• The Trial Of Karen Read | Justice For John O'Keefe

  • By: True Crime Today
  • Podcast

The Trial Of Karen Read | Justice For John O'Keefe

By: True Crime Today
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  • Summary

  • In "The Trial of Karen Read," listeners are drawn into a gripping courtroom drama unfolding around the mysterious death of John O'Keefe. This investigative series explores the intricate details of the trial of Karen Read, the woman accused of a crime that has captivated the nation. Each episode delves into the evidence presented, the witnesses' testimonies, and the legal strategies from both the defense and the prosecution. As the trial progresses, the podcast also examines the broader implications of the case, including its impact on the local community, the justice system, and the media. With expert commentary from legal analysts, interviews with key figures close to the case, and a deep dive into the social and psychological dimensions involved, this series seeks to uncover the truth behind the headlines and answer the question: Is there justice for John O'Keefe? Join us as we piece together the story, challenge preconceptions, and follow every twist and turn in this compelling search for justice.
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Episodes
  • Karen Read Discusses Murder Trial, Life in Legal Limbo, and Unyielding Pursuit of Truth

    Karen Read Discusses Murder Trial, Life in Legal Limbo, and Unyielding Pursuit of Truth
    Oct 31 2024
    Karen Read, charged twice in the death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, has opened up about her ongoing legal battle, strained personal life, and unyielding quest for justice in an interview with *Vanity Fair*. Speaking to reporter Julie Miller, who was granted unrestricted access, Read shared insights into her life since O’Keefe’s death and the impact of her highly publicized case. In what Vanity Fair described as a series of candid, in-home interviews, Read, 44, invited Miller to her former Mansfield residence in August. Read opened up about her relationship with O’Keefe, her pending retrial, and the toll her legal battles have taken. Miller reported that Read, who has been staying with family and friends, chose her previous home as the setting for the interviews. She was joined by a volunteer security guard, described by Miller as someone “who looks like John Cena and has a license to carry.” Facing an uncertain future, Read has prepared for the possibility of another arrest, keeping a Ziploc “go bag” on hand with essentials: Advil, melatonin, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a hairbrush, lipstick, and foundation, as well as her lawyer’s phone number. “I’m not backing down now,” Read told Vanity Fair, despite the looming prospect of a life sentence if convicted. According to Read, she won’t entertain the idea of a plea deal, even under the risk of severe penalties. “As scary as a potential conviction is, I will go to jail for something I didn’t do before I plea out. I will never give them that win.” Read, a former Fidelity Investments analyst and Bentley University finance professor, has assembled a team of criminal defense attorneys, but the cost of her legal defense has been steep. She has sold her home to offset expenses and is now living off the remains of her 401(k), accruing more than $5 million in legal fees. “If I can get the entire truth of this case out in the public forum, that, to me, is priceless,” she said. At the core of her defense are allegations that O’Keefe, her boyfriend of two years, was the victim of a violent cover-up involving other Boston police officers. Prosecutors argue that Read deliberately ran him over in her SUV after an evening out on January 29, 2022, a claim her defense refutes, asserting that O’Keefe was beaten by others. In July, her case resulted in a mistrial, and her legal team has appealed to Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court to dismiss two of the charges ahead of a scheduled retrial in January. Reflecting on her relationship with O’Keefe, Read described challenges in their dynamic, with disagreements over his role as a disciplinarian for his niece and nephew, who lived with him. According to Read, O’Keefe struggled to mourn his late sister, the children’s mother, and remained hesitant about seeking therapy. “I think that’s part of his stock,” Read told Vanity Fair, “this Irish Catholic, south-of-Boston, rub-some-dirt-on-it, drink-through-your-problems mindset.” In detailing the night of O’Keefe’s death, Read recalled attending a gathering at the Waterfall Bar & Grille in Canton, after which she and O’Keefe joined others at an afterparty. Feeling uneasy upon arrival, she sent O’Keefe inside, only to leave after he didn’t return. She admitted to a fleeting thought that he might be “screwing around,” explaining, “I didn’t think he was physically incapacitated.” She left him multiple voicemails before heading home. Prosecutors, who highlight Read’s flirty exchanges with O’Keefe’s acquaintance Brian Higgins, argue that these interactions hint at motives for the crime. In response, Read openly admitted to seeking validation from Higgins. “I knew Higgins found me attractive,” she said, “It helped me emotionally validate myself, which is embarrassing to admit.” Amid the stress of her case, Read has remained steadfast about her innocence. Addressing rumors that she implicated herself in texts, she explained to Vanity Fair that she and her attorney, David Yannetti, only began communicating after police seized her phone. She said she initially told her parents, “If I did anything in any way, I’ll pay my dues. That’s how this should work. I want to know the truth — good, bad, ugly.” Read’s retrial is set to bring her story back into the public eye, with high stakes and public scrutiny on both her legal and personal lives. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK’s Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon ...
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    11 mins
  • Man Faces Charges in “Duckgate” Scandal Linked to Karen Read Case

