The second murder trial of Karen Read — who was accused of purposefully hitting her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, with her SUV and is the subject of a Netflix docuseries — has officially concluded and the jury have reached a unanimous decision.
Last year, Netflix announced a new three-part documentary on the death of Boston police officer John O’Keefe. On Jan. 29, 2022, O’Keefe was found unresponsive in the snow outside of a home in Canton, Massachussetts. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital. His then-girlfriend, Karen Read, was charged with second degree murder, manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and for leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.
Prosecutors argued that Read was drunk and furious with O’Keefe when she hit him with her SUV. At the same time, Read’s defense attorneys claimed Read was framed for his death, maintaining that she was a victim of a conspiracy by law enforcement to cover up the real killers. On July 1, 2024, the jury in Karen Read’s trial informed the presiding judge that they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. The judge then declared a mistrial and Norfolk County prosecutors announced they would retry Read for O’Keefe’s murder. On June 18, 2025, Read was officially acquitted of second-degree murder. The Norfolk County jury also acquitted Read of two lesser charges — motor vehicle manslaughter while driving under the influence and leaving the scene of a collision. She was, however, convicted of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor.
The case has inspired plenty of conversation, and the as-yet-untitled documentary series will explore what happened in the days leading up to O’Keefe’s death. It is currently in production with Sandpaper Films with co-directors Danielle Johnson and Rob Miller.
“The team feels immensely privileged to be bringing this important series to a Netflix global audience,” Johnson and Miller told Netflix. “It is a case that has garnered a huge amount of public attention and has far-reaching implications. We are also mindful that this is a hugely sensitive case and we are determined to treat all those involved with the respect and consideration they deserve.”
Check back here for more updates on the doc series.
