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Karen Read’s murder-or-conspiracy trial, scripted like a TV drama, ends in a mistrial.
The Massachusetts jury had been deadlocked for days and couldn’t come to a unanimous decision about Read’s innocence or guilty after nearly 26 hours of deliberations.
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The 44-year-old woman, who was accused of killing her Boston cop boyfriend John O’Keefe, smiled outside the Dedham courthouse. She stood next to her lawyers, David Yannetti and Alan Jackson, who said prosecutors relied on a compromised investigator.
“We will not stop fighting,” Jackson said, and it appears they will have to.
“The Commonwealth intends to re-try the case,” the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office said within minutes of Monday afternoon’s outcome.
KAREN READ TRIAL COULD SINK OTHER HIGH-PROFILE MURDERS, EXPERT WARNS: ‘HARD TO SEE HOW IT DOESN’T’
Karen Read smiles during a news conference in front of Norfolk Superior Court, Monday, July 1, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. A judge declared a mistrial Monday after jurors deadlocked in the case of Read, who was accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend by striking him with her SUV and leaving him in a snowstorm.(AP Photo/Steven Senne)
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Karen Read smiles as defense attorney David Yannett speaks to reporters in front of Norfolk Superior Court after the judge declared a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a verdict following a two-month trial, Monday, July 1, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
The jury, which heard from 74 witnesses and examined nearly 700 pieces of evidence during the polarizing trial, first told presiding Judge Beverly Cannone they were deadlocked late last week.
They doubled down late Monday morning when the jury penned a well-crafted note to the judge.
“Despite our commitment, we are deeply divided by fundamental differences. No lack of understanding or effort. Consensus is not reachable,” the jury said.
WATCH: DASHCAM FROM THE NIGHT JOHN O’KEEFE WAS FOUND DEAD
Cannone issued a dynamite charge (or Allen charge), which is a last-resort option to force jurors to go continue deliberations and try to reach a unanimous verdict.
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The result was the same. “Despite our commitment to the duty entrusted in us, we find ourselves deeply divided by fundamental differences in our opinions and state of mind,” the jury wrote in a note to the judge.
Karen Read talks with her legal team at the Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Monday, July 1, 2024. Read was accused of backing her SUV into her Boston Police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, and leaving him to die in a blizzard in Canton, in 2022.(Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)
Karen Read gets a long hug from her dad William before the jury breaks for lunch at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday, June 26, 2024. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
The jubilation on Read’s side of the courtroom was a stark contrast to the tears and defeated faces on O’Keefe’s side.
The Boston police officer’s mom was being consoled by family and friends as Read hugged her dad and reached her hand to thank her supporters.
WATCH: EXPERT REACTS TO PROCTOR’S TESTIMONY AND EXPLAINS ITS FAR-REACHING IMPACT
O’Keefe’s body was found in several inches of snow outside the home of Boston police officer Brian Albert.
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Prosecutors alleged Read purposely backed into him with her SUV during a booze-infused fight in January 2022 and let him die on the front lawn of a Canton, Massachusetts, home during a nor’easter.
Karen Read, center, listens as Judge Beverly J. Cannone greets the jury at the start of the third day of deliberations in her murder trial, in Norfolk Superior Court on Thursday, June 27, 2024 in Dedham, Massachusetts.(Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)
Judge Beverly Cannone looks over the verdict slip the jurors have to fill out when they reach a verdict in Karen Read’s murder trial, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass.(Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
Read claimed she was framed in an elaborate cover-up to protect the Alberts, an influential family with deep law enforcement ties.
She pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter while driving under the influence and leaving the scene of a collision causing injury and death.
7M AND THE DANCING TIKTOK CULT: EXPERT DISCUSSES POPULAR NETFLIX SERIES AND ITS LARGER THREAT
The mistrial mimicked the civil-war-like atmosphere in the Boston suburb between Read supporters and critics.
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Protesters voiced their opinions, #FreeKaren billboards cropped up, and family and friends of both sides of the case were lambasted and heckled.
