The US murder trial of Karen Read was declared “mistrial” by a Massachusetts judge after jurors failed to come to a decision despite 26 hours of deliberation.
In this case, the court issued Tuey-Rodriguez instructions, described as “dynamite” instructions that can blow apart juries deadlocked in Massachusetts, according to Washington Post.
Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey’s office said they will retry the case just moments after Judge Beverly J Cannone declared a mistrial.
“The Commonwealth intends to re-try the case,” prosecutors said. “First, we thank the O’Keefe family for their commitment and dedication to this long process. They maintained sight of the true core of this case — to find justice for John O’Keefe.” AP reported.
According to prosecutors, Karen Read was drunk when she ran her boyfriend who is a police officer over with her car and left him there in January 2022. They said she hit him with her SUV before driving away.
While attorneys for the defence sought mercy for Keefe’s death, prosecuting lawyers labelled her as the offender in this case. The Washington Post noted that defence said Keefe had been killed inside Albert’s house and dragged outside where he was dumped to die later on.
Further they argued that detectives concentrated on Read due to her being an outsider who helped them avoid considering other suspects such as Albert or any other person from law enforcement at that party.
“They failed,” defense attorney Alan Jackson replied when the prosecutors announced they would retry. “They failed miserably, and they’ll continue to fail… No matter how long it takes, no matter how long they keep trying, we will not stop fighting,” AP reported..
The two-month trial focused on police procedure and relationship between those involved. Law enforcement officials admitted using red plastic cups while collecting blood samples and even using leaf blowers to clear snow so that evidence could be found. The primary investigator also confessed to sending inappropriate messages about Read from his mobile phone.
Karen Read was charged with second-degree murder, a crime that can be punished by life imprisonment with parole in Massachusetts. She was also charged with lesser but additional offenses, including DUI manslaughter which carries a sentence of five to twenty years and leaving the scene of an accident causing death which could lead to ten years’ imprisonment.
