A cop dead in the snow, a girlfriend on trial. Why Karen Read is a true-crime obsession

The physique laid within the snow outdoors for hours within the freezing chilly. It had been an evening of ingesting, and a cop was lifeless.

John O’Keefe was discovered laying on the garden that morning in January 2022. An post-mortem blamed blunt, affect accidents to his head and hypothermia.

Authorities zeroed in on a suspect inside days: His on-again-off-again girlfriend Karen Learn was arrested, accused of backing into him along with her SUV after which leaving him for lifeless.

What ensued has been a carefully watched spectacle far past the sleepy New England city the place it unfolded, a true-crime sensation, attracting attention from YouTubers, TikTokers and internet sleuths and serving as fodder for podcasts, movies, televisions shows.

Prosecutors say the couple acquired into an argument and Learn, a 45-year-old former adjunct professor, was enraged and jealous. They cited as proof indignant voicemail messages she left for him on the day he died accusing him of infidelity. The protection maintains another person beat O’Keefe to loss of life and Learn was framed.

The case hung one jury and is now heading for a second, as jury choice started this week for a retrial of Read in Dedham, Massachusetts, the place a judge has barred supporters of either side from demonstrating inside 200 toes of the courthouse or sporting garments associated to the case inside.

Throughout the nation, supporters have been organizing standouts. How does a loss of life in a small city seize the nationwide creativeness? Specialists say a confluence of things could also be at play.

The numerous twists within the case for the reason that mistrial − from the firing of the lead investigator to charges of witness intimidation against a blogger − have additionally fueled ongoing media protection. And allegations of a police cover-up and a trove of proof stoked hypothesis in on-line communities the place spectators can play detective and conspiracy theories can thrive.

“It form of has all these components of what somebody would wish to watch on TV in a courtroom drama and for that cause, and folks simply have like these actually sturdy opinions on it,” mentioned Shira Diner, an teacher at Boston College College of Regulation.

What occurred to John O’Keefe?

A heavy snowstorm walloped Canton, Massachusetts, on Jan. 28, 2022. O’Keefe, a Boston cop, went out anyway for an evening of ingesting with Learn and a few associates and coworkers.

After midnight, the group headed to the house of now-former Boston Police Officer Brian Albert. Between 12:15 and 12:45, a number of witnesses mentioned they noticed a darkish SUV parked outdoors the house however nobody went inside.

Prosecutors say Learn rammed O’Keefe with the Lexus SUV and fled. They cited proof, together with a busted taillight the place O’Keefe’s DNA was discovered.

Hours later, Learn went with Albert’s sister-in-law and one other good friend to seek for him. He was discovered unresponsive within the snow round 6 a.m.

In accordance with Assistant District Legal professional Adam Lally, first responders and witnesses on the scene heard Learn repeatedly say “I hit him.” She continued to incriminate herself that morning, Lally said, together with saying, “That is all my fault.”

Timeline: What happened in the Karen Read case? Here are the key moments in John O’Keefe murder trial

The protection has disputed these claims, providing a different theory about what occurred that evening.

Defense lawyer Alan Jackson contends Learn dropped O’Keefe off after which a lethal battle broke out contained in the Albert house. He says these concerned covered it up, planted his body on the entrance garden, and framed Learn.

The protection pointed to a number of potential suspects on the house on the time, together with Albert, his nephew and their good friend, an agent for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives who had been exchanging flirty textual content messages with Learn. Nevertheless, a choose has dominated that Learn’s protection group can solely use a portion of this protection in her the retrial, citing inadequate proof, WCVB reported.

Read’s attorneys argued O’Keefe’s accidents confirmed indicators of beating and an animal assault, suggesting the household canine, a German Shepherd named Chloe, had been concerned.

The protection pointed to a Google search Albert’s sister-in-law allegedly made asking, “hos (sic) lengthy to die in chilly.”

The protection mentioned the search was made at 2:27 a.m. lengthy earlier than authorities had been notified of O’Keefe’s loss of life. However prosecutors say it occurred round 6:23 a.m. after O’Keefe was discovered. Prosecutors have also said swabs taken from O’Keefe’s clothes close to his accidents didn’t comprise canine DNA.

