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DEDHAM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Another juror in the Karen Read murder trial has come forward saying the jury unanimously found Read not guilty on two of the three charges against her, Read's defense team said in a filing Wednesday.
The filing is a supplemental memorandum to a motion Read's lawyers filed Monday, which aims to dismiss Count 1 (second-degree murder) and Count 3 (leaving a scene of personal injury and death).
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The high profile case against Read accused her of hitting her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, with her SUV and leaving him to die in the snow outside a Canton home in January 2022. Read's attorneys argued she was framed for the killing.
After eight weeks of testimony and five days of deliberation, Judge Beverly Cannone declared a mistrial because of a hung jury.
On Monday, Read's lawyers said they heard directly from one juror and from people familiar with two other jurors that the jury unanimously voted to acquit Read on Counts 1 and 3.
Wednesday's memorandum said a fourth deliberating juror (identified as Juror D) confirmed to Read's attorneys the jury's vote on Counts 1 and 3, said the jury only remained deadlocked on Count 2 (manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor) and its lesser offenses, and said many of the jurors were "uncomfortable" about the way the trial ended.
"He/she said that the last day of the trail was a 'whirlwind' and everything happened fast," defense attorney Alan Jackson wrote in an affidavit. "He/she recounted that his/her perspective was that the jury was brought in the courtroom, the note was read, the mistrial was declared, and the jury was then rushed out of the courtroom. Following a brief meeting with the judge, the next thing they all knew, the jury was on the bus. He/she described the end of the trial as very confusing."
"Juror D said it was very troubling that the entire case ended without the jury being asked about each count," Jackson further wrote. "Juror D said that the jury actually discussed telling the judge that they had agreed unanimously on not guilty verdicts for Counts 1 and 3, but they were not sure if they were allowed to say so. The jury believed they were compelled to come to a resolution on all counts before they could or should report verdicts on any of the counts."
The Norfolk District Attorney's Office said it will retry the case.
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