20/20 - Karen Read: The Perfect Storm

Episode Date: September 7, 2024

Karen Read speaks out about her trial; exclusive personal video; family members remember Boston police officer John O'Keefe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Karen Reed, hers is the hot crime name of the summer. Millions of people following her story. Did she kill her boyfriend, a Boston police officer, or was she framed? You'll see her full interview right here in all new 2020. Starts right now. Karen, are you ready for today? Karen, how are you feeling today? Do you believe you'll get a fair trial?

Karen Reed, indicted for second degree murder in the death of officer John O'Keefe. This is how it just ended with a media storm. Free Karen Reid! Protest for Karen Reid right there. But it started with a real storm. I was worried he might have gotten hit by a plow. That was my first thought. It's the only explanation I could think of for why John just disappeared into thin air.

And now the woman at the center of it is speaking out fully for the first time. And I said, he's right there. 007 His eyes were shut, and he had spots of blood in different areas on his face. I remember pounding on my dresser and just literally screaming, like,

not John, over and over. Is it possible that you hit him with the back of your car and just didn't realize it? I said, this guy didn't get hit by a car. John O'Keefe was murdered, no question. He died at the hands of another person. Nobody could have imagined what was about to happen next. There are people that know exactly what happened to John O'Keefe, and they aren't talking.

The whole story hinges on how he got here. Did you kill John O'Keefe? A snow emergency has been declared and the Boston residents need to be prepared for this one. This is likely to be an intense, dangerous storm with heavy snow, high winds and white out conditions. Temperatures will be dropping down into the single digits and below zero with the wind chills. We're talking about treacherous conditions, dangerous, sometimes life-threatening conditions here in Boston. The best thing you can do is stay inside.

do is stay inside. You ask any Bostonian and they have a story they can tell you about a blizzard. But the blizzard of 2022 was a pretty epic one. By the time it was over, it would make the record books. But the story of what unfolded in the nearby suburb of Canton, Massachusetts

that January night would also be one for the ages. A murder that continues to tear apart an entire town. His body was found in a snowbank in Canton. His body discovered in a pile of snow. Trees, including skull fractures and signs of hypothermia. The question is, how did this happen? Who is responsible? hypothermia. The question is how did this happen? Who is responsible? It begins in the middle of the night with the blizzard raging and Karen Reid says she wakes up to find her boyfriend John O'Keefe not at home. Now despite

that storm they've been out together with friends at bars and she says she went home first he stayed out so she starts anxiously calling the friends they'd been out with just a few hours earlier. I called a few of his buddies, their wives. I knew something was wrong. One of her first calls is to Jennifer McCabe, part of that group. When the bar closed, Jennifer and others had gone

to have drinks at a nearby house on Fairview Road. But Karen says she didn't feel like staying out. So she says she dropped off John outside the house and continued back to his place. I said, Jen, John didn't come home. Now Karen Reed appears to be in a full panic. So I said, well, then I don't know where he is. And I said, I'm going to go back to the bars. Like maybe they let people back in after hours.

Her next call is to John's friend, Carrie Roberts, who lives nearby. Now, she wasn't at the after party or with anybody who was, but maybe she's heard from him. She hasn't. Carrie Roberts makes a call to the local hospital, to the police department, trying to see if anything happened to John that night. Hi, my name is Carrie. I'm calling because my friend's boyfriend did not to John that night. He has not been admitted to a hospital, and he has not been involved in any accidents.

Not a single person says they've seen John since he left the bar. You were going to canv canvas the rest of the neighborhood? Yeah, just going to drive around in the two square miles that we spent the preceding night. Now I have an immense sense of dread, like a fright in me that I have not experienced before. So you're driving around, do you expect to see him like lying on the street drunk? Yeah, yeah. Or passed out? I was worried he might have gotten hit by a plow. That was my first thought. It's the only explanation I could think of for why John just disappeared into thin air. He's not where I thought he was and nobody

has seen him. The only other vehicles on the road are plows. This is 90.9 WBUR. It is 24 degrees in Boston, and there will be near whiteout conditions at times. I go back by the bars. I drive around. After about 20 minutes of driving around, I go to get Jen. She gets to Jennifer McCabe's.

Kerry Roberts shows up, and they decide together, let's go back to John's. You can see this moment captured on one of John's home security cameras. The three women head inside to see if John has come home. So now it's 536, still pitch black outside, and we spent about 10 minutes at John's. The three women are now taking this harrowing ride

around town in the blizzard conditions. They're searching for John, screaming his name. Karen is in the backseat. Now, she's frantically texting more people. But again, no one says they've heard from John. Now, the women decide to go back to Fairview Road, where Karen says she last saw John, dropping him off for the after party. As you come down Fairview, there's a bit of a decline,

and it curves to the left, and my eyes are peeled. And I said, he's right there. I jumped out the passenger side, and I fell into the street. His eyes were shut, and he had spots of blood in different areas on his face, and he was still.

Not stiff, but still. It was cold. I felt cold, but I didn't feel dangerously cold and it was just an odd feeling to know that i'm okay i'm not dying but he's here with me and he's dying and i can't warm him up i don't know where are the blankets i don't see blankets, Terry. 911, what's your emergency? There's a man passed out in the snow. No, he's just dead. I don't know. Hello? The officers arrive to three females on the scene, and John is laying on his back.

He's got injuries to his face. He had two black eyes. He's cold to the touch. He's not dressed in appropriate clothing for the temperature. He's wearing a long-sleeve t-shirt and he's actually missing one of his shoes. By all accounts, Karen is inconsolable. She's yelling, she's screaming, she's crying. I had called my father. He didn't answer and I texted him, John is dead. I didn't know for sure that John was dead but I'm trying to elicit a response and I thought John could be dead and He called me back and I was distraught and I said I don't want to live. I mean I wasn't I

Didn't have any ideation of harming myself I just I've never dealt the grief of this magnitude and I just felt out of, out of my skin. So my father called the police. They put me in a psychiatric hold. They took my phone, they took my clothes, they wouldn't let me speak to anyone. And then sometime later, about mid-morning, I saw John's parents and brother pass in the ER and all go into the door, two doors down. But despite medical personnel working on John, his injuries and his exposure to the cold are just too much. He's pronounced dead.

I remember pounding on my dresser and just like literally screaming like, not John, over and over. and just like literally screaming like, not John, over and over. John O'Keefe's tragic death stunts not only his family and friends, but an entire community, because John was one of Boston's finest Boston PD. And the lawn of the house where he was found is the home of another Boston police officer.

