Northeast
Karen Read murder case ends in mistrial with ‘deeply divided’ jury
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.
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.
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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)
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.
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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.
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.
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O’Keefe’s body was found in several inches of snow outside the home of Boston police officer Brian Albert.
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.
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The mistrial mimicked the civil-war-like atmosphere in the Boston suburb between Read supporters and critics.
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.
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
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)
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.
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Pittsburg, PA
PPS board reopens discussion on school closure plan
Connecticut
Connecticut Democrats to bring back legislation giving parents control over social media
Democrats plan to revive a proposal to give parents greater control over how children use social media.
“If they don’t like what we’re going to protect the kids, what is your plan to protect the kids?” Gov. Ned Lamont (D-Connecticut) said. “Otherwise, we’ll keep going with this.”
Leaders of the legislature’s General Law Committee joined Lamont for a press conference at the Capitol, saying they’ll introduce the bill once the legislative session starts on Feb. 4.
The bill would require parental approval before anyone under 18 years old can open a social media account.
Additionally, parents would need to approve the content children can view, set time limits for usage, and decide whether their accounts are public.
Attorney General William Tong (D-Connecticut) said the law would require parents to opt in to ensure they give consent.
That means social media platforms can’t, for example, make a minor’s account public as a default setting.
Lastly, the bill would prohibit social media companies from sending push notifications to children between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m.
“What this specifically does is highlight a very vulnerable population and says there needs to be protections in place,” Rep. Roland Lemar (D-New Haven) said. “Children need to have these protections.
Lemar said social media can be a valuable resource, but he wants to safeguard children against potential harm.
Some experts have been raising concerns that social media platforms can become addictive, especially since they allow users to scroll content endlessly.
Those experts have also warned about increased risks of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues among children and teenagers.
“They’re still children, and they’re still vulnerable in how they’re developing those individual identities,” Connecticut Children’s pediatrician Dr. Robert Keder said. “They are subject to things like FOMO, or fear of missing out, or influencing body image.”
Tech companies pushed back against the bill last year, saying they’re already putting tools in place for parents.
Instagram, for example, announced a teen-friendly version of its app in October, with more age-appropriate content.
Christopher Gilrein, executive director with the lobbying firm Technet, said last year that “the industry has a longstanding commitment to provide parents and guardians with resources to help ensure a safe online experience for their children, and the industry has been at the forefront of educating parents and guardians about safety.”
Last year’s version received a 121-26 vote in the House, but the Senate failed to raise it for debate before the session ended.
A few Republicans raised concerns about whether the state could enforce the bill.
One of those Republicans, Rep. Lezlye Zupkus (R-Prostect), said she’ll need to review this year’s bill, but she supports the concept.
“We need to look at what our kids are looking at and what is age-appropriate for them and what they should be doing,” she said
Maine
Food pantries in Maine report fewer clients amid ongoing ICE operations
WESTBROOK (WGME) — As federal ICE operations intensify across Maine, many in immigrant communities are reportedly staying home from work and school and even from public spaces like grocery stores or food pantries.
In response, several food pantries and nonprofits are stepping up to fill the gap.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, more than 200 people have been arrested by ICE in Maine over the past week and a half. This has led to a significant decline in attendance at food pantries across the state, as many people are too fearful to leave their homes.
“The asylum seekers here in the area are scared and they’re hunkering down. They’re not coming out,” Saco Food Pantry Board Member Sheldon Nightingale said.
The Saco Food Pantry typically provides food to nearly 1,000 people in the community monthly.
“Our immigrant community is not coming out right now. We have partnered with a couple of organizations to help out, if need be,” Nightingale said.
Several food pantries in Lewiston are also delivering food to those too afraid to leave home.
“Our business is to give out food and to help people who are in need and food insecure, and we intend to do that anyway we can,” Nightingale said.
In Westbrook, one business is working to ensure no one goes hungry.
“Right now, that’s taking donations to help feed families that are concerned about the ICE presence here in Westbrook,” The Daily Grind Senior Barista Mackenzie Bearor said.
The Daily Grind Westbrook
State Rep. Sue Salisbury of Westbrook and her husband Joe are feeding families through their mobile food pantry and raising money at their coffee shop, The Daily Grind.
They report having helped more than 100 families since the ICE surge in Maine.
“People are afraid to leave their homes, so we are just trying to make sure they stay fed and get the food that they need,” Bearor said.
Pantry officials urge anyone in need of food to contact their local food pantry.
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