Northeast
What's next for Karen Read?
Karen Read turned and hugged her father and embraced her family after Judge Beverly Cannone declared a mistrial.
The 44-year-old financial analyst accused of killing her Boston cop boyfriend, John O’Keefe, walked out of the Dedham, Massachusetts, courthouse a free woman after two years.
The jubilation on Read’s side of the courtroom was a stark contrast to O’Keefe’s mom’s tears, as family and friends rubbed her shoulders and tried to console her.
But the saga isn’t over. “The Commonwealth intends to re-try the case,” prosecutors said before a smiling Read and her lawyers were done speaking to her supporters and news outlets.
KAREN READ MURDER CASE ENDS WITH ‘DEEPLY DIVIDED’ JURY’S DECISION
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 Massachusetts jury deliberated for nearly 26 hours and had been deadlocked for days.
They were “deeply divided” because of “deeply held convictions” and a “consensus is unattainable,” according to the first of two notes to the presiding judge on Monday.
Cannone issued a controversial 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.
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)
The dynamite charge’s “effectiveness in breaking deadlocks and securing verdicts is well-documented,” according to a blog post by Texas-based law firm Varghese and Summersett.
But it’s not used in about two dozen states, as opponents argue “it can lead to verdicts that are not truly unanimous, as jurors may change their votes due to peer pressure rather than genuine conviction,” the firm said.
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 its final note to the judge.
Karen Read smiles as defense attorney David Yannetti speaks to reporters 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 talks with her legal team at the Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Monday, July 1, 2024. This is their fifth day of deliberations in the murder trial for Read. Read is 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)
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. The defense has asked for some modifications. Read is charged with second-degree murder in the January 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
The jury sat for weeks during a trial that included 74 witnesses and nearly 700 pieces of evidence.
Prosecutors argued a shouting match turned deadly during a booze-infused fight in January 2022, when Read allegedly backed into O’Keefe with her SUV and left him to die during a nor’easter.
WATCH: DASHCAM FROM THE NIGHT JOHN O’KEEFE WAS FOUND DEAD
His body was found on the front lawn of an influential family with deep ties to law enforcement and prosecutors. Read claimed that the family framed her for O’Keefe’s death in an elaborate cover-up.
The deadlocked jury was as torn as the otherwise quiet Boston suburb of Canton. And the opposing jurors weren’t backing down.
“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 said before Cannone declared a mistrial.
Since Read wasn’t found guilty or not guilty, here’s what could happen next, according to experts.
Flags, flowers and remembrances flank the headstone of John O’Keefe, a Boston police officer, at Blue Hill Cemetery, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Braintree, Mass. A judge declared a mistrial Monday, July 1, 2024, after jurors deadlocked in the case of O’Keefe’s girlfriend, Karen Read, who was accused of killing him by striking him with her SUV and leaving him in a snowstorm. Prosecutors said in a statement that they intend to retry the case. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
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)
Option 1: The case is over, no more charges
Read beat the charges of second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter while driving under the influence and leaving the scene of a collision causing injury and death because the jury couldn’t come to a unanimous decision, not because they thought they believed she was innocent.
That puts the ball in the prosecutors’ hands.
They can choose to end the two-year saga now.
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)
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)
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)
Option 2: New trial, new jury with same charges
The Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office quickly fired off a statement that said it intends to retry the case.
And Read’s lawyer, Alan Jackson, said, “We will not stop fighting.”
That puts the two sides on another collision course, although experts pointed out pitfalls that could doom the DA’s office again.
WATCH: EXPERT REACTS TO PROCTOR’S TESTIMONY AND EXPLAINS ITS FAR-REACHING IMPACT
Daniel Medwed, Northeastern University professor of law and criminal justice, believes the prosecution needs to bring more evidence, if this is the route they choose.
“I think they might talk a big game in the immediate aftermath about retrying her,” Medwed told Northeastern Global News.
“But ultimately, unless new evidence emerges, I think it might be a tough hill to climb, and they might not pursue it.”
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. Read faced three charges in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe in January 2022. (Patriot Pics/Backgrid for Fox News Digital)
There’s also added layers of complication, with investigations into Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor, whose sexist and vulgar texts may have destroyed the prosecution’s case, as well as an ongoing audit of potential misconduct in the Canton Police Department.
“You know that trooper’s testimony really blew up in the commonwealth’s face,” Suffolk Law professor Rosanna Cavallaro told NBC 10 Boston.
“If in fact he is suspended or any kind of consequence for his misconduct, then that’s going to make it really hard for the commonwealth to decide how to present their case.”