This investigation is about to explode. What was supposed to be a night of fun and drinks and hunkering down with friends before a blizzard turns into a tragedy. Officer John O'Keefe is mysteriously dead after being found outside during the blizzard. John O'Keefe, a 16-year veteran of the department, was killed this past weekend during that powerful nor'easter. It's not clear how he died.

His body discovered outside the Canton home of a fellow officer. There's always Johnny's dream to become a Boston fellow officer. There's always Johnny's dream to become a Boston police officer. While other people were trying to figure out where they belonged in the world, he knew he wanted to be a cop. His grandfather was a cop. It was kind of in his DNA. There was never an ounce of fear with that job from him.

We grew up in Braintree, which is middle class, a Boston suburb, heavy Irish, heavy Italian, and Johnny was both. John is the middle child of three. His sister Kristen is just 22 months older and his brother Paul several years younger. They were kind of your prototypical middle-class branchery family. Always a lot of stuff going on at the house. His mother is an unbelievable cook, mainly Italian. His dad is a very solid, consistent, funny guy. The O'Keeffe is one branch of this very large family tree. What were they like? Incredible family. Any given Sunday they

would call my parents up and say we're bringing up a bucket of chicken and we're coming over to use your pool and it was great they were great. Johnny and I grew up on the same street. We were in Little League together elementary school all the way through high school and went to proms and homecoming together and he was in my wedding party. I met Johnny in college. The very first day of school we met and best friends ever since. They both shared a love for their Boston sports teams,

the New England Patriots and of course, the Red Sox. Opening day was a religious day for him. He went every year, every year. I was just, it's one of his favorite days. I dated Johnny early 2000s and stayed friends for over 20 years. We were just important in each other's lives, always. He was just a natural caring protector kind of person. And when John becomes an uncle, he becomes this protector to his nieces and nephew as well. He slid right into that cool uncle role.

Uncle Johnny was always there, whether sporting events or First Communions or just family gatherings. They were a large part of who he was. But in 2013, the O'Keeffe family gets devastating news when John's older sister, Kristen, is diagnosed with cancer. Kristen was diagnosed with a very aggressive brain tumor. Johnny was there day one. He took her to all of her treatments. He was unbelievable, making sure

that the kids were taken care of. It's just a little over five months from the time that it was diagnosed, till Kristen passed. That was a huge loss. When she passed, he lost a part of himself. Johnny immediately decided that he was going to move in with Kristen's husband Steve to help him and kind of do a my two dads thing, he called it. And then unfortunately and almost unbelievably, Steve passed away almost exactly two months after Kristen did.

Johnny's niece was six, and Johnny's nephew was three. It wasn't even a question. Johnny was going to step in and raise those kids. He was about to become a single parent overnight. In a very short amount of time, John loses his sister, his brother-in-law. He takes in their kids. How was he able to handle all of this?

He had a big support system between family and a lot of people, and Canton helped him out. And emotionally, how did he do it? I guess he just knew he had to. His life didn't stop. He was always doing something. And the kids came first. By 2020, John is a single dad, a cop, raising two kids in the middle of a global pandemic.

And that's when he reconnects with someone from his past, Karen Reed, who he briefly dated many years earlier. How did you meet John O'Keefe? I met John in 2004, February, at his sister's 30th birthday party. So what drew you to him? I mean, what did you like about him? in 2004, February, at his sister's 30th birthday party. And so what drew you to him? I mean, what did you like about him? I thought he was handsome and he was sweet. And I mean, I was 24, so that's, that was about the criteria at the time.

It just came and went and didn't speak to him again. Not intentionally, just wasn't serious. But now more than 15 years later, Karen is living in the Boston area with a career as a financial analyst and an adjunct professor teaching finance. And she sees a message from John on Facebook. When I saw his picture, it was with several young children. And then it triggered my memory that his sister and his sister's husband had passed away. And he told me, yeah, I have the kids now. I thought that was amazing.

And he said they're 9 and 12. Three days later, he came over and I cooked. And it was like very natural. How serious did things get that second round? Pretty serious. Very fast. The second week, he said, do you want to come you know meet the crew meet his niece and nephew I was happy to go was there talk of marriage

no no did you want that I would have considered it strongly for John, but it's not ever been something that I've aspired to. We are expecting as much as 18 to 24 inches of snow and 40 to 50 mile per hour winds. I think everyone knows that whatever you're going to do that weekend is going to get canceled. A snow emergency has been declared. A lot of people take that opportunity. Okay, I'll go out tonight. Tomorrow everybody's going to do that weekend is going to get canceled. A snow emergency has been declared. A lot of people take that opportunity. I'll go out tonight. Tomorrow, everybody's going to be shut down.

City officials say this would be a blockbuster event. John makes plans to meet with a friend on the main drag in Canton, just about a mile from his house. His nephew is at a sleepover that night, and his teenage niece is at home. Early in the evening, John O'Keefe goes out with a buddy down to C.F. McCarthy's, and Karen decides to meet him there. Now, John didn't drive there. John got a ride from his friend,

so he was telling Karen that he was gonna need a ride. I ended up leaving my house to join John in Canton at 8.30. So you met him for drinks. Yep. How did the night go? It was fine. I i walked in he was with three other fellas i got there a little after nine and he gave me a hug they stay at cf mccarthy's

for a while and then decide to go meet some more friends over at the waterfall bar and grill which is just across the street and down. It's a two-minute walk. So who was there when you got there? There was a table of people right away. At the table are members of a couple of families who have deep ties to the town, the Alberts and McCaves. We've got Chris Albert, who used to live down the street from John. Also at the table, Brian Albert, Chris's brother, who, like John, is a Boston police officer. He's actually the leader of an elite squad tasked with catching dangerous criminals.

He even helped solve the infamous Boston Strangler case. We said hi to a bunch of people. We stayed there for about 90 minutes. There's video, so you can kind of see what's happening. And it looks like a typical night. People are snuggling up around a bar. They're drinking, they're goofing around a little bit. Karen said she'd only met Brian Albert once before, but she said she felt like John really wanted to make good impressions on the Alberts. Brian Albert, whose home is about five minutes away, invites everyone over for an after party. Now there's already a party with some young adults taking place at his house because

it's Brian Jr.'s birthday. So they all gather up and head out. Also heading out with the group is Brian Albert's wife, Nicole, and her sister, Jennifer McCabe, who John had known for years. And there was Brian Higgins, an ATF agent who was also friends with the Alberts. Shortly after midnight, security cameras showed John walk out of the waterfall bar and into the snowy night. John has a cocktail glass in his hand. Seconds later, the two get into Karen's black SUV, and they drive away.