Supporters of Karen Read gather outside the courthouse in Dedham, MA on Friday, June 28, 2024.(Patriot Pics/Backgrid for Fox News Digital)
Supporters of Karen Read gather outside the courthouse in Dedham, MA on Friday, June 28, 2024.(Patriot Pics/Backgrid for Fox News Digital)
One of O’Keefe’s friends told Fox News Digital that Read supporters shouted profanities and heckled them as they entered the courtroom for the first day of the trial.
Aidan “Turtleboy” Kearney, a controversial blogger who was frequently seen with a bullhorn backing Read and writing about the case, was assaulted outside a Canton bar over the weekend.
GO HERE FOR MORE TRUE CRIME FROM FOX NEWS DIGITAL
Jillian Daniels and James Farris, two Canton residents, were charged with assault, police confirmed to NBC 10 Boston.
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Shortly before the trial started, Kearney was arrested after he allegedly was “showing up” at sporting events of witnesses’ children and “made scenes,” harassed and photographed witnesses at their homes and jobs and instructed followers of his blog to do the same.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges, including witness intimidation. That case is ongoing.
Massachusetts blogger Aiden “Turtleboy” Kearney was charged with witness intimidation for allegedly threatening witnesses in a murder case in Massachusetts.(Aidan Kearney(@DoctorTurleboy)/X)
Before the jury enters, Judge Beverly J. Cannone, right, speaks to the defense and prosecution during the Karen Read trial at the Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Monday, July 1, 2024. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)
Prosecutor Adam Lally speaks in court during jury selection of the Karen Read trial at Norfolk County Superior Court on Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Dedham, Massachusetts. Read, 44, was 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.(David McGlynn/New York Post via AP, Pool)
Shortly before the trial started, Kearney was arrested after he allegedly was “showing up” at sporting events of witnesses’ children and “made scenes,” harassed and photographed witnesses at their homes and jobs and instructed followers of his blog to do the same.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges, including witness intimidation. That case is ongoing.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO PROSECUTORS IN KAREN READ’S MURDER TRIAL: EXPERT
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Another salacious piece of the trial involved the texts of Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor, an investigator on the case whose vulgar, sexist texts were revealed during testimony.
The jurors noticeably shook their heads as he read the texts while on the stand during a brutal cross-examination.
In the personal texts, he called Read a “wack job,” a “babe … with no a–” and a “c—;” wished she would kill herself; and joked about looking for nude images on her phone, among other things.
GO HERE FOR MORE TRUE CRIME FROM FOX NEWS DIGITAL
Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor testifies during Karen Read’s trial on Wednesday, June 12, 2024 in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts.(Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
Karen Read speaks with lawyers in court during jury selection at Norfolk County Superior Court on Thursday, April 18, 2024 in Dedham, Massachusetts. Read, 44, was 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. (David McGlynn/New York Post via AP, Pool)
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The embattled state trooper admitted his messages were “unprofessional and regrettable,” as he was being pummeled by the defense’s cross-examination, but he stood by the integrity of the investigation.
Many law experts believe Proctor’s testimony sank the prosecution’s case.
Martha Stewart was “surprised” by the “harsh judgement” commenters were hurling at her Maine living room redo, which she shared on social media earlier this week.
“I rarely read all the comments that come in after I post but because I was so happy at the transformation of my Maine living room I did go through many of the comments and was surprised at the harsh judgment so many displayed !!!” Stewart wrote on Instagram Thursday.
The earlier reveal post featured multiple beige-and-black scenes from Stewart’s recently redecorated living room.
Aside from beige sofas and dark wood and black accents, artwork of birds and plenty of furniture made to look like wood lined the lavish rooms.
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She wrote in the initial post, that she had a “big day rearranging the furniture in the three main living rooms at Skyland,” noting that she “switched the living room from grey blue upholstery to a creamy pale buttery yellow.”
Commenters were less than pleased with Stewart’s latest design choices, with one writing that the redecorated living space “looks old and stuffy” and another noting that it’s “not your best work” and that the room feels “empty like no soul empty.”
Not all the comments were critical, though, with plenty of fans chiming in on the original post to let the queen of domesticity know they think her home is “beautiful.”
“I have so missed your interior decorating segments,” one commenter wrote. “YES YES YES to all of this.”
