Karen Read, charged twice in the death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, has opened up about her ongoing legal battle, strained personal life, and unyielding quest for justice in an interview with *Vanity Fair*. Speaking to reporter Julie Miller, who was granted unrestricted access, Read shared insights into her life since O’Keefe’s death and the impact of her highly publicized case.
In what Vanity Fair described as a series of candid, in-home interviews, Read, 44, invited Miller to her former Mansfield residence in August. Read opened up about her relationship with O’Keefe, her pending retrial, and the toll her legal battles have taken. Miller reported that Read, who has been staying with family and friends, chose her previous home as the setting for the interviews. She was joined by a volunteer security guard, described by Miller as someone “who looks like John Cena and has a license to carry.”
Facing an uncertain future, Read has prepared for the possibility of another arrest, keeping a Ziploc “go bag” on hand with essentials: Advil, melatonin, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a hairbrush, lipstick, and foundation, as well as her lawyer’s phone number.
“I’m not backing down now,” Read told Vanity Fair, despite the looming prospect of a life sentence if convicted. According to Read, she won’t entertain the idea of a plea deal, even under the risk of severe penalties. “As scary as a potential conviction is, I will go to jail for something I didn’t do before I plea out. I will never give them that win.”
Read, a former Fidelity Investments analyst and Bentley University finance professor, has assembled a team of criminal defense attorneys, but the cost of her legal defense has been steep. She has sold her home to offset expenses and is now living off the remains of her 401(k), accruing more than $5 million in legal fees. “If I can get the entire truth of this case out in the public forum, that, to me, is priceless,” she said.
At the core of her defense are allegations that O’Keefe, her boyfriend of two years, was the victim of a violent cover-up involving other Boston police officers. Prosecutors argue that Read deliberately ran him over in her SUV after an evening out on January 29, 2022, a claim her defense refutes, asserting that O’Keefe was beaten by others. In July, her case resulted in a mistrial, and her legal team has appealed to Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court to dismiss two of the charges ahead of a scheduled retrial in January.
Reflecting on her relationship with O’Keefe, Read described challenges in their dynamic, with disagreements over his role as a disciplinarian for his niece and nephew, who lived with him. According to Read, O’Keefe struggled to mourn his late sister, the children’s mother, and remained hesitant about seeking therapy. “I think that’s part of his stock,” Read told Vanity Fair, “this Irish Catholic, south-of-Boston, rub-some-dirt-on-it, drink-through-your-problems mindset.”
In detailing the night of O’Keefe’s death, Read recalled attending a gathering at the Waterfall Bar & Grille in Canton, after which she and O’Keefe joined others at an afterparty. Feeling uneasy upon arrival, she sent O’Keefe inside, only to leave after he didn’t return. She admitted to a fleeting thought that he might be “screwing around,” explaining, “I didn’t think he was physically incapacitated.” She left him multiple voicemails before heading home.
Prosecutors, who highlight Read’s flirty exchanges with O’Keefe’s acquaintance Brian Higgins, argue that these interactions hint at motives for the crime. In response, Read openly admitted to seeking validation from Higgins. “I knew Higgins found me attractive,” she said, “It helped me emotionally validate myself, which is embarrassing to admit.”
Amid the stress of her case, Read has remained steadfast about her innocence. Addressing rumors that she implicated herself in texts, she explained to Vanity Fair that she and her attorney, David Yannetti, only began communicating after police seized her phone. She said she initially told her parents, “If I did anything in any way, I’ll pay my dues. That’s how this should work. I want to know the truth — good, bad, ugly.”
Read’s retrial is set to bring her story back into the public eye, with high stakes and public scrutiny on both her legal and personal lives.
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