A mere eight hours later, John O'Keefe will be dead. I got a call from the mutual friend that we grew up with. They said, Johnny's dead. Brennan called me. Of course, he told me the news. And I can't even explain it. Can't even explain the feeling, right? I remember pounding on my dresser and just like literally screaming like not John not after what that family's been through and how much those kids need him what was it like

getting that news it's awful it's like a bad dream hmm I was released from the hospital at noon. My father and my brother and sister-in-law came to pick me up. And I said, Dad, I have to go see the kids. I just can't imagine what they're going through. I just want to hug them. They all head to John's house where his family has now gathered. Her car still in the driveway. And that's when Karen says she stops to show her dad her cracked taillight.

Something she says she had noticed earlier that morning when searching for she stops to show her dad her cracked taillight, something she says she had noticed earlier that morning when searching for John with Jennifer and Carrie. I showed my dad my light. It was cracked. And he said, I just want to make sure the light is operational. I'm not going to put your car back on the road if I know it's impaired in any way. So we go into the house.

John's nephew was not home from his sleep over here but john's parents paul his brother and his niece were there karen says john's mother seemed to keep her distance they had pulled into the driveway before me so i was presuming she saw my cracked taillight and was thinking did you hit my son i could sense from her that she was looking at me very warily. And then when John's nephew came home, I just wanted to see him and squeeze him and hug him. It was quite uncomfortable. I said, Dad, come upstairs to the master bedroom.

And I said, I think I need to leave. I said, I think John's mother thinks I did something to John. At what point on Saturday the 29th did you have the wherewithal to think, maybe I need an attorney? As soon as I interacted with John's mother at John's house, when we were driving home, I said to my father, I've got to get an attorney.

That's a smart move to get legal advice under those circumstances. She had hired an attorney. That's a smart move to get legal advice under those circumstances. She had hired an attorney. That was it. No more contact, which I find odd. What did the family do then? Well, it was a blizzard. We couldn't do anything.

We couldn't do anything. We couldn't be together. We couldn't go anywhere. Until like the day after. I went to Peggy's or Johnny's house and just to be with her and Uncle John and a few of his friends and just to be with her. We just sat around and talked and laughed and cried. And you're now with a mother who lost two children in the space of a couple of years.

Yes. And she's strong as steel. Meanwhile, an investigation is underway. Now, the Massachusetts State Police come in. In this case, the state police completely take over the case because the Canton Police Department doesn't want the appearance of a conflict of interest. There's literally a blizzard hitting Canton, Massachusetts on top of this crime scene. This becomes a huge challenge for investigators. Unfortunately, in this situation, the crime scene that you arrive on

is not the same crime scene that's going to exist 30 minutes later because it's snowing, and it's windy, and it's cold. So the evidence is changing. And you're trying to do this as quickly as you can, but you also don't want to miss steps because you're rushing so it's definitely a race against the clock there are plows that are going by and in situations like that you kind of have to just go with what you

think is going to work best for the situation they bring out a leaf blower, and they're trying to blow the snow to uncover whatever evidence might be beneath the snowfall. According to police reports, what investigators initially preserved at the scene are six samples of what appears to be blood and a broken cocktail glass. Remember, according to the security footage, when John O'Keefe walks out of the Waterfall Bar, he's got a cocktail glass in his hand that afternoon the lead detective on the case trooper Michael Proctor and his colleague from the Massachusetts State Police pay a visit to Karen at her parents house they see her car parked there and describe

that broken taillight in their official police report is shattered when the troopers came to my house now I, I know I haven't done anything, but they said, we're just trying to help find out what happened to John. If you care about John, you need to help us piece together his final moments. And I answered their questions.

Karen appears very forthcoming. She says they had an argument earlier in the morning about what she fed his niece for breakfast. She admits that she was drinking that night and was operating a motor vehicle. She tells officers that they go out drinking. She says that she and John drove to the Alberts' house. She tells officers that she had what she

referred to as stomach issues. So she said that she decided to call it a night and go home. After the detectives interview Karen, they seize her car and they tow it they then process the vehicle for evidence they noticed that the rear right side taillight is broken and there's missing pieces of the red and clear plastic that should have been on top of it there were shards of glass that were in the bumper of the vehicle. The medical examiner is searching John's body for clues.

The medical examiner ruled that John's cause of death was from an injury he sustained from blunt force trauma and then hypothermia. This was a combined effect of multiple skull fractures, swelling and bleeding inside his brain, and also the cold. Later in the day that John died, multiple skull fractures, swelling and bleeding inside his brain, and also the cold. Later in the day that John died, investigators at the scene report finding pieces of red plastic taillight and a clear piece of plastic at the scene, pieces that appeared to match the missing pieces from Karen Reed's SUV. And days later, once the snow begins to melt, authorities say they find

additional pieces on the scene. So just how was that taillight broken? I said, I think I'm going to get arrested. On I Was Prey, the podcast, listen to the life or death experiences of people who have survived animal attacks, natural disasters, and deadly parasites alike. Hear how a triathlete is attacked by a shark while training and manages to escape after being pulled underwater. And how a hiker in Alaska survives a 1,000-pound moose attack after the animal crushes her limbs. I Was Prey features audio from hit shows like This Came Out of Me, Nature's Deadliest, and Still Alive, and Monsters Inside Me. Listen to I Was Prey wherever you get your podcasts. Wake was large, very large.

Everybody wanted to be there at that moment. It was a long day. Pretty unbelievable day. It was one of those days that just chills you to the bone. The wind was making the flag blow, but it wasn't making a sound. There was just something so surreal, so eerie about it all. Everything stopped for the police procession.

Somebody referred to it as a blue column. Countless police officers i mean hundreds um in a line of two came down the aisle we all just paused i could hear a pen drop and the funeral the next day was that was rough too. A number of us were asked to be pallbearers and what stands out the most is we were standing inside the church. And you could hear Amazing Grace on the bagpipe. And they said they were going to give us a notification when the hearse arrived. And the moment that will never leave my brain is when we opened up the doors to that church. There were 50 bagpipers.