    Man Faces Charges in “Duckgate” Scandal Linked to Karen Read Case
    Oct 24 2024
    Man Faces Charges in “Duckgate” Scandal Linked to Karen Read Case A Massachusetts man is facing criminal charges after allegedly distributing rubber ducks and fake $100 bills in support of Karen Read, a woman accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe. Richard Schiffer Jr., 65, has been charged with witness intimidation, criminal harassment, and littering, according to Stoughton District Court. The incidents, some locals are calling "Duckgate," have sparked controversy in the Boston suburb of Canton, where the case has divided the community. Schiffer is accused of leaving rubber ducks and counterfeit bills near homes and businesses connected to witnesses in Read's case, which has attracted a fervent group of supporters. Read, 44, of Mansfield, is accused of striking O'Keefe with her SUV outside a Canton home on January 29, 2022, and leaving him to die in a snowstorm after a night of drinking. O’Keefe’s body was found the next morning outside the home of a fellow Boston police officer. Read has pleaded not guilty, and her defense team argues that she was framed as part of a conspiracy to protect individuals who were present at the home that night. They claim O’Keefe was fatally beaten, and his body was left outside to divert suspicion onto Read. Her first trial ended in a mistrial in July 2023 after the jury was deadlocked. Judge Beverly Cannone, who oversaw that trial, will return to the bench for Read's second trial, scheduled for early next year. Cannone rejected the defense's request to drop certain charges, and that decision is now being appealed to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. In addition to overseeing the retrial, Cannone will also rule on recent requests by Special Assistant District Attorney Hank Brennan, who was appointed to lead the case last month. Brennan has asked for court authorization to reassemble and retest electronics from Read's SUV, seeking more evidence before the retrial. He has also requested cellphone records for William Read, Karen Read’s father, and records related to a 2023 local media interview the Read family gave about the case. Schiffer, who admits to distributing rubber ducks and fake $100 bills, claims his actions are protected under the First Amendment. "Through the First Amendment and my right to free speech, I expressed my opinion and belief that Karen Read is innocent," Schiffer wrote in an online fundraiser seeking help with his legal fees. Schiffer’s attorney has not yet been listed in court records, and CNN has reached out to him for comment. The rubber ducks reportedly reference a comment made by Read's defense attorney, Alan Jackson, during a pre-trial hearing, when he said, "If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it’s a duck." Police claim Schiffer used these ducks to harass witnesses by implying they could not "duck the truth" about O'Keefe's death. Surveillance footage, traffic cameras, and witness testimony were used to link Schiffer to the incidents. The first incident occurred in March 2023, when fake $100 bills were found near D&E Pizza & Subs in Canton, a restaurant owned by a relative of the homeowner where O’Keefe’s body was discovered. Over the next several months, more fake bills and rubber ducks appeared near O'Keefe’s home, two bars he visited before his death, and outside homes of other witnesses. Some of the ducks carried stickers implicating a family member of the property owner where O'Keefe was found, and the fake bills bore the message “Justice for BPO John O’Keefe.” In May, investigators executed a search warrant on Schiffer’s Toyota Tundra and found rubber ducks and stickers inside the vehicle. Rubber ducks were also discovered outside the home of Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator in the case. Proctor has been accused of mishandling the investigation, and after Read’s first trial, he was suspended from the force without pay following revelations of inappropriate comments he made about Read in a private group chat with colleagues. Schiffer, however, maintains that his actions were peaceful and lawful expressions of his belief that Read is innocent. "Charging innocent citizens with manufactured crimes is weaponizing our justice system to silence law-abiding citizens," Schiffer wrote in a second online fundraiser. As Read’s retrial approaches, the case continues to gain national attention, and the community remains divided. Schiffer's criminal charges could carry serious consequences, with witness intimidation alone carrying a potential 10-year prison sentence. Despite this, Schiffer shows no signs of backing down, asserting that he will continue to advocate for Read’s innocence as she prepares to stand trial again in January. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://...
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    13 mins
  • Karen Read's Defense Pushes for Charge Dismissal in Murder Case as ACLU Files Amicus Brief

