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

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

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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. 

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“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. 

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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. 

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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.

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“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. 

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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.”

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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. 

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“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.” 

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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.”

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New Hampshire

Man killed in NH snowmobile crash

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Man killed in NH snowmobile crash


An Alton man is dead after a snowmobile crash in New Hampshire’s North Country Thursday afternoon.

The New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game says 63-year-old Bradford Jones was attempting to negotiate a left hand turn on Corridor Trail 5 in Colebrook when he lost control of his snowmobile, struck multiple trees off the side of the trail and was thrown from the vehicle shortly before 3:30 p.m.

Jones was riding with another snowmobiler, who was in the lead at the time of the crash, according to the agency. Once the other man realized Jones was no longer behind him, he turned around and traveled back where he found Jones significantly injured, lying off the trail beside his damaged snowmobile.

The man immediately rendered aid to Jones and called 911 for assistance, NH Fish and Game said. The Colebrook Fire Department used their rescue tracked all terrain vehicle and a specialized off road machine to transport first responders across about a mile of trail to the crash scene.

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Once there, a conservation officer and 45th Parallel EMS staff attempted lifesaving measures for approximately an hour, but Jones ultimately died from his injuries at the scene of the crash, officials said.

The crash remains under investigation, but conservation officers are considering speed for the existing trail conditions to have been a primary factor in this deadly incident.



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New Jersey

Police investigate fatal stabbing in Mercer County

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Police investigate fatal stabbing in Mercer County


EWING TWP., N.J. (WPVI) — Police are searching for a suspect who fatally stabbed a man in Mercer County, New Jersey.

It happened around 5:20 p.m. Thursday on the unit block of New Hillcrest Avenue in Ewing Township.

When police arrived, they found a 40-year-old man lying in the street with several stab wounds to the torso.

He was transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center, where he later died.

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The victim has been identified as Jimmy Chase from Philadelphia.

So far, no arrests have been made.

Anyone who has any information on this case is asked to call Mercer County detectives at 609-989-6406.

You can also submit an anonymous tip online at MercerCountyProsecutor.com.

Copyright © 2026 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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Pennsylvania

Man charged after over 100 human skeletal remains found in Pennsylvania home – National | Globalnews.ca

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Man charged after over 100 human skeletal remains found in Pennsylvania home – National | Globalnews.ca


A Pennsylvania man has been arrested and is facing more than 500 charges after he was accused of stealing human skulls and “numerous” skeletal remains from an abandoned cemetery on Philadelphia’s outskirts, according to police.

Bones and skulls visible in the back seat of a car near the cemetery led police to the home and storage unit of Jonathan Gerlach, 34, after police had been looking into a string of burglaries.

Investigators checked Gerlach’s licence plates and found that he had been near the cemetery repeatedly during the period when the burglaries occurred.

Officers say the Jan. 6 arrest culminated a months-long investigation into break-ins at Mount Moriah Cemetery, where at least 26 mausoleums and vaults had been forced open since early November.

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After searching Gerlach’s home and storage unit, investigators reported finding more than 100 human skulls, long bones, mummified hands and feet, two decomposing torsos and other skeletal items.

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“They were in various states. Some of them were hanging, as it were. Some of them were pieced together, some were just skulls on a shelf,” Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse said.

Most of the findings were in Gerlach’s basement, authorities said. They also recovered jewelry believed to be linked to the graves, and a pacemaker that was still attached.

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“Detectives walked into a horror movie come to life in that home. It is truly, in the most literal sense of the word, horrific. I grieve for those who are upset by this, who are going through this, who are trying to figure out if it is, in fact, one of their loved ones,” Rouse added.

Police say Gerlach targeted mausoleums and underground vaults at the cemetery, which was established in 1855. Gerlach was arrested as he walked back toward his car with a crowbar, police said.

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He also had a burlap bag in which officers found the mummified remains of two small children, three skulls and other bones.

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Gerlach then told investigators that he took around 30 sets of human remains and showed them the graves he stole from, police said.

Police believe the remains were also taken from other cemeteries in the region. They are investigating the Human Bones and Skull Selling Group on Facebook, where Gerlach was reportedly tagged and pictured holding a skull.

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He was charged with 100 counts each of abuse of a corpse and receiving stolen property, along with multiple counts of desecrating a public monument, desecrating a venerated object, desecrating a historic burial place, burglary, trespassing and theft.

Mount Moriah Cemetery released a statement on its Instagram Stories following Gerlach’s arrest, thanking Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, the Yeadon Police Department and the Philadelphia Police Department for “their hard work and dedication to this case.”

“Our team has been working alongside all parties involved and will continue to do so throughout the remainder of the investigation. Please direct any specific questions regarding this case to the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office,” it said.

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“Mount Moriah is the largest abandoned cemetery in the United States. Its historic grounds are cared for by a dedicated group of approximately 12 volunteers who show up week in and week out to preserve this space.”

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Gerlach is being held on $1-million bail, and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 20.

With files from The Associated Press

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&copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.





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