Karen Read: Cop Killer or Convenient Patsy?

Jury to decide in high-stakes Massachusetts trial

Lead:

Who killed Boston police officer John O'Keefe? Was it his girlfriend, Karen Read, as prosecutors allege? Or is Read, as she claims, an innocent victim of a vast police cover-up?

Body:

A Massachusetts jury is set to begin deliberating in the high-stakes trial of Karen Read, who is charged with second-degree murder in the death of her police officer boyfriend. The case has captured national attention and raised questions about police accountability and the treatment of women in the criminal justice system.

Prosecutors allege that Read, 44, fatally shot O'Keefe, 39, in their Boston apartment on July 26, 2023. O'Keefe was found dead with a single gunshot wound to the head, and Read was arrested shortly after.

Read has pleaded not guilty and maintains her innocence. She claims that she and O'Keefe were involved in a struggle and that the gun accidentally discharged, striking O'Keefe in the head.

The trial has featured dramatic testimony from both sides. The prosecution has presented evidence that Read had a history of domestic violence and that she made threats to kill O'Keefe in the months leading up to his death.

The defense, meanwhile, has argued that Read was the victim of police misconduct. They claim that police coerced her into making incriminating statements and that they withheld evidence that could have exonerated her.

The jury is now tasked with deciding whether Read is guilty of murder or whether she is the victim of a miscarriage of justice.