Karen Read’s defense team appeals case to Supreme Judicial Court

DEDHAM, Mass. (WLNE) — The defense team of Karen Read has appealed her case to the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, according to official court documents. 

The Mansfield woman is accused of hitting her police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, and leaving him to die in the snow back in January of 2022.

Her defense said Read was framed for his death.

Her trial ended back in July when jurors decided they were deadlocked, and the judge declared a mistrial after the fifth day of deliberations.

The Norfolk County District Attorney said they would intend to retry her case earlier next year.

After the mistrial, her defense team had tried to dismiss two of the charges against her after four jurors had unanimously agreed that she was not guilty of second-degree murder, and leaving the scene of an accident.

The motion was denied.

The court documents do cite jeopardy in the appeal, which was “temporarily impounded.”

Read’s retrial is scheduled for Jan 27.