Karen Read‘s retrial has made headlines after it commenced in April 2025. Read is in court again over the death of her late boyfriend, police officer John O’Keefe. Prosecutors argued during the second trial that Read hit O’Keefe with her car while allegedly intoxicated. Meanwhile, Read’s defense team claimed that she did not kill O’Keefe, and argued that he was killed in a fight inside a police officer’s home. Read has further alleged that she is a victim of a coverup from members of law enforcement. Now that the jury has entered deliberations, get updates on the verdict below.
Who Is Karen Read?
Read is a 44-year-old Mansfield, Massachusetts, native, who worked as a financial analyst before her trial began. She was in a relationship with O’Keefe before he died in January 2022.
Karen Read’s Trial Verdict Update
At the time of publication, the jury has not reached a verdict in Read’s trial. She and her legal team pleaded not guilty to her charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene of personal injury and death.
After closing arguments were delivered in June 2025, the jury began deliberations to reach a verdict. Her legal team requested the judge to amend a verdict slip regarding the manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol charge; the slip was apparently provided to jurors in the case, according to multiple outlets, and the judge denied her lawyers’ request.
When questioned about the judge’s decision, Read told reporters, “I think what happened last year with the same verdict form explains it. The jurors said as much, and we just wanted to avoid that again. Apparently, the court is not concerned, so we’ll just move forward and wait on the jury. … I feel well, I feel strong, and the jury will do the right thing. We choose them.”
Is Karen Read Going to Prison?
Since a verdict has not been announced by the time of publication, it’s still unclear if Read could go to prison. However, if she is convicted of second-degree murder, Read would face a maximum sentence of life in prison. She is also facing a charge of manslaughter while operating a vehicle under the influence, which reportedly has a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
