Karen Read, a US woman charged with running over her police officer boyfriend and leaving him for dead in a snowbank, has been found not guilty of second-degree murder in a case that gripped true-crime fans nationwide.
The jury also found her not guilty of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and leaving the scene of the collision in January 2022. But she was convicted of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol (OUI).
Her July 2024 trial stemming from the death of Boston police officer John O’Keefe collapsed after the jury was unable to reach a verdict.
She again pleaded not guilty in the retrial, with her lawyers arguing she was being framed for Mr O’Keefe’s death.
As the verdict was read out, a loud cheer could be heard 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.
Outside court, Ms Read was greeted by loud cheers as she thanked supporters.
“No one has fought harder for justice for John O’Keefe than I have,” she said in a brief statement.
Prosecutors and Ms Read’s attorneys agreed to a one-year probation order for the intoxication charge. It means Ms Read will avoid prison time.
The crowd outside chanted “Free Karen Read” and made “I love you” signs. Some waved US flags and sang God Bless America.
Ms Read’s trial has generated intense public interest, spawning a TV show and upcoming Netflix documentary.
Her father, William Read, thanked “all the content providers who helped spread the word”.
Aidan “Turtleboy” Kearny, a blogger who has publicised the case, told NBC10 local news that the verdict was “a surreal emotional experience”.
“To finally hear those words: ‘not guilty’, I have been dreaming about this… It was a happy ending.”
Ms Read, 44, worked as an adjunct professor at Bentley University and an equity analyst at Fidelity Investments.
She and Mr O’Keefe were together for about two years before his 2022 death, but the latter part of the pair’s relationship was troubled, prosecutors argued.
Mr O’Keefe, who died at age 46, spent 16 years with the Boston Police Department.
