Karen Read found not guilty of murder of her police officer boyfriend

Karen Read, an American woman accused of killing her boyfriend in January 2022, has been found not guilty of second-degree murder.

The jury also found her not guilty of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and leaving the site of the collision. But she was convicted of driving while intoxicated.

A July 2024 trial stemming from the death of Boston police officer John O'Keefe collapsed after the jury could not reach a verdict on the charges against Ms Read.

She had pleaded not guilty to the charges, with her lawyers arguing that she was being framed for Mr O'Keefe's death.

As the verdict was read out, a loud cheer could be heard inside the courtroom from outside the Massachusetts courthouse where a large crowd had gathered, many wearing pink to show support for Ms Read. She hugged her defence attorneys and cried after the verdict was announced.

Prosecutors and Ms Read's attorneys agreed to a one-year probation sentence for the intoxication charge, typical for a first-time offender.

The crowd outside, chanted "Free Karen Read" and made "I love you" signs in American Sign Language. Some waved US flags. Supporters also sang God Bless America.

Mr O'Keefe's murder and Ms Read's trial have galvanised intense public interest spawning a hit show on Hulu and an upcoming Netflix documentary.

No one else has been identified as possibly responsible for the death of the police officer.

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