There were rows and rows and rows of police officers. It was like nothing I've ever seen before. The priest who said Johnny's funeral mass grew up with Johnny. Sadly, the priest at John's funeral mass. Grew up with Johnny. Sadly, the priest at John's funeral had presided over his sister Kristen's funeral mass as well. He acknowledged that a lot of us in the crowd were familiar, that he spoke about the pain in the room, that this family had been through too much

and lost too much already. And then Paul got up. He was brave. He gave a beautiful eulogy. He made everyone laugh, you know, talking about, like, Johnny's personality. He spoke about how Johnny never left Christy's side during her battle with cancer. about how Johnny Neff never left Christy's side during her battle with cancer. And

praised him for taking care of the kids the way he did. And then the last line of his eulogy was, we'll take it from here. And that was John's last line of his eulogy nine years prior on the same altar when Christy died. It's unfathomable, you know? While John's family and friends were making plans to honor his memory, police have been busy as well, putting together their theory on what happened that snowy night and how John O'Keefe sustained those fatal injuries.

And they've determined that the evidence points directly to Karen Reed. It was about 7 p.m. I was talking to my best friend on the phone and I said, there's a lot of cops circling. And I said, I think I'm gonna get arrested. When they come, it's, they look like regular people, but they're here to take you away. It's scary. Did they knock on the door? I can't remember if they knocked or if they rang the bell, but they circled the whole property. There were cops everywhere.

There were shining lights in my back window, my front. What was that moment like when you felt the metal handcuffs go on you and they put you into a squad car? It's scary. You're short of breath, and we're careening up the highway. Your ankles are shackled and your arms are behind you. And you just try to concentrate on your breathing. It's frightening. It's frightening.

When I got to the barracks, there were local news stations. Karen Reid's charges and what she was arraigned on were manslaughter, negligent homicide, and leaving the scene of an accident involving injury. The theory was that she hit John O'Keefe with her car and left the scene. Prosecutors lay out the charges. They say that those pieces of plastic uncovered at the crime scene are consistent with pieces missing from Karen's taillight. And according to police statements, Kerry Roberts, who was with Karen in the blizzard

searching for John, told police that Karen seemed intoxicated. Jennifer McCabe told police Karen asked her, "'Could I have hit him? Did I hit him? During the search for John's body. In court, Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally details the charges.

Officers interviewed a firefighter paramedic from the town of Canton. Defendants then made several statements to her indicating I hit him, I hit him, I hit him, I hit him. I said I hit him. It was preceded by a did and proceeded by a question mark. Did I hit him? According to prosecutors, Karen's blood alcohol content was between a.07 and a.08

when she was tested at the hospital at 9.08 a.m. after being transported from the scene. That's about nine hours after they left the bar in all 50 states in america if you are a.08 or above you are under the influence for the purpose of driving a motor vehicle her attorney responded that day i don't see any in criminal intent that would justify manslaughter and there there's a reason for that, because there was no criminal intent. This was not some random stranger. This was my client's boyfriend, somebody with whom she was in love. She had no idea that he was deceased or that anything had happened.

What did you plead? Not guilty. Quote is set in bail in the amount of $50,000 cash. Karen Reid posted $50,000 bail and left. But the stakes are about to get much higher. Within months, Karen's manslaughter charge is upgraded to second-degree murder. The line between a gross vehicular manslaughter and secondary murder is very, very thin. In Massachusetts, you must prove that a defendant acted

with conscious disregard for human life. Is it possible that you might have hit him unwittingly in your admittedly very large SUV? No, not possible. And now Karen Reed's defense takes a dramatic turn, bringing in a top legal gun. And the defense is about to introduce a very different theory than what the prosecution says happened that night.

John O'Keefe was murdered, no question. He died at the hands of another person. This wasn't Karen Reid. If you think this is going to be an open and shut case, it isn't. You're getting married! I went to all the hearings and I thought that was going to be it. Karen would do her time and we'd have to face grieving John. But nobody could have imagined like what was about to happen next.

Karen! Karen! Karen! One of the first big twists in this case begins when Karen adds a heavy hitter to her defense team. Alan Jackson, we got to know at Court TV. For years, we talked about Alan Jackson as being one of the sharpest prosecutors we'd ever seen. For almost two decades, he'd handled some of Los Angeles County's most notorious cases, including the conviction of famed music producer Phil Spector for murdering actress Lana Clarkson.

I think his motive could be summed up with one word. He has a problem with rage. How did you first become involved in this case? In the summer of 2022, I received an email from Karen Reed. I get a lot of emails, but this one stood out. The subject line was something along the lines of murder of a Boston police officer. Karen had supplemented the email with some autopsy photos.

I was in the process of perusing those, and I said, this guy didn't get hit by a car. Once I got the photos, I realized something is very, very wrong with this investigation. At a pretrial hearing, the defense puts those photos front and center. In Massachusetts, autopsy photos are normally sealed until trial. When John O'Keefe was found, he had this set of wounds on his right arm. This is, according to the Commonwealth, a set of injuries that John O'Keefe suffered at the hands of being struck by a moving vehicle. That is a disgusting move to put those in public like that.

It's opening up wounds every single time you see those pictures. I would ask the common sense question, does this look like a road rash? Or does it look more like claw marks and white marks from an animal? Karen's defense team is laying out a stunning new theory of what they say happened. They're alleging that after Karen dropped off John at fellow officer Brian Albert's home, he entered the home and somehow became involved in a fight. We know that he was beaten. We've got evidence that John O'Keefe was beaten, that he lay there unconscious. And during that fight, they claimed the Alberts' dog, a German shepherd, may also have attacked John, contributing to those injuries. Then the defense says John was eventually dumped outside

in the snow and left to die. There are people in that house that are actually responsible for his death and who to die. There are people in that house that are actually responsible for his death and who murdered him. And there are others in the house who are covering up that murder. But the homeowners, Brian and Nicole Albert, and eight other people in the house

the night of the after-party, including Jennifer McCabe and Brian Higgins, say that John O'Keefe never stepped foot inside that house. Every single person in that house denies playing any part in John's death or being part of any cover-up that the defense is alleging. There's no evidence that Mr. O'Keefe was beaten and left for dead. There was no evidence of any defensive wounds. The prosecution is steadfast in what they believe the evidence shows happened that night.

