A police officer found dead in a snowbank. His girlfriend accused of running him over. A town divided — and the internet obsessed.
The case of Karen Read, charged with second-degree murder in the 2022 death of Boston police officer John O’Keefe, has become one of the most talked-about true-crime stories in the country. With layers of mystery, conflicting evidence, and allegations of a police cover-up, it has all the ingredients of a gripping courtroom drama — and a digital-age obsession.
The Night Everything Changed
It was a snowy January night in Canton, Massachusetts, when Officer O’Keefe was found unresponsive outside a fellow officer’s home. He later died from his injuries. His girlfriend, Karen Read, a finance professor, claimed she dropped him off at the house for a party — and never saw him again.
But prosecutors allege she backed into him with her SUV during a fight, then fled. The defense paints a very different picture — suggesting O’Keefe was assaulted inside the house and left to die, while authorities scrambled to protect their own.
Trial, TikTok, and Public Spectacle
As Read’s trial unfolds, so does a media frenzy. True-crime forums, Reddit threads, and TikTok sleuths have dissected every detail — from GPS data to broken taillights to questionable witness statements. Protesters outside the courthouse chant “Free Karen Read,” while others demand justice for the fallen officer.
What makes the case so addictive? It’s the perfect storm of tragedy, scandal, and suspicion — with the added twist of institutional trust on the line. Is this a case of a woman scorned? Or a system covering up for its own?
As the trial continues, one thing is clear: America loves a mystery — especially when the truth is still buried under the snow.
