‘Not guilty’: Mass. state rep. voices support for Karen Read

A state representative from Cambridge took a break from the legislative docket today to show his support for Karen Read, the Mansfield woman accused of drunkenly and intentionally killing her boyfriend, a Boston police officer.

“Free Karen Read!,” state Representative Mike Connolly posted on X Tuesday, along with a picture with a gaggle of supporters outside the Massachusetts State House. “Justice for John!”

Connolly, a Democrat and democratic socialist representing Somerville and Cambridge, posed with the group of about a dozen supporters holding signs like, “Bring in the feds,” “Healey take action now,” “Free Karen Read,” and “Things you shouldn’t (frame): Innocent people.”

Read, 44, was charged with the murder of John O’Keefe, who was found unresponsive outside another Boston officer’s Canton home in the snow in January of 2022. Her defense claimed she was framed in a cover-up, and the high-profile murder case ended in a mistrial earlier this month. 

Read’s second trial has been scheduled for January, where she will face the same charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. 

Since the mistrial, Read’s lawyers have tried to get two of the three charges dismissed, claiming the deadlocked jury unanimously reached a “not guilty” decision on both second degree murder and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

Read and her team will be back in court in August for oral arguments on their motion to dismiss those two charges against her.

“I followed the trial very closely; I’m a big fan of Jackson and Yannetti,” Connolly wrote, referring to Read’s legal team, “and I would have voted not guilty on all charges.”

Connolly did not reply to a request for comment Tuesday.