John exited Karen's vehicle, she struck him with her SUV, and left him to die in the snow. They also argue Karen had been drinking heavily. Why would they want to be involved in this conspiracy? Because he's dead. I think things went too far. It was late. There was alcohol involved. It was so ridiculous, I dismissed it immediately, from the beginning. There have been multiple theories floated by the defense team,

each of which more ridiculous, frankly. In the months leading up to trial, the defense makes several claims they say point to their client's innocence. I've never been more confident in anything I've ever said in a legal proceeding in my life. Karen Reed did not do this. The defense also accuses the lead investigator in the case of having a conflict of interest. They claim in court filings and at hearings that the lead detective, trooper Michael Proctor of the Massachusetts State Police, is a longtime friend of the Albert and McCabe families and is also in

on the alleged cover-up. Prosecutor Adam Lally definitively denies any conflict of interest. Not to belabor the point, the Commonwealth does not concede anything as it relates to any sort of relationship. The district attorney flat out denies that Trooper Michael Proctor was involved in any way, in any type of cover-up, as the defense is alleging, saying Proctor would have no motive to do so. Also, one of the defense's central claims appears in a motion they file about the timing of a Google search that Karen's defense team claims will unequivocally exonerate Karen Reed.

It's a Google search made on Jennifer McCabe's phone. Jennifer attended the afterparty in the Alberts' home on Fairview Road and was then with Karen when they found John's body in the snow. The defense and Karen Reed and her family believes at 2.27 a.m. Jennifer McCabe is searching how long to die in the cold. She misspells how, it's H-O-S, but how long to die in the cold. So according to the defense, if Jennifer McCabe is searching at 2.27 a.m. how long to die in the cold, that means that Karen Reid must be innocent. long to die in cold, that means that Karen Reid must be innocent. Why would she Google search that if she didn't know that something was going on with John laying in that snow in that front yard? That means that this was a cover-up. John was murdered inside that

house. His body was placed outside, and Jennifer McCabe knows that. Neither the prosecution nor Jennifer McCabe ever denied that she searched for how long to die in cold, but they both say the defense has it all wrong. They say she didn't make that search at 2 27 a.m. The prosecution brought in their own experts and they said no the search wasn't at 2 27. Jennifer McCabe said she made that search after 6 a.m. at the request of Karen Reid after they discovered John's body. Both sides say they have the expert data to back up their claims. Jennifer McCabe says that John was not murdered by anyone inside the house. She says that she and the others inside the house had no idea he was outside in the snow, and she said that there was no cover-up. no idea he was outside in the snow and she said that there was no cover-up. This Google search is what really brought a lot of people into this case to support

Karen Reid. Free Karen Reid! Free Karen Reid! Free Karen Reid! This is the first time I think I've ever seen this. There is this public outcry of support for someone accused of murdering a Boston police officer. Me and my family and my attorneys and my team have marshaled every resource to get to the truth. You are making allegations that there is cover-up. This is an innocent woman. Conspiracy. I do think she's been framed, and I'm not backing down until she gets free.

Corruption. If it walks like a duck and I'm not backing down until she gets free. Corruption. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it's a duck. Did you kill John O'Keefe? This has all the elements of a made-for-TV movie, except this is real life. Karen, are you ready for today? The trial of Karen Reid is now underway. Karen, are you ready for today? The trial of Karen Reid is now underway. She's accused of killing her boyfriend, a Boston police officer.

When you say the name Karen Reid, you're going to get a visceral response from people. Free Karen Reid! Free Karen Reid! They are protesting in favor of Karen Reid. Who cheers for someone accused of murdering a police officer? There's enough evidence to point that she's been framed. You are making allegations that there is conspiracy, cover-up, corruption in this part of Massachusetts.

There is no conspiracy, there is no cover-up, there is no evidence of any of that. Firefighter said that you said she heard you say, I hit him, I hit him, I hit him. I said with a question mark. John, I hate you! Supposedly a murderer, having just killed her boyfriend, why would she then call him 49 times after that, trying to find him?

Maybe she's actually being very clever. I've never met someone that clever. The video you'll only see here. I could be convicted, and this is the end of everything. So it just feels like a kind of purgatory. John O'Keefe was murdered, no question. He died at the hands of another person. This wasn't Karen Reid.

All rise for the court, please. It's been more than a year since Officer John O'Keefe's tragic death in the middle of a blizzard. Every pretrial hearing seems to result in new claims for followers to analyze and argue over. The prosecutors are clear. They argue Karen Reid killed John O'Keefe while driving under the influence. All the while, Karen Reid's defense seems to be getting traction, at least in the court of public opinion. There was this groundswell of support through every single court appearance.

There are dozens and dozens of people here. You can notice all the placards around. They are protesting in favor of Karen Reid, saying she is innocent. All of those placards reading, Justice for Karen. Who shows up to a courthouse with signs at a pretrial motion and who goes there to support a woman accused

of murdering her boyfriend? This case was different. I was shocked at what I pulled up to. They were cheering for Karen. They gave her like a hero's welcome. Karen, who was arrested not just for manslaughter, now second-degree murder, and they're cheering for her.

Free Karen Lee! Free Karen Lee! These crowds are here in large part because of a local live streamer and blogger named Aiden Carney, who goes by the moniker Turtle Boy Online. What we know for sure, 100 percent, was she did not run him over. Now, Carney is known for his sometimes confrontational and profanity-filled takes on local stories, and he takes up the case of Karen Reid posting articles and live streams claiming Karen is the real victim in this case. You aren't bleeding out of your mouth and your nose if you get bumped going slowly during a three-pointer.

All his followers were watching all of his streams, and from there sprung all of their theories about what happened here and who was really responsible. And almost overnight, this goes viral locally. And almost overnight, this goes viral locally. It's at this point that I first sat down with Karen Reed to talk about what she claims happened that night. She absolutely refutes the prosecution's claims that receipts and security video shows

she had up to nine drinks that evening. When you walked out of the bar, how many drinks had you had? I had had probably about four. And not four that I completed either. I didn't drink maybe more than a few sips at the waterfall. And four drinks you felt fine to drive? Yep. Remember, the prosecution says her blood alcohol

level the next morning, nine hours later, was between .07 and.08. And Massachusetts driving with a blood alcohol content higher than.08 is considered legally drunk. I missed the turn. That would have been the most direct route. Did you pull into the driveway?

No. I pulled at the foot of the driveway. And do you and John have a conversation about what's going to happen? I said, go check and let me know, and I'll follow you behind. So I pull at the foot of the driveway. It's snowing. John has no coat on. It's windy.

