Karen Read, accused of killing her Boston Police officer boyfriend, is eager for the day when she wonât have to visit a courtroom or wear a suit. Before she returns to the courtroom next month, a new documentary series is giving her the opportunity to tell the American public her side of what happened the night her boyfriend, Boston police officer John OâKeefe, died in January 2022.
The Massachusetts woman is speaking out in an Investigation Discovery (ID) docuseries,
A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read. The series offers a behind-the-scenes look at Read and her legal team as they attempt to prove her innocence in her 2024 trial. It features a lengthy sit-down with Read and other key voices, including those skeptical of her claims.
âDoing this film is my testimony,â Read says in
A Body in the Snow. âI know the events of that morning, I know what I said and I didn't say, and I haven't been able to say it. It's incredibly frustrating. I want to say what happened exactly as it happened.â
A gripping new docuseries,
A Body in the Snow, has reignited debate over one of Massachusetts' most controversial murder cases. Released less than a month before her retrial begins in April 2025, the series examines the case against Read, who stands accused of killing Boston Police Officer John OâKeefe. Prosecutors argue Read struck OâKeefe with her SUV and left him to die in the snow, while the defense claims she was framed by law enforcement insiders protecting their own.
The Night That Changed Everything
The first episode lays out the night of January 28, 2022, when Read and OâKeefe were out drinking before heading to fellow officer Brian Albertâs house. Read insists she dropped OâKeefe off but never hit him. âI did not drive my car into John. I didnât reverse it. Did not hit John with my car,â she states unequivocally.
When asked if there was any possibility his death was an accident, she doesnât hesitate: âThere is zero chance this was an accident. There was zero chance John was hit by a vehicle.â
Hours later, OâKeefeâs body was found outside Albertâs home, covered in snow with skull fractures, bruises, and claw-like marks. The prosecution claimed she ran him over and left, playing a voicemail from that night where an intoxicated Read slurred, âJohn, I f--king hate you! Youâre a f--king pervert.â
Read faces charges of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. If convicted, she could receive a life sentence, with additional penalties for manslaughter and fleeing the scene.
A Chilling Accusation
The docuseries also delves into the day after OâKeefeâs death, when Read visited his family. She remembers a moment that changed everything. Johnâs brother, Paul OâKeefe, described Johnâs injuries to her: âMy brother looked like he went five rounds with Tyson.â
Then, Johnâs mother, Peggy OâKeefe, leaned over the kitchen island and coldly stated, âI think he looks like he got hit by a car. He looks like he got hit by a car.â
That moment set off alarm bells. Readâs brother, Nathan, who was also present, noticed a shift. âAfter a couple of minutes, Paulâs cell phone rang, and he left the room. The way he looked at Karen when he came back in that room, it was like time stopped,â Nathan recalls. âOxygen left the room at that point, and there were some serious looks of guilt thrown at Karen and subsequently at my father and I.â
Read immediately realized she wasnât welcome. âI could read the room, and I was not wanted there. I looked at my dad and said, âI gotta get out of here. They think I did this.ââ
The Cover-Up Theory
Readâs legal team alleges that OâKeefe was beaten inside the house and later dumped outside. They point to a deleted Google search from within Albertâs home that read, âHo[w] long to die in cold?â three hours before OâKeefe was found.
âThere is no doubt that someone at 34 Fairview Road knows exactly what happened to John OâKeefe,â said Readâs attorney, David Yannetti. âBut instead of investigating, they went straight for the easiest scapegoatâKaren.â
Then there were the text messages from lead investigator Michael Proctor, who referred to Read as a âwack job,â said he wished she would kill herself, and joked about searching her phone for nude photos. He was later suspended, but the damage was done.
A Trial That Became a Media Frenzy
Director Terry Dunn Meurer, who embedded with Readâs defense team for 11 weeks, told
Fox News Digital that one moment stood out to her during filming. âKaren was looking at her computer,â Meurer recalled. âSheâs looking at the video of the last evening before John OâKeefe died. She goes, âOh, poor John. Heâs not with us anymore. I used to feel sad when I would look at this. But now ⌠Iâve got to save myself.ââ
Meurer insisted that Read and her legal team had no control over the final product of the series. While the series includes interviews with some of OâKeefeâs friends, his family and the prosecution declined to participate.
The Mistrial and Whatâs Next
After nine weeks of testimony, the jury deadlocked, leading to a mistrial in July 2024. Readâs retrial is set to begin on April 1, 2025. Meanwhile, Paul OâKeefe has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her, which has been delayed until after the retrial.
In an October 2024
Vanity Fair interview, Read addressed the accusations from OâKeefeâs family: âPaul and Peg, if you think I killed John, that means you misjudged me for two years and entrusted two young family members in my care. Then in the blink of an eye, you now think Iâm a cold-blooded killer who took away your son?â
Meurer remains doubtful that the full truth will ever come out. âWe have bits and pieces and varying stories and versions of stories that have emerged,â she said. âAlcohol played a huge role that nightâKaren, John, the witnessesâeveryone.â
Read, who never testified in her first trial, uses the series as a way to speak publicly for the first time. âI just want to go away and be alone, I donât want any more court clothes or any more experts,â she says at the beginning of the final episode. âI just want to be done.â
Where to Watch
Episodes 1 and 2 of
A Body in the Snow: The Karen Read Trial are currently streaming on MAX. Episodes 3 and 4 premiered on Investigation Discovery and MAX on Tuesday, March 18-last night.
With Readâs retrial looming, the docuseries shines a new light on a case that has divided opinions across the country. Whether sheâs a murderer or a scapegoat remains the question that will soon be answered.
#KarenRead #JohnOKeefe #TrueCrime #Corruption
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