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Karen Read loses double jeopardy appeal in Boston cop slaying case, will receive new trial

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Karen Read loses double jeopardy appeal in Boston cop slaying case, will receive new trial

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The Massachusetts woman accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend in a snowy collision has lost her Massachusetts Supreme Court appeal seeking to have her case tossed on the grounds of double jeopardy after a chaotic murder trial ended in a hung jury.

Karen Read, 45, is expected to go on trial for the second time as previously scheduled in April on charges of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of a deadly accident.

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Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe died from blunt force trauma to the head and hypothermia during a January snowstorm in Canton, Massachusetts, about 15 miles outside Beantown. Prosecutors say Read hit him with her SUV and fled the scene after a drunken fight. She claimed it was an elaborate cover-up and that she had left before he suffered any injuries. Jurors couldn’t reach an agreement on which side to believe.

After a lower court denied her motion to dismiss following the mistrial, she appealed to the state’s highest court, which handed down a decision Tuesday rejecting her argument that jurors only deadlocked on one of the three charges. She wanted the remaining two thrown out.

WATCH KAREN READ: KILLER OR CONVENIENT OUTSIDER?

Karen Read departs Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts on Friday, August 9, 2024. Read, who was accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend with a vehicle in January 2022, was back in court Friday for a hearing discussing her defense team’s motion to dismiss. (Patriot Pics/Backgrid for Fox News Digital)

“The jury clearly stated during deliberations that they had not reached a unanimous verdict on any of the charges and could not do so,” Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice Serge Georges Jr. wrote in the court’s 35-page decision.

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Jurors told the judge in a series of notes that they were “deeply divided” over Read’s guilt of murder and other charges and could not reach an agreement. 

“Only after being discharged did some individual jurors communicate a different supposed outcome, contradicting their prior notes,” Georges wrote.

KAREN READ MISTRIAL PUTS COPS IN TOUGH SPOT, OPENS DOOR FOR ACCUSED KILLER OF BOYFRIEND OFFICER TO WALK FREE

Because the jurors broke their silence only after the trial, it was too late, the court ruled.

“Such posttrial disclosures cannot retroactively alter the trial’s outcome — either to acquit or to convict,” Georges wrote. “Accordingly, we affirm the trial judge’s denial of the motion to dismiss and the defendant’s request for a posttrial juror inquiry.”

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Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe poses for his official portrait. O’Keefe’s girlfriend, Karen Reed, will have a second murder trial after the first ended with a hung jury following his death in January 2022. (Boston Police Department)

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Read’s new trial is expected to be led by a special assistant prosecutor, Hank Brennan, who once represented the mobster James “Whitey” Bulger and has already begun trying to obtain unpublished records from Massachusetts reporters who have interviewed Read.

Read the court’s decision

WATCH: DASHCAM FROM THE NIGHT JOHN O’KEEFE WAS FOUND DEAD

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“I don’t see how that was going to fly, because it was a mistrial, she wasn’t found guilty or not guilty,” said Paul Mauro, a former NYPD inspector and attorney. “Double jeopardy applies when you have a verdict. It’s in the Constitution.”

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“This is settled law,” he added. “This is not double jeopardy, I agree with the court. Let’s get to a new trial and resolve this.”

The new trial is scheduled to begin on April 1.

She is also facing a wrongful death lawsuit from O’Keefe’s family.

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Read, in a recent round of interviews, argued that she was framed by the real killers, whom she believes are other members of law enforcement O’Keefe got into a fight with after she dropped him off at the home of fellow Boston Police Officer Brian Albert. O’Keefe was found dead in the snow on Albert’s front lawn.

Karen Read waits as her legal team meets at the side bar during Reid’s trial in Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, June 14, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor’easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, Pool)

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Testimony from Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor, one of the key investigators, severely hurt prosecutors in court.

Jurors were seen shaking their heads in court as Read’s defense team read some of his text messages.

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In them, he called Read a “wack job,” a “babe … with no a–” and a “c—.” He wrote that he wished she would kill herself and joked about looking for nude selfies while searching her phone.



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Boston, MA

Expect a brilliant blue sky for Monday with cooler readings. Enjoy it, because the heat returns this week. – The Boston Globe

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Expect a brilliant blue sky for Monday with cooler readings. Enjoy it, because the heat returns this week. – The Boston Globe


A frontal system will push south of the region overnight, allowing for a brief cooldown in our New England weather on Monday before another stretch of heat this week. Overall, it’s going to be dry and significantly warmer than average. I would say that the temperatures are the bigger issue, with very warm conditions expected.

Temperatures on Monday will be in the ideal range, generally in the mid-70s. Dew points will be comfortable, and there won’t be much wind, although at times it may rustle the leaves a bit.

Winds will be noticeable at times on Monday, but will be held below 20 mph for most areas.Boston Globe
Highs across Southern New England will be coolest by the coast on Monday.Boston Globe

Monday night brings some beautiful weather with temperatures in the 50s, maybe even in the upper 40s in the cooler spots. Boston is likely to stay around 60. Certainly great sleeping weather all-around.

