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Karen Read and John O'Keefe: Inside evolution of Boston murder mystery since July mistrial

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Karen Read and John O'Keefe: Inside evolution of Boston murder mystery since July mistrial

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Karen Read, the woman accused of killing her Boston cop boyfriend during a January nor’easter, is set to go on trial for a second time this week after her first prosecution ended with a hung jury.

Read, 45, is charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene of a deadly accident in connection with John O’Keefe’s death on Jan. 29, 2022. He was 46 and found in the snow outside another police officer’s house hours after a group of people went there for an after-party to cap off a night out drinking.

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She was originally charged with manslaughter – typical in a deadly hit-and-run case – but authorities later tacked on the murder charge.

KAREN READ UPDATE: FIRED LEAD INVESTIGATOR ON WITNESS LIST FOR 2ND TRIAL IN BOSTON COP JOHN O’KEEFE’S DEATH

Karen Read and John O’Keefe are shown in an undated family photo. Read is accused of fatally striking him with her SUV after a night of drinking, but her defense has argued she is being framed by a group of his former police colleagues. (Courtesy of Karen Read)

Through her first trial and in multiple media interviews afterward, she maintained her innocence and claimed someone else killed O’Keefe.

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Joseph Giacalone, a former NYPD sergeant and a criminal justice professor at Penn State-Lehigh Valley, told Fox News Digital he thinks prosecutors will have a hard time getting a conviction after the first case fell apart.

The first trial saw allegations of a police cover-up, the arrest of an online blogger accused of intimidating witnesses, the firing of the lead investigator and lingering questions about how O’Keefe died.

The Waterfall Bar and Grille is shown in Canton, Mass., on March 29, 2025. This is where Karen Read, John O’Keefe, Jennifer McCabe and friends visited before O’Keefe’s death in January 2022. (Richard Beetham for Fox News Digital)

KAREN READ’S 2ND MURDER TRIAL SET TO START IN DEATH OF BOYFRIEND COP: WHAT TO KNOW

Prosecutors allege that Read backed into him with her Lexus SUV, then drove away, leaving him to die in the snowstorm.

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An autopsy found the cause of his death to be blunt-force trauma to the head and hypothermia. O’Keefe had skull fractures, brain bleeding, swollen black eyes and cuts to his right arm, but the forensic pathologist held off on calling it a homicide, leaving the manner of death undetermined.

Dr. Daniel Wolfe, an expert witness, testified that the damage to the rear end of Read’s vehicle was not consistent with striking a human head or arm. Prosecutors are seeking to have his testimony precluded the second time around.

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Karen Read stands in the doorway as she waits to leave Norfolk Superior Court.  (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

His name remained on a 150-person witness list unveiled Monday, along with that of Michael Proctor, the former lead investigator who was fired from the Massachusetts State Police this month.

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GO HERE FOR FULL COVERAGE OF THE 2ND KAREN READ TRIAL

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The following is a timeline of key events in the case:

Jan. 28, 2022

Read and O’Keefe went out in Canton, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston about 15 miles from the city.

Although text messages introduced at trial show they had argued that morning, they went out together around 9 p.m. at C.F. McCarthy’s, an Irish bar. Around 11, they met friends and acquaintances at the Waterfall Bar and Grille. The bar closed at midnight.

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JUROR IN KAREN MISTRIAL JOINS HER DEFENSE TEAM FOR RETRIAL

C.F. McCarthy’s in Canton, Mass. (Richard Beetham for Fox News Digital )

Jan. 29, 2022

Then-Boston Police Officer Brian Albert invited a group of people to his house on Fairview Road for an after-party when the bar wrapped up service. This could be the last time O’Keefe was seen alive in public.

JUROR IN KAREN MISTRIAL JOINS HER DEFENSE TEAM FOR RETRIAL

Early hours of Jan. 29

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  • 12 a.m.: O’Keefe and Read are invited over to Albert’s house and given directions. But witnesses have testified they never came inside.
  • 12:37 a.m.: Read allegedly leaves a voicemail with an expletive for O’Keefe, saying, “John, I … hate you.” She was later accused of hitting him at about 24 mph after backing up 60 feet in her vehicle.
  • 2:27 a.m.: Jennifer McCabe allegedly looks up on Google how long it takes to die in the cold. She later testified that she did the search at Read’s request.
  • 6 a.m.: Read returns to the Alberts’ home with McCabe and another person, and they call 911 from outside, where O’Keefe was found dead, according to a synopsis from CourtTV, which streamed the first trial.
  • 6:23 a.m.: McCabe uses her phone to search for information on dying in the cold for a second time.

