In the murder trial of Karen Read, accused of killing her police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, a mistrial was declared after the jury was deadlocked. Prosecutors alleged that Read killed O’Keefe by backing her SUV into him, leaving the scene. Defense lawyers claimed law enforcement officers framed Read to cover up a beating O’Keefe suffered at a gathering. Investigators were accused of mishandling evidence and manipulating the investigation. Prosecutors argued that physical evidence linked Read to the crime, including broken taillights and DNA. Read’s lawyers presented a third-party culprit defense, suggesting a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives agent may have been involved in O’Keefe’s death. The jury was divided on the evidence presented, leading to the mistrial. The district attorney’s office intends to retry the case. O’Keefe’s cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and hypothermia. The defense argued that the injuries should have been more severe if O’Keefe had been hit by a vehicle traveling over 20 mph. After the mistrial, a status hearing was set for later in the month. Both O’Keefe’s family and Read’s lawyers remain determined to fight for justice in this case.
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The murder trial of Karen Read declared a mistrial following several days of jury deliberations
