Northeast

Karen Read sells home and taps retirement fund to pay mounting legal bills in murder retrial

Published

7 months ago

June 1, 2025

Press Room

Karen Read sells home and taps retirement fund to pay mounting legal bills in murder retrial

Join Fox News for access to this content

Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account – free of charge.

By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive.

Please enter a valid email address.

As murder defendant Karen Read rounds the corner on the halfway point of her second trial, the crippling weight of unpaid legal bills could be alleviated by an unlikely source: online crowdfunding.

Months before her retrial was set to begin, Read told Vanity Fair she owes her defense team over $5 million in legal fees – a total that is likely growing with the addition of two new attorneys.

“Other than feeling wrongfully persecuted and prosecuted, I feel incredibly violated,” Read said in the Vanity Fair interview, adding, “If I can get the entire truth of this case out in the public forum, that, to me, is priceless.”

KAREN READ JUDGE GRANTS DEFENSE VIDEO ACCESS, ALLOWS DOG BITE EXPERTS – WITH LIMITS

Karen Read listens to witness Jessica Hyde during her murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)

Read pleaded not guilty and is facing the possibility of life in prison for the alleged murder of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe. She is accused of ramming O’Keefe with her vehicle during a drunken argument before leaving him to freeze to death in the front yard of a fellow police officer’s home in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2022.

Read’s defense team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Last year, Norfolk County Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone declared a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a verdict, setting the stage for a costly redo for Read.

KAREN READ APPEALS DOUBLE JEOPARDY RULING TO US SUPREME COURT

Karen Read, center, and her legal team arrive at Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts, on April 25, 2025. (David McGlynn for Fox News Digital)

Since her first trial, Read’s defense team has introduced two new players, with attorneys Robert Alessi and Victoria George joining Alan Jackson, David Yannetti and Elizabeth Little.

To help subsidize her expenses, Read reportedly sold her Mansfield home for $810,000 in November 2024 and is living off of her 401(k) retirement fund after losing her jobs as a Bentley University finance professor and Fidelity Investments equities analyst following her arrest.

In addition to turning to her equity, numerous crowdfunding sites have been kick-started to help Read chip away at her legal fees – a common tactic used in high-profile court cases where bills could rise into the seven figures.

MEDICAL EXAMINER DETAILS SKULL FRACTURES IN KAREN READ MURDER TRIAL TESTIMONY

Karen Read smiles as defense attorney David Yannetti speaks to reporters in front of Norfolk Superior Court after the judge declared a mistrial, July 1, 2024 in Dedham, Massachusetts. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

“There are many examples of high-profile defendants paying out-of-pocket for their defense,” criminal defense attorney Andrew Stoltmann told Fox News Digital. “O.J. Simpson is the classic example. But it is surprising when high-profile, non-wealthy individuals pay out-of-pocket for their entire defense.”

A Justice for Karen Read legal defense fund, organized by Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP, is closing in on $1 million raised, with donations continuing to pour in as Read’s second trial wraps up its fourth week.

“Keep fighting,” one anonymous donor wrote. “I believe in Karen’s innocence and grateful she has an amazing team defending her.”

KAREN READ TRIAL: CRIME LAB EXPERT TESTIFIES BLOOD EVIDENCE WAS NEVER TESTED

Werksman Jackson & Quinn did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Additionally, the Free Karen Read Movement has launched a website selling sweatshirts, T-shirts and other apparel in support of Read, while advocating for her innocence.

Earlier this month, supporters hosted a ticketed dinner party in a nearby town to raise money for Read. Seats were priced at $100 and included a live DJ, raffle and cash bar.

GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB

Karen Read talks with her attorneys, Robert Alessi and David Yannetti, right, during her trial at Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, May 6, 2025. (Matt Stone/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)

The event organizers did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

While turning to public methods as a way to bankroll legal funds increases, experts caution the charity could come with strings attached.

“A third-party funding source is both a blessing and a curse,” Stoltmann said. “They can provide necessary funds to put on a top-flight defense, but they also tend to have a disproportionate amount of sway with the attorneys since the bills are being paid by the third party. It’s an ethical quagmire for the attorneys on cases.”

KAREN READ’S DEFENSE OPENS DOOR FOR SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO BRING IN NEW EVIDENCE: COURT DOCS

Read’s defense team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on whether she plans to accept the funds.

In light of the hefty price tag for legal representation, it is not uncommon for attorneys to take on high-profile cases for a reduced rate in exchange for publicity.

SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER

“Many criminal defense lawyers will take a case pro bono or at a severely discounted rate if it’s a high-profile case and there’s a great deal of news and television coverage,” Stoltmann told Fox News Digital. “This often leads to a tsunami of new clients coming in the door for years after the trial takes place. This might be what’s happening in Karen Read’s case.”

While Read’s fate remains in the hands of the jury, her chance to maintain her freedom – and clear her name – continues to come at an incredibly high cost.