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)
Option 3: New trial, new jury, new charges
A possible way around some of the potential pitfalls of retrying Read for murder is to file different charges, law expert Shira Diner told Fox News Digital.
Diner is a lecturer and clinical instructor at Boston University School of Law and the president of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
7M AND THE DANCING TIKTOK CULT: EXPERT DISCUSSES POPULAR NETFLIX SERIES AND ITS LARGER THREAT
Karen Read speaks with her lawyer as the jury deliberates in her murder trail, Wednesday June 26, 2024, at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
“(The prosecution) is entirely in control of the charges, so I think they could recharge in a different way,” she said.
What those charges could be remains to be seen, if this is the route the prosecution takes.
WATCH: DINER EXPLAINS HOW PROCTOR’S TESTIMONY COULD BLOW UP ANOTHER MURDER CASE
For now, the case is over. Read is free.
The two sides – along with their warring supporters – will retreat into their respective corners of the ring. The families will have to regroup.
The next court appearance is scheduled for July 22 for a conference.
Read the full article from Here
Connecticut
Mary (Beebe) Crocker Obituary
Born on March 9, 1945, in East Hartford, Connecticut, to Robert and Mary (née Bragg) …
Maine
Maine Lottery results: See winning numbers for Powerball, Pick 3 on April 25, 2026
The results are in for the Maine Lottery’s draw games on Saturday, April 25, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on April 25.
Winning Powerball numbers from April 25 drawing
04-30-36-52-57, Powerball: 02, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from April 25 drawing
03-06-09-51-65, Powerball: 12
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 25 drawing
Day: 7-2-3
Evening: 6-7-8
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 25 drawing
Day: 7-3-8-5
Evening: 1-5-4-1
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Megabucks Plus numbers from April 25 drawing
08-16-17-32-35, Megaball: 04
Check Megabucks Plus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from April 25 drawing
03-15-23-32-36, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 03
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 25 drawing
03-22-26-44-47, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Maine Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, 4: 1:10 p.m. (Day) and 6:50 p.m. (Evening) ET daily.
- Lucky For Life: 10:38 p.m. ET daily.
- Lotto America: 10:15 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Gimme 5: 6:59 p.m. ET on Monday through Friday.
- Cash Pop: 8:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. & 11:30 p.m. ET daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. ET daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Massachusetts
Minogue dominates as Republicans narrow Massachusetts gubernatorial field to two
BY KATIE CASTELLANI & ELLA ADAMS
WORCESTER, MASS., APRIL 25, 2026…..Republican delegates qualified two out of three possible gubernatorial candidates for the September primary ballot: Mike Minogue and Brian Shortsleeve. Minogue earned the convention’s endorsement by a landslide.
Minogue received 70.38% of the delegates’ votes and Shortsleeve earned 15.5% — narrowly surpassing the 15% threshold needed for his candidacy to survive.
Mike Kennealy, secretary of housing and economic development under former Gov. Charlie Baker, received 14.11% of the delegates’ votes, spelling an end to his bid for the party’s nomination. A small number of delegates chose not to cast a vote for a gubernatorial candidate.
Minogue, former CEO of Danvers-based biotech firm Abiomed, opened his convention speech by asking the audience questions, including if delegates were ready for the voter-approved legislative audit and to “get criminal illegal immigrants off our streets.”
The DCU Center audience erupted in cheers.
Minogue leaned on his faith, saying he believes “all things are possible with God.” He touted his work leading Abiomed, a company he said was on the path to bankruptcy when he took over. As governor, Minogue said he would do something similar for Massachusetts, helping the state address its affordability woes as well as what he called waning economic competitiveness and an “illegal immigration crisis.”
“So, how do we get on the right path? We elect a leader with integrity and common sense and compassion,” he said. “We elect a new kind of governor with a blueprint to accountability, affordability, opportunity and keeps communities safe.”
Minogue promised to take several actions as governor, including, auditing the Legislature and budget; cutting taxes and spending by getting rid of “waste and fraud”; cutting energy utility fees; investing in energy sources like natural gas and nuclear, which he said were safe, clean and more affordable; canceling and repeal the state’s net zero emissions mandates; and growing jobs by retaining and recruiting entrepreneurs and businesses.
“I’m the only candidate and CEO that has actually built a company and sweated the details, so I will cut red tape. I know how it works,” he said.
Shortsleeve and Kennealy made similar promises to delegates during their speeches.
A former MBTA chief administrator and acting general manager, Shortsleeve leaned on his time as a Marine and small business owner while introducing himself to the convention.