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Karen Read appears in Norfolk County Superior Court for a pre-trial hearing. She is charged with fatally running over her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, whose arm is shown with scratches and cuts on a poster in court. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Feb. 2, 2022

Read was arrested on hit-and-run and manslaughter charges.

June 9, 2022

A superseding indictment accused Read of second-degree murder.

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Judge Beverly Cannone presides over jury selection during the Karen Read trial at Norfolk County Superior Court, Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. (David McGlynn/New York Post via AP, Pool)

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April 16, 2024 to July 1

Read’s first trial stretched on for weeks and ended with a hung jury. Judge Beverly Cannone declared a mistrial.

Prosecutors accused Read of a drunken hit-and-run. Her defense argued that O’Keefe had been attacked inside the home and suffered injuries to his arm caused by a dog before being carried outside and left in the storm.

Officer John O’Keefe (Boston Police Department)

March 19, 2025

After a months-long internal investigation into the lewd text messages he sent about Read in the initial investigation, Proctor was fired from the Massachusetts State Police after a 12-year career.

March 31 

On the eve of jury selection for Read’s second trial, Cannone released several impactful rulings on the case.

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She rejected the defense’s attempt to have a former FBI agent testify about failures to meet police protocol with the initial investigation and limited the scope of arguments the defense would be allowed to raise regarding potential third-party culprits, including Albert and ATF Agent Brian Higgins, both of whom were present at both the Waterfall bar and Albert’s house the night O’Keefe died.

ATF Agent Brian Higgins speaks at the Karen Read murder trial at Norfolk Superior Court, May 28, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. (Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald via AP/Pool)

The witness list also revealed Proctor would take the stand, even after his firing, and so would Aidan Kearney, a local blogger and prominent Read supporter who has been accused of witness intimidation.

April 1

Jury selection in Read’s second trial kicked off in Dedham, Massachusetts.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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Northeast

Alleged New Hampshire country club shooter said he was targeting wealthy ‘elites’: report

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Alleged New Hampshire country club shooter said he was targeting wealthy ‘elites’: report

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The New Hampshire man accused of opening fire inside a country club last year, killing one person, reportedly confessed to the shooting, telling investigators he aimed to kill the rich. 

Hunter West Nadeau, 24, told police he carried out the shooting at a steakhouse located at the Sky Meadow Club in Nashua in an effort to retaliate against the rich because “they were not helping the poor,” according to a police affidavit obtained by The Boston Globe. 

The affidavit reportedly pointed to surveillance video showing Nadeau entering the club’s main entrance around 7:17 p.m. Sept. 20, wearing a black hoodie and carrying a green backpack. 

Nadeau then allegedly walked to Prime steakhouse, put on a face mask and brandished a gun, firing five shots at employee Steve Burtman, according to the affidavit.

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Hunter Nadeau, 24, a former employee of the Sky Meadow Club, was charged with second-degree murder in Robert Steven DeCesare’s killing. (New Hampshire Attorney General)

Burtman, who was reportedly stationed at the front desk, was struck in the face, the outlet reported. He survived his injuries. 

Surveillance footage then reportedly shows Nadeau entering the restaurant and firing five more shots toward numerous patrons. 

Nadeau allegedly struck and killed 59-year-old Robert Steven DeCesare, who was dining with his wife and daughter. A third patron was also injured as he allegedly fired multiple shots toward a group of individuals.

WITNESS SAYS NEW HAMPSHIRE COUNTRY CLUB SHOOTER YELLED ‘FREE PALESTINE’ DURING WEDDING VIOLENCE: AP

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Ambulances are parked outside a hotel acting as a reunification center after a shooting at a country club in Nashua, N.H., Sept. 20, 2025.  (AP Photo/Michael Casey)

Nadeau then “continued to shoot until he was attacked by other patrons in the restaurant, and he retreated back through the doors of the steakhouse,” the affidavit said. 

A witness previously told The Associated Press Nadeau allegedly yelled “Free Palestine” as the chaos was unfolding. 

Police subsequently located Nadeau on the club’s golf course, where he “was bleeding from apparent self-inflicted incised wounds to [his] arms and wrists, and made statements to the effect that he was a ‘bad guy,’” according to the filing. 

He then reportedly took responsibility for the shooting, telling officers about his negative feelings toward the affluent.

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BODYCAM IMAGES SHOW LUIGI MANGIONE’S MCDONALD’S ARREST AS DEFENSE CHALLENGES EVIDENCE COLLECTION

Robert “Rob” DeCesare Jr., 59, was fatally shot during a wedding at Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua, N.H.  (Charlene DeCesare)

Speaking to authorities from his hospital bed, Nadeau told investigators “he was tired of the ‘elites’ taking all the money,” according to the outlet. 

Nadeau also reportedly told investigators he chose Sky Meadow because he had previously worked there and knew members were affluent.

