Karen Read mistrial puts cops in tough spot, opens door for accused killer of boyfriend officer to walk free

It was a cold killing.

Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe died from blunt unit trauma to the caput and hypothermia during a January snowstorm successful Canton, Massachusetts, astir 15 miles extracurricular the metropolis proper.

Karen Read, the erstwhile concern nonrecreational and O'Keefe's woman astatine the time, was accused of fatally moving him implicit successful a drunken combat and fleeing the scene.

But her trial, erstwhile viewed arsenic a "slam dunk" lawsuit for the prosecution, ended with a hung assemblage successful July aft she claimed the lawsuit was an elaborate cover-up and that she had thing to bash with whoever near him retired successful the acold to die. 

KAREN READ CLAIMS MURDER CHARGE IN POLICE OFFICER BOYFRIEND'S DEATH IS DOUBLE JEOPARDY

After the assemblage was dismissed for the day, Karen Read, right, listens arsenic Canton Police Sgt. Michael Lank is questioned by defence lawyer Alan Jackson. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

A justice has already cleared the mode for a 2nd trial, scheduled for Jan. 27, but some sides person asked the tribunal to propulsion it backmost to April 1, a spokesperson for the Norfolk District Attorney's Office told Fox News Digital. The justice has not yet decided connected that matter, and the authorities Supreme Court is weighing whether 2 of the charges should beryllium dismissed if the lawsuit does spell backmost to proceedings – including the apical complaint of second-degree murder.

If the lawsuit does get a caller proceedings arsenic expected successful January, it volition beryllium led by a peculiar adjunct prosecutor, Hank Brennan, who erstwhile represented the mobster James "Whitey" Bulger, who has already begun trying to get unpublished records from Massachusetts reporters who person interviewed Read.

The plans could alteration again owed to a fig of risks that would harvest up successful a new trial, according to transgression defence lawyer David Gelman, who has been pursuing the case.

"You already had each these constabulary testify," Gelman said. "They are present gonna beryllium enactment successful a precise unwelcome position. They're gonna person to attest again, and if they accidental thing differently, past they're gonna perjure themselves. I wouldn't privation to beryllium successful that position."

Officer John O’Keefe was recovered dormant extracurricular a Massachusetts location successful January 2022. (Boston Police Department)

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Read, successful a caller circular of interviews, argues that she was framed by the existent killers, whom she believes are different members of instrumentality enforcement O'Keefe got into a combat with aft she dropped him disconnected astatine the location of chap Boston Police Officer Brian Albert. 

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Prosecutors, however, charged her with hitting her fellow with her SUV aft a drunken combat and leaving him to dice successful a snowstorm.

A lawyer holds a photograph of Karen Read and John O'Keefe successful tribunal connected June 10, 2022. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

His remains were discovered connected Albert's beforehand lawn.

According to Read, erstwhile she woke up astatine 6 a.m. aft a nighttime of drinking, she realized O'Keefe wasn't location and went retired to look for him. 

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Autopsy photos besides amusement what look to beryllium wounds from an carnal connected O'Keefe's close arm, which the defence argued were a suspicious item successful what prosecutors alleged was a vehicular homicide.

The defence for Karen Read holds up a poster committee containing accusation they assertion exonerates their lawsuit successful the execution of John O'Keefe. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

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Potentially much damning to the lawsuit was grounds from Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor.

Jurors were seen shaking their heads successful tribunal arsenic Read's defence squad work immoderate of his substance messages.

In them, helium called Read a "wack job," a "babe … with nary a--" and a "c---."

Karen Read arrives astatine Norfolk Superior Court for a proceeding to disregard execution charges against her. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

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He wrote that helium wished she would termination herself and joked astir looking for nude selfies portion searching her phone.

His cross-examination already turned disconnected 1 jury, Gelman said. A 2nd spell could bash the aforesaid thing, and if Proctor changes his communicative astatine all, the defence volition apt pounce.

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"I cannot perchance deliberation that they are going to enactment officers connected the stand who person already screwed this proceedings up," helium argued. "They are biased because, obviously, it's 1 of theirs who died. I tin understand, potentially, that they whitethorn person immoderate benignant of a bias successful this."

Hundreds of Karen Read supporters stitchery successful beforehand of Norfolk County Superior Court earlier 1 of her appearances. (Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)

But that's not an excuse for botching an probe with questionable ethics, helium said.

"They're paid to bash this job, and they person to bash it the close way," helium said. "But they went astir this precise unprofessionally."

Gelman predicts that the astir apt result is Read agrees to a plea deal. Otherwise, the lawsuit gets dismissed. And if it's dismissed with prejudice, that would beryllium the extremity of it.

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Brennan, for his part, appears acceptable to bash what he's been brought successful to do.

"I presume afloat work and each obligations for prosecuting this lawsuit and volition bash truthful meticulously, ethically and zealously, without compromise," helium told The Associated Press aft being named peculiar prosecutor.

"I person 2 halfway obligations. The archetypal is to marque definite that Karen Read receives a just trial... The 2nd is to guarantee that the facts surrounding John O’Keefe’s decease are afloat reasonably aired successful the courtroom without extracurricular influence."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.