As high pressure pushes off the Atlantic Seaboard and the flow of warmer air returns, temperatures will quickly respond, and it’s back to approaching the upper 80s to even near 90 practically every day this week — and it could be even warmer this weekend. It’s worth remembering that an official heat wave is three days in a row of 90-degree weather. It remains to be seen if any parts of Southern New England sees a heat wave, but it’s definitely a possibility. It’s also worth noting that 90 is just random; some days at 87 degrees can certainly feel worse than a 90-degree day, so the theme here is to prepare for warmer and more humid weather this week.

The forecast across Boston for the next seven days.Boston Globe

The drought conditions are almost not worth talking about because until we have a significant shift in the weather pattern, we will continue with a drought for most areas. It may worsen, it may get a little bit better, but we’re definitely in the time of the year where rainfall is more sporadic. The best thing is to remember to water plants and lawns early in the morning, follow any town water bans or restrictions, and avoid planting in the heat.

Our next chance of precipitation comes late Wednesday.

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Showers will return to New England on Wednesday evening.Boston Globe

Greater Boston: Sunny skies both Monday and Tuesday, with temperatures Monday in the mid-70s and Tuesday in the upper 80s.

Central/Western Mass.: Look for brilliant blue skies on Monday with temperatures in the 70s. It’s 83 to 88 on Tuesday with more sunshine.

Southeastern Mass.: Temperatures will be in the mid- to upper 70s on Monday, along with plenty of sunshine. It’ll be in the low to perhaps mid-80s away from the ocean on Tuesday with more sunny skies.

Cape Cod and the islands: Two picture perfect days are on the way with lots of sunshine. Readings will be in the 70s on Monday and approaching 80 on Tuesday except 60s on Nantucket.

Rhode Island: Sunshine on Monday and Tuesday. It’ll be in the 70s on Monday and 80s on Tuesday.

New Hampshire: With readings in the 70s, it’ll be very comfortable on Monday, but heating up to the mid-80s on Tuesday with more sunshine.

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Sign up here for our daily Globe Weather Forecast that will arrive straight into your inbox bright and early each weekday morning.





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Pittsburg, PA

‘Nonsense’: Country singer hits back with real reason why show was cancelled

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‘Nonsense’: Country singer hits back with real reason why show was cancelled


Morgan Wallen has made plenty of headlines in recent days, but he’s been forced to speak out about “nonsense” rumours after cancelling a recent show. 

The singer, 33, addressed why he cancelled his Pittsburgh show over the weekend on his Instagram stories on Sunday, days after his mid-performance meltdown. 

Country singer Morgan Wallen has hit back at the ‘nonsense’ surrounding his recently cancelled show in Pittsburgh due to wind.  Instagram/@morganwallen

“This morning, my team walked on the bus and told me they had been consulting with local officials and that I should cancel my show in Pittsburgh tonight and I said, ‘Why?’” the country singer explained. 

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“They said that there was going to be strong winds in the area, and I said, ‘OK.’ So, that is what I did in that moment, and I trusted my team.” 

Wallen said that he was aware that the forecasted winds hadn’t hit Pittsburg, but had hit nearby areas in Pennsylvania, which was a big reason why they made the call to cancel. 

“The truth of the matter is, I have a large stage that, in those conditions, could become fatal to a lot of folks around it. So, I did the best I could with the information I had in that moment,” he continued. 

Wallen then hit back at rumours that have been swirling around because he wanted to clear the air. 

“I’ve been seeing a lot of nonsense about me that is simply not true, and I just wanted to clear the air,” he continued. 

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“I think my true fans know that that’s not how I operate in general, but I had to say it.”

Wallen’s video came hours after it was announced that the second Pittsburgh show of his Still The Problem Tour was cancelled. 

“After talking with local officials and my team, there is no choice but to cancel tonight’s show due to severe adverse weather conditions expected throughout the rest of the day and night,” he wrote online. 

“Safety for my fans and crew is the highest priority.” 

Wallen added that refunds would also be available for ticket holders. 

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Morgan Wallen

The singer’s stadium tour will continue until August 1.  Getty

But fans were not impressed and plenty of people slammed him for cancelling the show, even though the weather had reportedly cleared before he would have hit the stage. 

Wallen made headlines earlier this month after an on-stage meltdown when he experienced issues with his piano on stage, flipping it and breaking it in front of the audience. 

Morgan Wallen flipping piano

The country singer was mid-song when the piano malfunctioned, so he pushed it, flipping it.  Instagram/@countrycentral

He was performing the hit Sand In My Boots when the tech issue started and decided to push it over. 

The audience gasped as the piano seemingly broke, before the singer walked off and continued the song a cappella.





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Connecticut

Person shot in New Haven; injuries not believed life-threatening, police say

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Person shot in New Haven; injuries not believed life-threatening, police say


In a post on X, New Haven Police Department said officers were out with a shooting victim in the area of Orchard and Charles streets at 6:43 p.m.

Police said the victim’s injuries do not appear to be life-threatening.

New Haven police Officer Christian Bruckhart said the scene was still active as of 6:45 p.m.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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