Karen Read Found Not Guilty In Viral Murder Trial

True Crime Conversations

Ever since the mysterious death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe on a snowy night in 2022, the town where he died has been deeply divided. Was he killed in a house full of law enforcement and the crime covered up, or did his girlfriend, Karen Read, strike him with her car and leave him to die?

The high-profile case gripped true crime fans worldwide, especially after Read claimed she was the victim of a corrupt cover-up. The first trial in 2024 ended in a mistrial.

In the 2025 retrial, after five days of deliberations, the jury found her not guilty of second-degree murder and leaving the scene, but convicted her of drunk driving, sentencing her to one year of probation.

Executive Producer Jessica Lowther from The Law&Crime Network and producer of the podcast series ‘Karen’’ joins Gemma Bath in this episode to dissect the case.

THE END BITS

Subscribe to Mamamia

Find out more about Mamamia's charity partner RizeUp Australia here.

You can watch Episode 1 of the Karen podcast by The Law&Crime Network and Wondery+ here.

Follow Us on TikTok.

CREDITS

Guest: Jessica Lowther from The Law&Crime Network and producer of podcast series 'Karen'

Host: Gemma Bath

Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman

Audio Producer: Scott Stronach

GET IN TOUCH:

Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at [email protected] or send us a voice note, and one of our Podcast Producers will get back to you ASAP.

If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.