disputed evidence, we have been unable to reach a unanimous verdict,” according to trial proceedings broadcast by CourtTV and viewed by PEOPLE.
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John O’Keefe, left, and Karen Read.DAVID YANNETTI
Despite the jury’s note, the judge sent them back to keep deliberating after lunch.
She said for a case that included 657 exhibits and 74 witness testimonies, the jury ought to deliberate further.
“This note arrived with less three hours of deliberations today,” Cannone said. “Very complex issues in this case,” she said, “I am not prepared to find that there have been due and thorough deliberations at this point.”
In response to the jury’s note on Friday, prosecutor Adam Lally argued for more deliberations, saying, “This simply hasn’t been sufficient time yet,” Boston.com reports.
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A Karen Read supporter mugs for the camera before Read appeared in Norfolk Superior Court for a motions hearing.JESSICA RINALDI/THE BOSTON GLOBE VIA GETTY
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But defense attorney David Yannetti believes otherwise, saying, “We believe that there has been sufficient time.”
During the trial, supporters on both sides have gathered outside the Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham to express their support and hold signs.