    Karen Read's Defense Pushes for Charge Dismissal in Murder Case as ACLU Files Amicus Brief
    Oct 17 2024
    Attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Massachusetts have submitted an amicus brief to the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) of Massachusetts in support of Karen Read’s ongoing legal battle. Read, a former adjunct professor from Mansfield, is appealing to have two charges dismissed in her murder case. The ACLU’s brief was accepted by the court but did not immediately reveal their stance or include a summary of their position. Karen Read faces accusations related to the death of Boston police officer John O’Keefe, who prosecutors claim was struck by Read's SUV and left to die in the snow following a night out in Canton. Read, however, maintains her innocence, contending that O’Keefe was assaulted inside the house of another Boston officer, Brian Albert, before being left outside. Her first trial ended in a mistrial after the jury, comprising six men and six women, reached a deadlock. Some jurors have since come forward, stating they had reached a consensus to acquit her of the charges of second-degree murder and leaving the scene. Following the mistrial, Read's defense sought to have these two charges dismissed. Judge Beverly Cannone denied this motion, leading to the appeal now before the SJC. Read’s legal team contends that the jury’s alleged agreement should constitute an acquittal on these counts and argues that protections against double jeopardy should prevent a retrial on the charges. “The court relied solely upon the lack of an ‘open and public verdict affirmed in open court,’” the defense wrote, referencing Judge Cannone’s decision. “This reasoning is rooted in a formalism that has been consistently rejected by the United States Supreme Court and this Court in a string of precedents spanning more than one hundred years.” The defense also believes that the Supreme Judicial Court should allow a post-trial inquiry into the jury’s statements, which they argue constitutes an “overt factor” that should prompt further investigation. Additionally, they are questioning Judge Cannone’s decision to declare a mistrial when she did, given the alleged consensus from the jurors. District Attorney Michael Morrissey, responding to the appeal, has appointed Attorney Hank Brennan as special prosecutor for Read’s case. Brennan, known for his work in other high-profile cases, will lead the prosecution when Read’s second trial, currently scheduled for January 27, begins. The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office stated that their response to Read’s appeal will be submitted by the court's deadline, with Read's attorneys expected to reply shortly after. Should the Supreme Judicial Court side with Read’s defense and dismiss the charges, it would mark a significant development in a case that has drawn extensive public and media attention. If the charges are upheld, Read faces up to life in prison for second-degree murder, as well as significant penalties on charges of manslaughter while operating under the influence and leaving the scene of a personal injury and death. Throughout the trial, prosecutors faced setbacks, including complications with surveillance footage and misconduct among investigators, which has contributed to the intense scrutiny of the case. The defense has also raised these issues in their appeal, seeking to underscore what they argue are critical flaws in the prosecution's case. With oral arguments scheduled to take place before the SJC, Read and her legal team are preparing for a pivotal hearing that could determine the course of the upcoming trial. For now, the court's decision will hinge on whether the defense’s arguments regarding jury consensus, double jeopardy, and procedural conduct are persuasive enough to merit the dismissal of charges or, at the very least, a re-evaluation of the trial’s conduct. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK’s Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
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    12 mins

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