So I drop him off. He goes up the driveway and approaches the side door. And as I see him approach the door, I look down at my phone. I hadn't been on my phone the entire night. I cue up a song to play on my Bluetooth, and I just start browsing through, you know, missed text messages and a couple emails. And I probably waited about a full minute,

and I look back at the door. I would have expected him to be either walking back to me or calling me that, yeah, we're here. Karen says after about 10 minutes of waiting in her car, she became irritated that John O'Keefe still hadn't gotten in touch with her, and so she decided to leave and drive back to his house. The prosecution says that John never made it into the Alberts' home. Instead, they say this is when Karen hit John with her SUV.

Did you kill John O'Keefe? I did not kill John O'Keefe. I've never harmed a hair on John O'Keefe's head. The Commonwealth says that you had nine drinks that night. You claim it's four and change. I mean, is it possible that you had hit him with the back of your car and just didn't realize it? No. You had four drinks.

They say nine drinks. So how drunk were you? I had felt like I had alcohol. I felt that I had a buzz. But I did not feel it was unsafe for me to be operating my vehicle. Would you say that you were angry with John that night? Yes. Could you have been angry enough and slightly drunk

because he had annoyed you that in the fit of rage you just backed up? Never. Tried to tap him. Not to try to kill him, but try to... To tap him with my 6,000-pound full-size SUV, to hit John's body with my car, no. But the prosecution is building a case that claims she was angry and she did have a motive.

According to court filings, John's niece and nephew, who live with them, told law enforcement that their relationship was strained. The niece said she'd overheard John recently tell Karen that their relationship had run its course. Is it possible that that anger sent you into a fit of rage, coupled with the fact that he apparently had wanted to break up or insinuated that? He never insinuated that he wanted to break up. I have been angry with John. I was angry with him that night. But being angry with someone and being angry with them and wanting to physically hurt them with a 6,000-pound piece of machinery is another hemisphere of intention. Early in the a.m. when she first leaves John,

Karen Reid is texting and sending message after message. I think she called him like 50 times. No response. John, I hate you. I'm here with your kids. You are using me right now. You're a loser. pervert.

What's the prosecution's theory on this? That supposedly a murderer, having just killed her boyfriend, and calls him up and says, I hate you. Why would she then call him 49 times after that, trying to find him? Maybe she's actually being very clever. I've never met someone that clever. This is Occam's razor.

The simplest answer is usually the right one. The prosecution says Occam's razor is she backed up, she hit guy he died in the snow end of story uh no there has been nothing as divisive as this case the district attorney of this county had to come out and say you have to stop harassing witnesses it was getting crazy chasing us calling us, calling us names. Booing at us. Booing at us, calling us cop killers. We had state police protection to get us to the car. We were surrounded. The O'Keefe Family The O'Keefe Family The O'Keefe Family The O'Keefe Family The O'Keefe Family The O'Keefe Family

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The O'Keefe Family The O'Keefe Family The O'Keefe Family The O'Keefe Family The O'Keefe Family The O'Keefe Family The O'Keefe Family The O'Keefe Family

The O'Keefe Family The O'Keefe Family The O'Keefe Family The O'Keefe Family The O'Keefe Family The O'Keefe. The O'Keefe family is appalled and outraged by the public accusations, protests, and harassment of people closest to John and his family. I think where you see it is at the town meetings. When they get those open mic moments, you'll hear it. And you'll hear it from both sides here. But there's a faction of that community that no longer trusts their police and their government. There are people that I know that have ceased relationships with others because they disagree.

All the while, local blogger Aiden Carney, known as Turtle Boy, continues to stir up debate over the case. On his website, he's posting video of himself confronting prosecution witnesses in public. He organizes what he calls a rolling rally, going from one witness's home to the next. Aiden Carney is eventually charged himself with multiple counts of witness intimidation, picketing a witness, and conspiracy to intimidate witnesses, charges he denies and is pleaded not guilty to. He claims his behavior should be protected by the First Amendment as a journalist. Those charges are still pending. Later, he's also barred from the courtroom

during Reed's trial when certain witnesses named in the case against him testify. One of the most unusual things about this case is there's such a fervor among this online movement that the district attorney of this county had to come out and say, the witnesses in this case have done nothing wrong. The harassment of them has to stop.

What's happening to the witnesses, some with no actual involvement in the case, is wrong. It is contrary to the American values of fairness and the constitutional value of fair trial. It is contrary to the American values of fairness and the constitutional value of fair trial. It needs to stop now. Alan Jackson takes the opportunity to rally more support for Karen and her case. So Michael Morrissey decides he wants to issue this statement and give you a threat and give us a threat. He wants us to just shut up and quit.

He wants you to shut up and quit. Just go home and quit. Well, I have something to say directly to Mr. Morrissey right here, right now. So listen up, sir, and I'll speak slowly so you understand. Michael Morrissey, we ain't got no quit. This team will not quit.

We won't stop. But beyond prosecution witnesses who authority say are being harassed, John O'Keefe's own family and friends say they're stunned when defense supporting crowds begin directing anger towards them as well. We've been yelled at on the way into court that we're disgusting, that we're defending the real murderers. I think at times that they said that we have been brainwashed. Brainwashed by who?

I didn't know any of the people that were being blindly accused of committing this crime. We're leaving the courthouse and they follow us. And we had state police protection to get us to the car. We all got into the car safely, but we were surrounded. And I remember this woman putting her face up to the window of where I was sitting and she was screaming cop killer at me. I've never heard of such a thing in my life. We thought okay they're going to call us names, they boo us, okay, but they're not going to

boo John's family, right? Then they did. It was getting crazy. Chasing us, calling us names. Booing at us. Booing at us, calling us cop killers. It must have created a lot of anger. Yeah. Not so much anger, but when you walked in,

like, the anxiety, like, I was... We were shaking, going in there, because it was just... Every time we went in, yeah. But then after like maybe the fourth time, we were just like, all right, let's just hold our head up high and walk through this with Johnny. Hold your head up high and do what we have to do as a family.

I think everyone should be in agreement that the O'Keeffe's don't deserve this treatment. With the trial just days away, Karen is prepping with her lawyers. This is no life. This, I'm not in prison, but this is no life. I'm stressed every day. I'm waiting for the next shoe to drop.

With the trial just days away, Karen is in her hotel making final preparations with her lawyers. I'm at a hotel. I need to be here to be near the attorneys so we can prep for trial. I don't have a car, I don't have a license, so trying to meet them from the suburbs every day just wouldn't be efficient. The change of scenery is actually welcome. My home has become like the Alamo.

Just constantly looking out the window. I mean, three times in two years, I've had the state police come in, and two of those three times they've arrested me, three of the three, they've taken my cell phone. Once your sanctuary's been breached, it's...you can't. You can't relax there. This is no life.

