Crime

Juror in Karen Read trial speaks out. Will we hear from others?

In Massachusetts, jurors are not required to speak with anyone after a trial ends, though they may choose to do so.

By Abby Patkin

July 3, 2024

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Before Karen Read’s murder trial ended in a mistrial Monday, jurors reported they were at an impasse, “starkly divided” in their views on the evidence. Exactly what went on in those deliberations remains a mystery, as do the jurors’ identities. 

According to the Norfolk Superior Court clerk’s office, the names of the jurors who sat on Read’s trial will not be released, as the case ended in a mistrial. The state Supreme Judicial Court ruled in 2015 that the names of jurors in a criminal trial should be made public after they’ve rendered a verdict — something the hung jury in Read’s case never did. 

And as the Massachusetts Trial Juror’s Handbook points out, jurors are not required to speak with anyone after a trial ends, though they may choose to do so. The handbook warns jurors to “avoid revealing the names of other jurors, how any juror voted, or anything discussed during jury deliberations.”

So far, only one juror has spoken publicly about the case, opening up to WBZ in a brief off-camera interview. The woman, who reportedly asked to be called “Juror #3,” was an alternate juror who sat through more than eight weeks of testimony but did not participate in deliberations. 

She told WBZ she felt “exhausted” and “disappointed” following the mistrial declaration, explaining she sat in a quiet room for several days while other jurors pored over the evidence and weighed the charges. 

Read, 44, was charged in the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe. She pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter while driving under the influence, and leaving the scene of a fatal collision.

According to WBZ, Juror #3 said it was “painful” to watch the families of Read and O’Keefe throughout the process. She also said the jurors did puzzles and celebrated birthdays together over the course of the lengthy trial. 

“I approached this trial as if I was taking one of my graduate-level classes,” the juror said, according to WBZ. “I would get an A+ in note-taking.”

Notably, the woman also said she didn’t feel prosecutors had convinced her beyond a reasonable doubt that Read was guilty of the charges, WBZ reported. 

The Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office has announced its plans to retry the case against Read, and Judge Beverly Cannone set a status conference for 2 p.m. on July 22 to discuss next steps. 

Hear more from WBZ’s interview with Juror #3: