Following the jury’s decision to acquit Karen Read of murder and manslaughter charges, a juror has come forward to share insights into the deliberation process and the factors that influenced their verdict. The juror, who chose to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, expressed strong convictions about the evidence presented at trial.
“I think, with the evidence presented, a collision did not occur, and that’s all I’m letting myself consider,” she told ABC News.
Throughout the trial, jurors were tasked with examining the events leading to the death of John O’Keefe, a police officer and Read’s boyfriend at the time. The two had spent an evening enjoying drinks with friends at local bars before agreeing to head to the home of fellow officers in Canton, Massachusetts, after midnight. Read maintained that she dropped O’Keefe off outside the home but faced allegations from prosecutors that she had struck him with her vehicle and left him to die. Meanwhile, defense attorneys argued that O’Keefe may have been injured during a fight inside the home or by the homeowners’ dog.
The juror highlighted how injuries sustained by O’Keefe appeared to resemble dog bites rather than injuries from a car collision.
Asked about what she believed to be the prosecution’s most significant obstacle during the trial, the juror did not hesitate to address concerns regarding the investigation itself. She stated that “the sloppy police investigation” significantly impacted the case against Read.
“I can’t assess the motive to the sloppy police investigation. It could be tampering; that’s a possibility. It could just be bad police work. But if anyone had done their job correctly, we wouldn’t be in this position. It would either be proved or disproved right away,” she explained.
In defense of their findings, prosecutors maintained their stance on the investigation throughout the trial.
The homeowners involved in the case, Brian and Nicole Albert, along with other guests at their home on the night of O’Keefe’s death, claim that he never entered the residence. The Alberts recounted the harrowing moment they were informed of the tragic news. “She was just upset, and I immediately thought something had happened to one of her children, or one of my children,” Nicole Albert recalled.
Her husband, Brian, added, “I didn’t understand what she was talking about because why would John be out in front of my house? By the time I came downstairs, the police were already in my house. John was already gone. There was nobody to save. I would have taken a bullet for John O’Keefe.”
In an emotional reflection, Nicole shared her feelings regarding the overwhelming tragedy, stating, “What has happened to all of us? It’s just heartbreaking.”
Adding further context to the jury’s decision-making process, the juror disclosed that there was a critical moment during deliberations when the jury initially presented a verdict only to retract it shortly after.
“There was a moment of reconsideration that every single person respected,” she shared, indicating that a fellow juror expressed apprehensions that led to additional discussion before the verdict was finalized.
The juror noted that this re-evaluation did not lead to discord but rather an effort to ensure that each member felt confident in the jury’s decision. “No one was upset or, like, ‘Oh, we decided, now we need to decide again.’ Like, no, this verdict deserved to be supported by all of us, for us to be able to go home and feel settled and comfortable with our choice,” she elaborated.
Ultimately, the juror emphasized that it was not a singular piece of evidence that led to their reasonable doubt but rather a culmination of uncertainties surrounding the case.
“I think it was overall, a lot of the evidence had caused reasonable doubt, and that was enough for us not to convict,” she concluded.
In a separate interview, juror number 11, Paula Prado, disclosed her transformation in opinion during the trial. Initially inclined to believe Read was guilty of manslaughter, she eventually recognized the numerous inconsistencies presented.
“As the weeks passed by, I just realized there were too many holes that we couldn’t fill,” Prado stated, reflecting on how evidence failed to conclusively position Read at the scene except for the fact that she had dropped off O’Keefe.
Regarding her impressions of Read, the juror described her as an engaged participant in her defense.
“She was incredibly involved. There were so many moments where something was said and she was right on it, writing a sticky note, looking up evidence, turning to get someone’s attention. She was very involved in her own case,” she said.
In the wake of the trial, the Massachusetts State Police released a statement offering condolences to O’Keefe’s family and loved ones. They acknowledged that the incidents over the past three years prompted a thorough review of their procedures and pledged to enhance their interrogation training, oversight, and accountability moving forward.
“The focus remains on delivering excellent police services that reflect the value of professionalism and maintain public trust,” the statement concluded.
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