Stewart said in her initial post that some of the furniture was repurposed from a home she sold two years ago, and, in an attempt to explain herself and design choices, provided further context on the redecoration on Thursday.
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“I and my Maine helpers spent three hours moving out the old furniture and putting in the new,” Stewart said Thursday, adding that she and her team “were pleased that the pieces actually fit the room and were proportionate to the large size of the space.”
She made clear that the refresh “was not a ‘decorator’s’ professional installation,” rather, “It was an attempt to change quickly and efficiently.”
“Making a house a home, or a room a beautiful livable space takes a lot more than three hours,” Stewart continued on Instagram. “Of course there will be color, plants, mirrors, a new rug or two and other art and objects Stay tuned!!!!”
Gov. Maura Healey (D-MA), a close ally to Joe Biden, called on the president to “carefully evaluate” his political future Friday amid growing calls within the party for him to drop out of the election.
“The best way forward right now is a decision for the president to make,” Healey said in a statement. “Over the coming days, I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump. Whatever president Biden decides, I am committed to doing everything in my power to defeat Donald Trump.”
The carefully worded position from the Biden campaign surrogate marked the first Democratic governor to express doubt following an emergency White House meeting this week with the president and 20 Democratic governors.
Healey, in widely reported remarks, told fellow Democratic colleagues during a call this week before the meeting that Biden’s political fate was “irretrievable.”
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In her statement, Healey also praised Biden for having “saved our democracy in 2020 and has done an outstanding job over the last four years.”
Healey sits on Biden’s national campaign advisory board and hosted a fundraiser for him in her deep-blue state earlier this year.
Other Democratic governors emerged from the Biden meeting with reassurance about him and stood firm in their support, in contrast to the continued fallout from his debate debacle that raised questions about his mental fitness to serve a second term, at the end of which he would be 86 years old.
A defiant Biden told supporters Friday at a campaign rally that he had no intention of calling it quits.
“I am going to run, and I’m going to win again,” the president said in Madison, Wisconsin.
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CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
He continued: “I’m the nominee of the Democratic Party. You voted for me to be your nominee, no one else. You, the voters, did that. And despite that, some folks don’t seem to care who you voted for. Well, guess what: They’re trying to push me out of the race. Well, let me say this as clearly as I can: I’m staying in the race.”
A fellow Bay State Democrat, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), became the third sitting representative this week to urge Biden to withdraw.
When you think of natural surroundings in New Hampshire the first thing that may come to mind are the state’s beautiful forests. While these are certainly stunning (they are where I spend much of my time), there are also bits of nature tucked away in places that you might not expect. One of them is this exquisite garden restaurant in New Hampshire where you can dine in a most beautiful natural setting.
Mile Away Restaurant in Milford has been welcoming guests for over half a century. Originally a farm built in 1746, it was one of the first settlements in the “lost” town of Monson.
The farm was converted into a restaurant in 1967 and was subsequently purchased by the Murphy family, who still manage it today.
Owner Joshua Murphy, Executive Chef Mark Worcester, and General Manager Kyle Altman welcome all to this historic destination where the spirit of 18th-century hospitality continues.
Mile Away offers a classic European four-course menu consisting of an appetizer, salad, entree, and dessert.
Guests to the restaurant’s outdoor dining space, The Patio, can roam the three acres of gardens and partake in games of cornhole and horseshoes.
The Patio is open to the public and features a seated bar, a standing bar under awnings, and patio tables with umbrellas. It’s a great spot to enjoy a drink before your reservation.
The gardens are a relaxing space to study the plants and flowers and perhaps watch the local pollinators in action.
The Mile Away grounds can also be reserved for weddings and other special events such as birthdays, graduations, or business functions.
To learn more about this charming garden restaurant in New Hampshire, to make a reservation, or to book an event, visit the Mile Away Restaurant website. Also, be sure to keep up with Mile Away Restaurant on Facebook for all of the latest updates.
Perhaps waterfront dining is more to your liking? Check out these nine waterfront eateries where you can dine on a lake, stream, or the ocean!
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9 Incredible Waterfront Restaurants in New Hampshire That Everyone Must Visit
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Mile Away Restaurant & Tented Venue, 52 Federal Hill Rd, Milford, NH 03055, USA
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