"Free Karen Read" supporters hold demonstrations in Massachusetts and other locations around country
DEDHAM – As cars passed by Legacy Place in Dedham Monday morning, about 75 people cheered on the corner, with signs that read "Free Karen Read."
"Free Karen Read" standouts
"Standouts" in support of Karen Read are not new – but with the Labor Day organized standout, her supporters aimed to make it the biggest ever, with groups gathering as far as more than 40 Massachusetts towns, Florida and even Spain.
Read is accused of intentionally killing her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, by hitting him with her car after a night of drinking in 2022. Read's trial ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury in July. Prosecutors from the Norfolk County DA's office have vowed to retry Read in a second trial scheduled for January 2025.
Why are Karen Read supporters holding demonstrations?
Read's supporters believe she is innocent and has been framed as a part of a coverup involving multiple police agencies.
They all have a similar message about what connects them to her case.
"It could be any of us that this happens to," Jay Carney of Canton said.
"Karen Read could be you, could be me, could be our children, our daughters," said Beatrice Edmunds of Dracut. "Because they tried to frame her for something she didn't do, and she had the courage to stand up and to fight."
Karen Read poses with supporters
Karen Read stopped by the Dedham location Monday to greet supporters, posing for pictures and thanking them for being there.
Supporters said they want to keep Read's story public in the hopes of "exposing corruption" they feel is rampant among the police who investigated the death of John O'Keefe.
O'Keefe's family has said they believe Read is guilty in his death.
Connections to Sandra Birchmore case
Members of the crowds Monday told WBZ-TV they are reinvigorated by a recent federal indictment in a different Massachusetts case. Last week, acting US Attorney Joshua Levy announced a federal indictment against a former Stoughton police officer accused of murdering pregnant Sandra Birchmore and staging it as a suicide.
Courtroom testimony in Read's trial confirmed that a federal grand jury was convened as a part of an investigation into O'Keefe's death.
Read's supporters said they believe federal investigators will intervene before Read's second trial.
"I personally believe, and I have no receipts – just my police instincts," said one supporter, a former Canton police officer. "I personally think [the feds] are going to come in before [her second trial]. And I think they should."
When asked multiple times to confirm an investigation into John O'Keefe's death, or what the investigation entails, U.S. Attorney Levy has declined to comment.