Karen Read on trial for death of boyfriend John O'Keefe as defense claims police cover up

Karen Read is on trial for the death of her boyfriend John O'Keefe, a Boston police officer, in a case that continues to draw a furor of questions, speculation, and protest.

Read, 44, stands accused of hitting O'Keefe, 46, with her car on a snowy night in January of 2022 after the couple were out with friends in Canton, Massachusetts, around 20 miles south of Boston. She has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and vehicular manslaughter charges.

But defense attorneys say Read was framed in a cover up they say involves Brian Albert, a retired Boston police officer and friend of the couple who owns the house where O'Keefe's body was found. They say investigating officers are in on the scheme to frame Read.

The trial began in April and has lasted for weeks, according to NBC Boston. The trial continues in a Dedham, Massachusetts, courthouse on Wednesday. It has attracted groups of protesters supporting Read, some wearing pink, her favorite color. The demonstrations prompted Norfolk County Judge Beverly Cannone to impose a buffer around the courthouse.

Here's what to know about the case.

How did O'Keefe die?

The night before O'Keefe's death, he and Read joined a gathering of friends at a local restaurant, according to court documents. Read told police she later dropped off her boyfriend at the home of Albert and his family, Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik testified, according to local news reports.

But those at Albert's house later testified that O'Keefe never arrived.

By nearly 5 a.m., as a thick snow blanketed the ground, a hysterical Read called two of the couple's friends and told them that O'Keefe hadn't returned home, the two testified. One friend, Jennifer McCabe, said she heard scream, "John didn't come home. We had a fight."

"Something must have happened to him... what if he's dead," she told one friend, according to court documents. She said she couldn't remember the events of the night after drinking "so much" – a forensic toxicologist later estimated her blood alcohol level at well over the legal limit to drive at the time, according to local news.

Read and the two friends drove to Albert's house to search for O'Keefe, according to their testimony. They found his body covered in snow in the front yard.

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What do prosecutors allege?

Prosecutors say Read hit O'Keefe with her car and left him for dead. In court documents, they point to statements a hysterical Read allegedly made the night of his death – she asked, "Did I hit him?" and later, when O'Keefe's body was found, "I hit him" – as confessions.

Police evidence also suggested a rocky relationship between Read and O'Keefe. Read told police the couple had a fight shortly before O'Keefe's death, court documents show. In voicemail messages she left him the morning he died, she swore at him and accused him of infidelity, police say.

Investigators also zeroed in on a broken taillight on Read's SUV – police found broken pieces of red plastic on O'Keefe's clothing that a forensic investigator testified were "consistent" with the taillight, local news reported. A broken cocktail glass was also found outside.

What do Read's attorneys say?

Read's attorneys say she was framed, and that law enforcement helped to cover up and plant evidence. They say O'Keefe was beaten inside Albert's home, bitten by a dog, and then left outside in the snow, court documents show.

The Boston Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the allegations made by the defense.

Defense attorneys leveled harsh lines of cross-examination at the Albert family. Brian Albert testified that O'Keefe never entered his home that night, but he and Read would have been welcomed "with open arms," NBC reported.

On Monday, Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor testified about "unprofessional and regrettable" text messages he sent about Read, CBS reported. Read's attorneys said the texts compromised the investigation and accused him of planting evidence to cover up for the Alberts.

In the texts, sent to Proctor's friends and wife, he calls Read a "whackjob" and other derogatory terms. Proctor, who was tasked with going through Read's phone, also texted his bosses, "No nudes so far."

Proctor said he used "poor language," but that he was confident that the evidence implicated Read.

"Based on the day's investigation, it was clear that Ms. Read had struck Mr. O'Keefe with her vehicle," Proctor added, according to CBS News.

The Massachusetts State Police declined to comment citing the criminal trial and an ongoing internal affairs investigation involving Proctor.

Read's attorneys pointed to evidence tampering. A forensic scientist called by the defense said some glass fragments and a hair found on Read's car suspiciously stayed put, even though the car was towed around 50 miles through a snowstorm, the Associated Press reported.