Supreme Court won’t hear Karen Read’s challenge to second murder trial

The Supreme Court announced Monday it would not take up Karen Read’s challenge to her second murder trial over the death of her ex-boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe.

Ms. Read’s first murder trial in Massachusetts ended in a mistrial in July. Her attorneys say the retrial constitutes double jeopardy because the jury in her first trial agreed unanimously that she was not guilty of second-degree murder and a separate charge over leaving the scene of a collision where a death occurred. The jury was deadlocked on the third charge — manslaughter.

The jury’s complete findings were never announced because the panel declared itself hopelessly deadlocked. As a result, the decisions to acquit on some of the charges never became legally official.

Ms. Read argues that to make her face trial again on murder charges would constitute double jeopardy.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson previously denied her request to stay her second trial, which is currently underway.

The court’s move on Monday means the justices won’t weigh in on Ms. Read’s double jeopardy claim.

Her lawyers say they learned of the jury’s findings after a juror came forward with the information, which was later confirmed by others with inside information about the jury’s deliberations. They said the jury form was confusing.

Ms. Read was charged in June 2022 with three counts related to second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene of a collision resulting in a death.

Prosecutors allege that she killed O’Keefe by hitting him with her car and leaving him outside during a snowstorm in January 2024.