An lawyer for Albert, Gregory D. Henning, instructed USA TODAY he had “nothing to do with the loss of life of John O’Keefe. There was no battle. John O’Keefe was by no means of their house.” A lawyer for his sister-in-law didn’t return messages.

‘Damsel in misery’ or ‘calculating killer?’

Learn supporters can steadily be seen outdoors the courthouse. They wave “Free Karen” indicators and infrequently put on pink. Different demonstrators are calling for “Justice for John.”

Medwed mentioned a part of the fascination with Learn and others like Casey Anthony or Amanda Knox comes from the comparatively rarity of a girl going through homicide expenses.

“I believe America is usually fascinated with the concept of girls who kill,” he mentioned. “For some folks, it’s like damsel in misery, like this girl is being framed, like this poor girl, she misplaced her boyfriend and the police are simply piling it on her and partially to cowl up males who did one thing unsuitable. For different folks, it is like, ‘oh, come on she’s a calculating killer,'” he added.

Specialists have mentioned true-crime cases involving white women usually garner disproportionate consideration − significantly younger, engaging blondes like Gabby Petito and Natalee Holloway.

Wealth and sophistication have performed a job, too, based on Diner. Learn was freed on $80,000 bail and has a high-profile protection group together with Jackson, who has represented Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, amongst different large names. That has helped her share her facet of the story in media interviews and garner assist.

“I believe the relative privilege that the defendant on this case has is a very vital a part of form of analyzing and understanding what is going on and why it is occurring,” Diner mentioned.

Accusations of a coverup gas conspiracy theorists

Medwed mentioned police missteps within the investigation and recommendations of an elaborate cover-up make the case fertile floor for on-line conspiracy theorists.

“Everytime you put a microscope to a case, you are going to see holes, however I do not suppose you want a microscope to see the holes on this one, proper?” Medwed mentioned. “They’re simply fairly darn obtrusive.”

Police used purple Solo cups to scoop up bloody snow and put them in paper luggage to take to the station, protection attorneys mentioned. An audit discovered police additionally did not correctly {photograph} O’Keefe’s physique, file an interview and preserve a presence on the crime scene.

The lead investigator in the case was fired last month. He had despatched crude textual content messages about Learn to associates and fellow state troopers through the investigation. Learn’s legal professionals pointed to the messages as proof police preemptively selected her guilt.

Massachusetts State Police mentioned the investigator, Michael Proctor, was fired for unrelated expenses. His lawyer, Daniel J. Moynihan, didn’t reply to a message in search of remark from USA TODAY. WGBH reported Moynihan has pledged to enchantment, saying Proctor was wrongfully terminated after Learn’s mistrial.

A federal probe into the dealing with of the investigation ended with out expenses being filed.

Norfolk County District Legal professional Michael Morrissey referred to as accusations of a coverup “baseless,” and “conspiracy theories,” in a 2023 assertion.

“The concept that a number of police departments, EMTs, fireplace personnel, the medical expert, and the prosecuting company are joined in, or taken in by, an unlimited conspiracy needs to be seen for what it’s − fully opposite to the proof and a determined try and reassign guilt,” he mentioned.

‘Justice for John’

Regardless of the “Justice for John” marketing campaign, the tragedy of what occurred to the 46-year-old, devoted uncle is usually misplaced within the fray, Medwed mentioned, a standard drawback when the general public fixates on a selected case.

A few of Learn’s supporters hurled insults at O’Keefe’s family members as they attended the primary trial, a good friend of the late officer wrote in a piece for Boston Magazine. One among Learn’s supporters, blogger Aidan “Turtleboy” Kearney, is facing charges of witness intimidation after confronting witnesses within the case on digicam. He has denied all expenses in opposition to him.

“There’s a sense that with all of the gamesmanship, with all of the type of entrenched views about guilt or innocence and a number of the vitriol and advert hominem assaults and really private nature of the lack of John O’Keefe is form of being misplaced just a little bit,” Medwed mentioned.

Contributing: Mary Walrath-Holdridge, Cybele Mayes-Osterman and Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY; Peter Bladino, Rin Velasco, Brad Petrishen, and Jessica Trufant, USA TODAY Community – New England

This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: Karen Read murder trial: How the case became a true-crime obsession