Karen Read retrial starts, Tuesday morning. We have you covered.

New to the Free Karen Read movement?

Apr 22, 2025

The retrial of Karen Read, accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend John O'Keefe in Canton, Massachusetts, will begin Tuesday at 9am in Dedham with opening statements expected from “Special” appointed Norfolk County Prosecutor Hank Brennan and defense trial attorney Alan Jackson.

Key recent developments since the last trial include:

Karen Read’s top-tier attorneys going pro bono for the retrial underlines their commitment to Karen Read’s innocence.

The local and national support for Karen Read's re-trial is even larger. Supporters have raised $871,000 for her defense fund, and several more fundraisers are scheduled for the next weeks.
Jury Selection Completed: A jury of nine men and nine women (18 total, including six alternates) was seated after a nearly three-week process, sifting through almost 600 candidates. The process was delayed, and many potential jurors were dismissed due to prior knowledge or bias about the high-profile case.
Opening Statements Scheduled: Opening statements are set for Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts. The trial will be broadcast live on The Young Jurks YouTube channel.
Prosecution Strategy: Special prosecutor Hank Brennan plans to use Read’s statements, including media interviews, against her, arguing they reflect her state of mind and narrative of events. Brennan has also filed motions to limit the defense’s ability to present a defense.
Defense Strategy and Challenges: Read’s defense team is focusing on the shoddiness of the initial investigation, with fired state trooper Michael Proctor likely to be a key figure. Brennan has tried to make hay with the defense's use of crash reconstruction firm ARCCA (who were initially hired by the FBI), questioning their independence. Brennan’s motion to exclude ARCCA’s testimony was denied as ARCCA filed their report with the Feds before having any contact with Karen Read or her defense team. It’s obvious why Brennan keeps harping on ARCCA. They are strong defense witnesses.
Read’s team added an alternate juror from the first trial to their legal team as well as legal trial attorney, Robert Alessi.
Karen Read supporters and some independent media members have faced court “free speech” restrictions due to buffer zones.

The first trial ended in a mistrial in July 2024 due to a hung jury.

Read faces charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating a vehicle under the influence, and leaving the scene of a fatal crash. She maintains her innocence, claiming she was framed.

Over the last 18 months, I’ve watched a lot of “Free Karen Read” channels. The list below is the ones that I’ve spent the most time with, beyond the hours logged on my channel, The Young Jurks. Several of these channels have also helped raise money for the defense funds of Karen Read and Aidan Kearney, aka Turtleboy. If you are interested in learning more about the Karen Read re-trial beyond the superficial surface level mainstream media, these channels are good places to start.