Special Prosecutor Appointed in Karen Read Murder Case

A Massachusetts district attorney has appointed Hank Brennan, a special prosecutor known for representing high-profile clients like James "Whitey" Bulger, to spearhead the retrial of Karen Read. Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey announced Brennan's role in the January retrial of Read, who is accused of fatally hitting her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe, with her SUV during a January 2022 snowstorm and leaving him to die.

The initial two-month trial concluded in July with a mistrial, prompting a second trial set for January. According to Judge Beverly Cannone, Read can be retried for murder despite the defense's assertion that jurors had unanimously found her not guilty of murder and one other charge, having deadlocked only on a third count. An autopsy revealed O'Keefe succumbed to hypothermia and blunt force trauma. Read's defense claims O'Keefe was killed inside a fellow officer's home before being dragged outside.

Following the mistrial, Read's defense presented new evidence indicating that jurors were only deadlocked on a manslaughter charge and had found Read innocent of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of a deadly accident. This evidence is under appeal with the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)