“He said that he settled on Sky Meadow as a location because he worked there about a year ago as a server and knew that you had to have money to have a membership there,” police said, according to the Globe.

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POLICE SERGEANT DENIES HEARING LUIGI MANGIONE MOTHER’S ALLEGED DAMNING STATEMENT ABOUT CEO KILLING

“He was not targeting a specific person but did not care whether he killed someone or not,” police reportedly added. 

Additionally, Nadeau explained why he targeted a wedding being held at the venue at the time of the shooting, telling police “he did not want to target ‘civilians,’” according to the outlet. 

At the time, the shooting came less than one year after Luigi Mangione allegedly opened fire on UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in an apparent assassination in midtown Manhattan. Investigators have pointed to similar ideological motives behind Mangione’s alleged crimes.

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In January, prosecutors filed multiple charges against Nadeau, including first-degree murder and reckless second-degree murder, according to the New Hampshire Department of Justice. 

He is being held without bail as he awaits trial. 

Fox News Digital was unable to locate an attorney representing Nadeau. 

Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report. 

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New Hampshire man shot dead during wedding at country club, suspect faces murder charge

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New York

How the Editor in Chief of Marie Claire Gets Styled for a Trip to Italy

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How the Editor in Chief of Marie Claire Gets Styled for a Trip to Italy

Nikki Ogunnaike, the editor in chief of Marie Claire magazine, did not grow up the scion of an Anna Wintour or a Marc Jacobs.

But, she said, “my mom and dad are both very stylish people.”

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They got dressed up to go to church every week in her hometown Springfield, Va. Her mother managed a Staples; her father, a CVS. “Presentation is important to them,” she said.

Since landing her first internship with Glamour magazine in college, Ms. Ogunnaike, 40, has held editorial roles there and at Elle magazine and GQ. She has been in the top post at Marie Claire since 2023.

She recently spent a Saturday with The New York Times as she prepared for Milan Fashion Week.

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Mass. reports first two measles cases of 2026, including one in Greater Boston

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Mass. reports first two measles cases of 2026, including one in Greater Boston


Health

While infectious, the Boston-area adult visited several locations where others were likely exposed to the virus, according to health officials.

A photo of the measles virus under a microscope. 
Cynthia Goldsmith

Massachusetts health officials have confirmed the state’s first two measles cases of the year, a school-aged child and a Greater Boston adult. 

The Department of Public Health announced the cases Friday, marking the first report of measles in Massachusetts since 2024. 

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According to health officials, the adult who was diagnosed returned home recently from abroad and had an “uncertain vaccination history.” While infectious, the person visited several locations where others were likely exposed to the virus, and health officials said they are working to identify and notify anyone affected

The child, meanwhile, is a Massachusetts resident who was exposed to the virus and diagnosed with measles out-of-state, where they remain during the infectious period. Health officials said the child does not appear to have exposed anyone in Massachusetts to measles. 

The two Massachusetts cases come as the U.S. battles a large national measles outbreak, which has seen 1,136 confirmed cases nationwide so far in 2026, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

“Our first two measles cases in 2026 demonstrate the impact that the measles outbreaks, nationally and internationally, can have here at home,” Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein said Friday. “Fortunately, thanks to high vaccination rates, the risk to most Massachusetts residents remains low.” 

Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads through the air when an infected person sneezes, coughs, or talks. The virus can linger in the air for up to two hours and may even spread through tissues or cups used by someone who has it, according to the DPH. 

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Early symptoms occur 10 days to two weeks after exposure and may resemble a cold or cough, usually with a fever, health officials warned. A rash develops two to four days after the initial symptoms, appearing first on the head and shifting downward. 

According to the DPH, complications occur in about 30% of infected measles patients, ranging from immune suppression to pneumonia, diarrhea, and encephalitis — a potentially life-threatening inflammation of the brain. 

“Measles is the most contagious respiratory virus and can cause life-threatening illness,” Goldstein said. “These cases are a reminder of the need for health care providers and local health departments to remain vigilant for cases so that appropriate public health measures can be rapidly employed to prevent spread in the state. This is also a reminder that getting vaccinated is the best way for people to protect themselves from this disease.” 

According to the DPH, people who have had measles, or who have been vaccinated against measles, are considered immune. State health officials offer the following guidance for the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine:

  • Children should receive their first dose of the MMR vaccine at 12 to 15 months. School-aged children need two doses of the MMR vaccine.
  • Adults should have at least one dose of the MMR vaccine. Certain high-risk groups need two doses, including international travelers, health care workers, and college students. Adults who were born in the U.S. before 1957 are considered immune due to past exposures. 
Profile image for Abby Patkin

Abby Patkin is a general assignment news reporter whose work touches on public transit, crime, health, and everything in between.

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