“I’m not backing down now,” Read told Vanity Fair. “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 the full article from Here

Connecticut

Connecticut prepares for cold weather protocols as arctic air hits during holidays

Published

59 minutes ago

December 25, 2025

Press Room

Connecticut prepares for cold weather protocols as arctic air hits during holidays

MERIDEN, Conn. (WFSB) – Governor Ned Lamont activated Connecticut’s severe cold weather protocols as arctic air moves into the state during the holiday period.

The protocols were set to go into effect Christmas Day at 5 p.m. and remain active until Sunday, Dec. 28. Warming shelters were expected to be open statewide during this period. Residents were told to call 211 to find a shelter near them.

Click HERE for the latest forecast from Channel 3’s meteorologists.

Families brave cold for holiday traditions

Despite the frigid temperatures, families continued holiday traditions at locations like Hubbard Park in Meriden, where visitors bundled up to see the Festival of Silver Lights.

“It’s a yearly thing we do every single year. We’re from the town and we’re local. It’s nice to be out here and see the lights,” said Erwin Ndwiga of Meriden.

His family member Melissa Ndwiga shared her cold weather strategy: “If I’m going to wear a short sleeve shirt, I always wear thermal wear under. A jacket. I usually have three to four layers on. Hat, earmuffs, gloves.”

Safety recommendations during cold snap

State officials recommend several precautions during the freezing stretch:

Check heating devices to ensure they work properly.
Limit pets’ time outdoors.
Check on elderly neighbors and family members, who are most vulnerable during extreme cold.
Do not use a stove or oven to heat your home due to potential gas, carbon monoxide, and fire hazards.
Check your vehicle before traveling: tires, lights, brakes, and windshield wipers.
Keep your gas tank at least half full and carry an emergency kit.

Residents can find a nearby warming shelter by calling 211 or clicking HERE.

Source link

Maine

Our favorite photos from across Maine in 2025

Published

2 hours ago

December 25, 2025

Press Room

Our favorite photos from across Maine in 2025

Over the past year, Bangor Daily News photographers and reporters took hundreds of photos that captured the myriad of people and places that defined Maine.

These highlights are just a small slice of the many lives and experiences the BDN documented in 2025.

January

Jody and Cherie Mackin, who were homeless for three years, got an apartment in January. After moving into their home, the Mackins started volunteering at the warming shelter at the Mansion Church to give back to the community that helped them find their way out of homelessness. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN

Read the story…

February

Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, speaks on the floor of the Maine House of Representatives at the State House in Augusta on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. Libby was a significant figure as Maine battled Trump administration directives to restrict transgender girls from participating on the school team that aligns with their gender, among other policies recognizing transgender people under state law. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN

Read the story…

March

Caribou captain Madelynn Deprey celebrates toward the crowd after an emotional overtime win in the Class B state basketball championship game on March 1, 2025, at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. Credit: Emilyn Smith / BDN

Read the story…

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Diane Dunn, the adjutant general of the Maine National Guard, answers a reporter’s questions in her office at the Maine National Guard headquarters at Camp Chamberlain in Augusta on March 31, 2025. She was one source that the BDN talked to in an investigation into the culture that allowed sexual assault and harassment in the organization to go unchecked. Credit: Sawyer Loftus / BDN

Read the story…

April

Rebecca Nicolino Parsons and her service dog Otis are photographed on the footbridge in Bangor in April. The Maine Human Rights Commission ruled that there are “reasonable grounds to believe that unlawful discrimination occurred” at Hellas Condominiums by Old Town, Maine, against Rebecca Parsons. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN

Read the story…

May

More than 300 cattle moved through Jeff Tilton’s auction barn in Corinth on May 10 for the annual spring sale, one of the only places Maine farmers can consistently buy and sell livestock. It takes roughly two weeks to line up trucking, buyers, sellers, vaccinations, ear tags and pens, plus sorting, separating and weighing the animals when they arrive. Credit: Elizabeth Walztoni / BDN

Read the story…

June

A Sargent truck was the first to travel the new I-395/Route 9 connector following a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grand opening. The new connector was a point of controversy, especially for residents of Brewer, Holden and Eddington who had their land affected by the construction of the new highway. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN

Read the story…

July

The entrance to the Mic Mac Cove Family Campground in Union is sandwiched between a variety store and the public elementary school Sunshine Stewart attended as a child. Stewart’s killing in early July rocked the small town of Tenants Harbor. Credit: Elizabeth Walztoni / BDN

Read the story…

University of Maine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy poses for a portrait on the University of Maine’s Mall in Orono, July 21, 2025. The university system faced a number of challenges over the past year due to funding cuts implemented by the Trump administration. Credit: Sawyer Loftus / BDN

