Murder suspect winks at cameras as she appears in court accused of running over her boyfriend
Karen Read has been described as the 'happiest murder defendant in history' as her lawyers claim she's been framed
A woman accused of killing her police officer boyfriend gave a wink to cameras as she arrived at court for her second-degree murder trial.
You can check out the eyebrow-raising moment below:
The trial gets underway
Karen Read's trial began on Tuesday (16 April), two years after the body of Boston PD officer John O’Keefe was found in the snow outside the home of a fellow officer in Canton, Massachusetts.
Read was charged and pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a collision following suspicions that she may have hit O'Keefe with her car.
Read's reaction sparks debate
The defence has argued that Read is being framed, but prosecutors believe Read and O'Keefe got into an argument on the night he died, leading to Read hitting him with her car.
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In spite of the accusations against her, Read appeared confident as she arrived at court, at one point smiling and giving a wink to cameras on the way in.
Her attitude has sparked criticism from some internet users, with one X user describing her as the 'happiest murder defendant in history'.
The night of the killing
The case comes down to a six-hour span before O'Keefe's body was discovered, and after he and Read were caught on surveillance footage drinking at two Canton bars and meeting up with friends in January 2022.
Court documents indicate the couple got into Read's SUV and drove to the home of the colleague for an after-party - which is when the story gets called into question.
Read has claimed she dropped O'Keefe off at the home before driving back to her boyfriend's house because she wasn't feeling well. She alleged she went to sleep, then became concerned when she woke up and realized he hadn't come home.
Read has claimed she called two friends, with whom she went looking for O'Keefe in the near white-out conditions. When Read spotted O'Keefe's body in the front yard of their friend's home, she rushed to perform CPR.
Conflicting arguments
The defence has expressed belief O'Keefe died after getting into an altercation with someone else in the home, with court documents pointing to a Google search made by the homeowner's sister-in-law.
According to the documents cited by CNN, a forensic search of the woman’s phone revealed a search for the phrase, 'Ho(w) long to die in cold' just hours before O’Keefe was found.
The sister-in-law has not been charged with a crime, with prosecutors insisting the search was made after O'Keefe's body was found.
Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey has dismissed claims that Read was framed by law enforcement agencies, saying in a statement: “These people were not part of a conspiracy and certainly did not commit murder or any crime that night.
"The idea that multiple police departments, EMTs, fire personnel, the medical examiner and prosecuting agencies are joining in … a vast conspiracy should be seen for what it is — completely contrary to the evidence and a desperate attempt to reassign guilt.”
The trial is set to continue in Norfolk County, south of Boston.
Emily Brown