Karen Read murder trial: Messy investigation in exposes problems with police work that public rarely sees, experts say

Jurors in the murder case against Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman accused of running down and killing her police officer boyfriend John O'Keefe in 2022, continue deliberations.

Jurors weighing the murder case against Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman accused of running down and killing her police officer boyfriend in 2022, ended the week without a verdict Friday, their fourth day of deliberations after a trial that included dozens of witnesses and allegations of botched detective work.

Read’s defense lawyers argued that the investigation was flawed, with undisclosed conflicts of interest, offensive text messages and a failure to consider alternative suspects. They’ve alleged a conspiracy among law enforcement officers to cover up the death of Boston police officer John O’Keefe at the hands of one of their own and frame Read in his killing.

Regardless of the trial’s outcome, legal experts said, the proceedings exposed an often-hidden side of law enforcement that can be rife with problems.

“One of the legacies of the Karen Read murder prosecution is that it puts a spotlight on some of the flaws and missteps in the police investigation,” said Daniel Medwed, a professor of law and criminal justice at Northeastern University and an expert on wrongful convictions.

“If there are missteps and sloppiness in a murder investigation involving the death of a police officer, what does that suggest about the process in a more run-of-the-mill case with a civilian victim?” he said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/karen-read-trial-john-okeefe-murder-investigation-rcna159517

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