Read the story…

August

Kristina Ryberg, 62, and Donald Jewett, 71, can’t afford their Bucksport property taxes this year after a hike that local officials have mostly attributed to using up the stored funds that offset the closure of the town’s paper mill a decade ago. “We’re about to lose what we worked so hard for just because we lost the mill and haven’t adjusted to that,” Jewett told town councilors in August. Credit: Elizabeth Walztoni / BDN

Read the story…

September

On March 16, 2024, a Maine state trooper repeatedly punched Justin Savage in the face while he lay restrained in the driveway of his Limerick home, leaving him almost unrecognizable. The beating, captured on video, depicts a use of force that policing experts say is rarely justified. The Maine State Police thought differently. Credit: Courtesy Garrick Hoffman

Read the story…

Cooper Flagg signs sports cards for kids before the 2025 Maine Sports Hall of Fame at the Gracie Theater on Sunday. Flagg’s mother Kelly Bowman Flagg was one of the inductees for her time as a player and coach at Nokomis High School, where NBA rookie Cooper Flagg would start his soaring basketball career. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN

Read the story…

October

Dorie Henning, a nurse practitioner at the Islesboro Health Center, has seen an increase in tick-borne diseases — and fears about them — in her 11 years working on the island. Islesboro had a higher rate of these illnesses than any other Maine town between 2018 and 2022, according to state data. Credit: Elizabeth Walztoni / BDN

Read the story…

November

Bangor’s new councilors from left Susan Faloon, Daniel Carson and Angela Walker are sworn in to the City Council on Nov. 10 at City Hall. Walker, who has a criminal record, drew criticism from right-wing media after she won a seat in the crowded 2025 Bangor City Council election. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN

Read the story…

December

Alex Emery moves his belongings out of the encampment near Penobscot Plaza in Bangor where he was living when a cleanup crew from the railroad company CSX arrived early on the morning of Dec. 22 with construction machinery to clean up tents, trash and other remnants of the encampment. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN

Read the story…

Source link

Massachusetts

Hunger in Massachusetts is about to get worse – The Boston Globe

Published

2 hours ago

December 25, 2025

Press Room

Hunger in Massachusetts is about to get worse – The Boston Globe

Catherine D’Amato is president and CEO of The Greater Boston Food Bank.

US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins recently threatened to withhold funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to states — including Massachusetts — that are not providing the federal government with data about the food program’s recipients. Meanwhile, new SNAP eligibility and work requirements, passed as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, have gone into effect. These wide-ranging new rules require even more Americans who were previously exempt, like veterans, teens, and older Americans, to work or volunteer 20 hours per week to qualify for food assistance as well as jump through bureaucratic hoops to keep their benefits.

For The Greater Boston Food Bank and our anti-hunger partners across the state, this one-two punch presents serious new challenges in our mission to end hunger. Federal food assistance programs are under unrelenting attack. And hunger is about to get worse.

For years, food insecurity has been on the rise in Massachusetts. Even before the federal government shut down and new requirements took effect, 1 in 3 Massachusetts residents struggled to afford enough food.

These are not abstract numbers. These are our neighbors, parents, caregivers, veterans, seniors, children, and full-time workers. Too many are forced to choose between buying food and paying rent, heating bills, or medical expenses.

Those experiencing food insecurity are often hiding in plain sight. Among food insecure individuals that do not report being disabled or retired, 82 percent are working households — meaning that one or more people in the house are working, according to the food bank’s most recent Food Access Study.

SNAP is the nation’s strongest defense against hunger, providing assistance in fiscal 2024 for nearly 42 million people on average per month. For every meal provided by the emergency food system in America, SNAP provides nine more meals. It is simply impossible — for both financial and logistical reasons — for the emergency food network to absorb major cuts to this program. Yet that is exactly what we are facing.

In Massachusetts, the new federal eligibility and work requirements will cause up to 160,000 veterans, caregivers, former foster youth, older adults, and legal immigrants to lose SNAP benefits or see them significantly reduced over the next year. That represents an additional 15 percent of our neighbors across the Commonwealth losing their benefits.

These changes will roll out gradually as recipients complete their annual recertification, meaning the impact will build month after month — driving more and more people to local food pantries for help. And the new SNAP restrictions won’t happen in isolation; people will also feel pinched as Affordable Care Act health care subsidies expire and new Medicaid cuts take effect.

Addressing this urgent societal issue and the immense gaps that will be left in the wake of the SNAP cuts requires action — both collective and individual.

The Healey administration has continued the state’s strong commitment to addressing food insecurity. Its anti-hunger task force will soon offer recommendations on how to mitigate the impacts of SNAP cuts. It is critical that the Commonwealth increases its investment in the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program, which allows the state’s food banks to purchase and supply healthy food to local pantries.

Individually, every one of us can help by volunteering, advocating for policies that strengthen the state’s social security network, or donating to hunger-relief organizations. Join the mission to end hunger.

Source link