I'm not in prison, but this is no life. I'm stressed every day. I'm waiting for the next shoe to drop. I can't live like this. I mean, I will. I just really don't want to is what I should say. But hiding out like this, you just watch the world pass you by and you're going through the motions, pun intended,

and you know it could all end. I could be convicted and this is the end of everything. So it just feels like a kind of purgatory. of purgatory. I've prepared for every scenario that's just how I have to live. So I've thought through everything. I've thought through where will I celebrate when this is over, where do I want to live, who do I want to surround myself with. But I've also thought alright if I'm convicted what are the next steps.

What are the next steps? Got all my court clothes. Nothing fun, nothing for a trip, but just lots of suits. Just wanna communicate that I'm still confident. I don't like the position I'm in, but I'm confident I'm doing everything I can. And that includes looking professional for court, dressing like my attorneys. I think that's the sign of respect for what's happening

when you're in court. I just got this suit from the tailor because the sleeves are too long and it's a pet peeve of my mother's to see people with sleeves that are too long. Do you think about your mother when you get dressed? Yes, all the time. That's funny you tell me that.

She, That's funny you're telling me that. She probably taught me how to dress and tells me how to dress. Not in a way that mothers may nag their daughters, but I've never seen my mother ever in my whole life. She doesn't compliment me and tell me I look nice. I don't know if she knows that I'm aware of that. That even when I've been in the thick of this, even getting out of jail, you know, she's always saying something positive to me

as soon as I see her. It's funny you asked me that. I didn't even realize that I think about her whenever I get dressed. I do, because I'm thinking she's gonna see me. And I don't usually cry. I guess if you ask about my parents, I will. I can't even talk about them.

Was there a concern, Renee, that amidst all of the noise of this, that John was being lost? He was lost in this whole circus. I think that's the saddest part of this whole situation, that he is not remembered as who he is and who he was during this whole thing. And I think that might be one of my favorite pictures because he was always the light in this family. He was always the sun, like... Oh, the photobombing.

So that picture there, he would photobomb every picture. There's a lot of pictures of Angie's birthday party. My surprise 40th, he's literally in every background of every photo photobombing. And there were small treasured moments at home with the kids, like dancing with his niece to California Girls by Katy Perry. And his badge number is 2490. So I have his badge number on my necklace. We have stickers that we put on our phones.

We have stickers on the car. Renee and I both got tattoos with this badge number. 2490 was Johnny's badge number and that's become the numerical symbol of finding justice for him. Justice for JJ! Justice for JJ! You know, we all have one goal. All eyes will be on this courthouse in Denham. There are a lot of people who believe fervently in the innocence of Karen Reed and believe that she is a victim of a mass conspiracy. But will the jury believe the prosecutors who claim that Karen Reed killed John?

We love you, Karen! This is a case that is all over the news. The trial of Karen Reid is now underway. She's accused of killing her boyfriend, a Boston police officer. A story unlike one I've ever seen that has many layers to it. Billboards, trucks, people with signs, people chanting bullhorns on the courthouse steps. This just doesn't happen in normal cases. And this case was anything but normal. Opening statements are set to begin today.

This has all the elements of a made-for-TV movie, except this is real life. Karen, are you ready for today? After 15 months of waiting, it's time for triumph. We love you, Karen! Karen Reed arrives looking polished and conservative, flanked by her defense team. There are a lot of people who believe fervently in the innocence of Karen Reed and believe that she is the victim of a mass conspiracy. It took two weeks to find and seat a jury. Now all eyes will be on this courthouse in Dedo.

But others buy into the prosecution's much simpler narrative weeks to find and see the jury. Now all eyes will be on this courthouse in Dedo. But others buy into the prosecution's much simpler narrative that Karen Reid had been drinking and later struck and killed John O'Keefe with an SUV. 12 jurors and five alternates have been selected to decide Reid's fate. The courtroom is, in a word, cramped. When you get into the courtroom and you're physically

situated, it was shocking how close you get into the courtroom and you're physically situated, it was shocking how close you were to the defense table. I think it could be described as borderline claustrophobic. It's time for opening statements. Big difference between the prosecution and defense in this case. I mean, Alan Jackson, a seasoned former prosecutor, but what he really is is a great storyteller.

Much different than Adam Lally. The defendant, Karen Reed, is guilty of murder in the second degree, prosecutor, but what he really is is a great storyteller. Much different than Adam Lally. The defendant Karen Reid is guilty of murder in the second degree, striking Mr. O'Keefe with her car. In opening statements, prosecutors attempt to use Reid's own words against her. They had asked about the origination of some of those injuries. The defendant stated repeatedly, I hit him, I hit him, I hit him. Their defense counters by claiming Reid wasn't making a statement, she was asking a question. Did I hit him? Could I have hit him? That was what she was saying, both to herself and to other people.

Co-counsel David Iannetti lays out the defense's controversial theory that someone else killed John O'Keefe. Karen Reid was framed. Her car never struck John O'Keefe. She did not cause his death. And that means that somebody else did. The prosecution presents multiple witnesses to speak about the night O'Keefe was killed. You know about what time it was that Mr. O'Keefe and the defendant came into the waterfall? It would have been, I think, between like 11 and closing. And the invitation to go back to Brian Albert's house, was that something that was extended to the entirety of the table? I took it as an open invitation to the people that were together at the table, yes.

table? I took it as an open invitation to the people that were together at the table, yes. John never came into my house that night. He would have been welcomed, and the defendant would have been welcomed with open arms had they come in, and I wish they had. I really do. Your next witness, Mr. Lally? Yes, Your Honor. The column will call Ms. Nicole Albert to the stand. Did either of those people come into your house? No, they never came into my home. Call Jennifer McCabe to the stand. I am woken up to my phone ringing. And do you know what time it was? 453.

Does the defendant get on the phone with you? She does. She proceeds to scream my name multiple times, and she tells me that John didn't come home, they got into a fight. After that the three of us got in the car and we drove to Fairview. It was really bad driving. Karen was frantic, she wouldn't put her seatbelt on and I was getting nervous because we were driving in a blizzard. And all of a sudden, Karen starts screaming, there he is, there he is, and she's banging to get out.

