A mistrial was declared in Karen Read’s murder trial on July 1, 2024, after the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict: 

• Jury deliberations The jury began deliberations on June 25 and expressed that they were deadlocked on three occasions. 

Jury notes

On July 1, the jury sent a note to Judge Beverly Cannone, saying they were “deeply divided” and unable to reach a unanimous verdict. 

Mistrial declaration

Cannone declared a mistrial later in the day. 

Next steps

The prosecution has vowed to retry Read, and both sides will appear before the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. 

Here are some other details about the case:

• Read is accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, with her SUV in January 2022. 

The defense claims that some jurors told them they unanimously agreed to acquit Read on two of the three charges.  The prosecution points out that none of the jury’s notes indicated that they had come to an agreement on any of the charges.  The lead investigator in the case, Trooper Michael Proctor, was “relieved of duty” hours after the mistrial was declared.