“We need a new governor with the determination of a Marine, the mindset of a businessman, the perspective of an outsider and the urgency of a father who knows the clock is ticking until the time when my kids and yours decide whether to stay or whether to go. I will be that governor,” he said.
Shortsleeve also backed a legislative audit — similar to the one Auditor Diana DiZoglio is attempting — saying he would audit every agency and program in state government if elected. He added that part of his work at the T involved agency audits, including one he said uncovered millions in fraud.
Shortsleeve also advocated for cutting the income tax rate, saying he would support a proposed ballot initiative to cut it from 5% to 4%.
“Middle class tax relief that that ballot question would deliver is the first step in restoring affordability,” Shortsleeve told the News Service during the convention.
Additionally, Shortsleeve said he would strip “state mandated green fees” out of utility bills and fire the Parole Board, which he said “treats criminals like victims and victims like afterthoughts.”
Kennealy’s camp could not immediately be reached after the convention results were announced Saturday evening.
Delegates also gave all three candidates for lieutenant governor enough support to secure their name on the ballot. Minogue-backed Anne Brensley secured the party endorsement receiving 1,100 votes, about 56% of delegates’ support.
“If we have four more years of the Healey-Driscoll administration, then what we’re losing each day will be gone forever. The real repercussions of these policies cut deeply, are relentless and do not spare anyone,” Brensley said.
At around 5 p.m., to a crowd of delegates who were frustrated with voting delays, Brensley said, “I don’t know about you, but I want to hear from some governors, so my speech is going to be real short: Thank you all so much for believing in me, we’re just starting. Let’s go.”
Gubernatorial candidates had not given their speeches yet, putting the convention hours behind its tentative schedule.
Anne Manning-Martin, running with Kennealy, received 27.33% of the votes with 536. Delegates cast 325 votes, or 16.57%, for Shortsleeve’s preferred running mate Shawn Oliver.
“In Peabody and in local government, you don’t get to hide from the people you serve, especially when you’re looking for their votes. You don’t get to duck responsibility,” Manning-Martin told delegates, railing on the Healey administration for much of her speech.
A New Bedford city councilor and state correction officer, Shawn Oliver spoke about his experience as a first-generation Portuguese American, criticizing the state’s criminal justice system, “sanctuary policies,” cost of living, and outmigration, arguing that “Beacon Hill has made it nearly impossible for the next generation to build a life here.”
“Families all across Massachusetts are being pushed to the edge. Businesses are closing and our young people are leaving,” Oliver said. “Heck, that little girl that I had when I was 17 — she did it. She couldn’t afford to stay in Massachusetts, and is living over the border in Rhode Island. As a father, that disgusts me.”
An elongated voting and counting period for the lieutenant governor endorsement caused a ruckus among delegates. MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale said the delay stemmed from the time it took delegates “getting up and down the DCU Center and the stairs,” the larger number of members present in some districts, and the desire for privacy among voters.
“In a couple of districts, some of the leads wanted to assure that their delegates had a more private experience,” Carnevale said. “That caused a little bit of a delay in a couple of the districts.”
In a pre-convention webinar Friday, MassDems Chair Steve Kerrigan told Democrats that the party expects to have “a clear picture of this race after this weekend.”
“What we do know is we have seen an unprecedented level of self funding in this race,” Kerrigan said. “All three of these candidates have been pouring their own money into the race, and on top of that, they all have super PACs affiliated with them, as well. All of these factors really set up this race to be probably the most expensive governor’s race in our commonwealth’s history.”
In the first quarter of 2026, Minogue led the fundraising pack among statewide candidates, bringing in more than $7.5 million — $7 million of which came from Minogue himself. Shortsleeve brought in about $646,500 throughout the quarter and Kennealy raised around $438,900, according to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.
“Each of these candidates seeking their nomination are going to be focused on bringing Donald Trump’s harmful agenda to Massachusetts,” Kerrigan said. “This convention is basically going to be a race to the bottom to satisfy the MAGA base of delegates who are really going to decide the GOP nominee. Our job always is to stay focused on fighting against the misinformation and the attacks we know are coming.”
The Massachusetts Democratic nominating convention is set for May 29 and 30, also at the DCU Center in Worcester.
GOP candidates will now be eyeing voter support for the next few months leading up to September’s primary.
Katie Castellani and Ella Adams are reporters for the State House News Service and State Affairs Massachusetts. Reach them at kcastellani@statehousenews.com and ella.adams@statehousenews.com.
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