Karen was laying on top of him, and I told her to get off him because I was going to do CPR. And I said, Jen, you need to call 911. The Commonwealth would call Mr. Anthony Flamati to the stand. So the only response that I was personally given was just, I hit him, I hit him. Oh my God, I hit him. Fight a fighter, Flamati,

and put a 10% chance of survival for Mr. O'Keefe. Ms. Reed was visibly upset. She kept saying, this is all my fault, this is my fault. I did this. The defense questioned Sarif about his memory. Yesterday you said, my client said, quote, it's all my fault. I did this. Yes.

Remember that? Mm-hmm. That yes? Yes, sir. But you didn't say that at the grand jury. No. And you didn't say that to Trooper Proctor. No, sir. And you didn't put that to Trooper Proctor. No, sir.

And you didn't put it in your report. That's correct. So you would wonder what was her motive if she did kill him for murdering her boyfriend. The prosecution has an answer to Karen Reid's motive. They paint a picture of that rocky relationship between John O'Keefe and Karen Reid. They say there were fits of jealousy, there were arguments, allegations of cheating, and they say that set the stage for murder. Did he tell you or did you begin to notice that it was maybe nearing an end?

After Aruba. After Aruba. She thought he kissed somebody and he did not. he hugged somebody and she had a scene. Just a month before his death, O'Keefe, Reed, and many of his friends and family went on a tropical vacation. But according to Marietta Sullivan, the quiet paradise soon got real loud.

She was just very loud. She very, you know, energetically screamed for me to go myself johnny was trying to calm her down sullivan says she incurred the wrath of reed for an innocent hug with o'keefe in the hotel lobby this was my first interaction with her i had never been fully introduced to her at all the aruba incident by itself could be chalked up to having a bad day. But the prosecution will attempt to show a pattern of Reed's behavior by playing those volatile voicemails to the jury. John, I f***ing hate you!

I'm here with your f***ing kids. You are f***ing using me right now. You're a f***ing loser. F***ing pervert. The prosecution painting a picture about the level of rage Ms. Reid could have been capable of on the night in question. But outside the courthouse, support is growing for Reid. Good luck, Karen. We love you, Karen. You're actually innocent woman walking.

I've covered a lot of cases at Court TV, sometimes involving celebrities, sometimes involving public enemies. But in this case, it was different. This was a college professor who shows up at the courthouse, and there is an absolute sea of pink there to support her. The pink of the crowd is a show of solidarity with Reid and her favorite color. There's enough evidence to point that she's been framed. The pink of the crowd is a show of solidarity with Reed and her favorite color.

There's enough evidence to point that she's been framed. Back inside, lead counsel for the defense, Alan Jackson, is arguing a much different story than the prosecutors. You are making allegations that there is conspiracy, cover-up, corruption in this part of Massachusetts. Are you willing to stake your career and your legacy on this case? 100%. Because I know that the truth is on our side. She didn't do this. Describe sort of what you observed from this particular item.

That's a piece of red and clear apparent plastic. While both sides agree those taillight pieces found by investigators are from Reed's SUV, they disagree on how the pieces wound up at the scene. The defense argued that Karen Reed's taillight was broken someplace else, and the pieces of the taillight were returned to the scene and planted by investigating officers. The fundamental problem with this argument from the defense is that the prosecution had pretty much every single piece,

and they reassembled it in the trial for the jury to see that every piece of the taillight was actually at the scene. Far as the items and where they were when they were located by members of your team, they were photographed as they lay, is that correct? Correct, sir. As they were discovered, they were photographed.

Here's the most shocking thing about this entire case, is that there's no eyewitness. And that night, remember, you've got people inside the house. You've got people showing up. You've got people coming to pick people up. And no one sees what happens to John O'Keefe. But with gavel-to-gavel coverage, everyone sees what happens to Karen Reid, including

her scolding from the judge. Excuse me, this is funny, Ms. Reid. All right, we're done. All rise to the court, please. Go get them. Hi, Karen. I would love to play poker with Karen Reid. She love you, Karen! She wears it on her face. Her response to everything, she showed you.

Judge wasn't happy with it. Excuse me, this is funny, Ms. Reid. All right, we're done. All rise to the court, please. Her attitude is smug. She's the happiest murder defendant in America. Reid is seen, but will she be heard? If I had to guess it, I'd say she's not going anywhere near the witness stand. For now, Alan Jackson is doing all the talking.

She will be vindicated. She'll never be convicted. And the defense believes Karen Reid will be found not guilty after this man starts talking. Trooper Michael Proctor, P-R-O-C-T-O-R. Trooper Proctor is the lead investigator on the Karen Reed case, but in a dramatic twist, there's a separate investigation going on that may impact this trial. It turns out there's talk of a federal investigation of the Reed case. The U.S. Attorney's Office won't comment, but lawyers on both sides of the reed trial have mentioned it in court what has surfaced is that

michael proctor was found to be sending derogatory text messages about reed from his personal cell phone to his friends and superiors during his investigation once trooper proctor took the stand, that's when everything changed here. If you could just read the responses from yourself, sir. Okay, so these came from me. She's a whack job. objection. So these are your words, Trooper Proctor? Yes, Your Honor.

Go ahead and say them. . Yeah, she's a babe. Weird Fall River accent, though. No ass. Why would I believe this guy? He's completely eviscerated on the stand. The prosecutor, Adam Lally,

does the best he can to deal with Proctor's damning texts, insisting that the prosecution's case is still solid while also trying to rehab Proctor's reputation on the stand. What, if any, impact did that have as far as your investigation was concerned regarding this? These juvenile, unprofessional comments have zero impact on the facts and the evidence

and the integrity of this investigation. The defense disagrees, basically alleging bias against Reid by Proctor was clear. You weren't so much as objectively investigating her as objectifying her in those moments, correct? Again, Mr. Jackson, it was a poor choice of words and a joke that I should not have texted out. Proctor was officially suspended without pay. The Massachusetts State Police telling ABC News their internal investigation is ongoing.

And inside that courthouse, Jackson reminds jurors of the way that the Canton Police Department collected blood evidence at the scene. We utilized cups, plastic cups. Those were red Solo cups, right? That's correct. The same kind of red solo cup you'd drink beer out of at a barbecue? Yeah, sure, you could. The defense also notes the unusual manner

in which the evidence was transported. You see a bag in the middle of the photograph? Yes. Can you read what's on that bag? Stop and shop. Okay, that does not look like an evidence bag, does it, sir? No. Matter of fact, it looks like a grocery bag. Correct. Is that right? Yes. They may have done the best that they could, but visually, this is not a good look for the police department.

The defense pointed out that that does not conform to protocol. And the prosecution's response to that was basically, who cares? It doesn't impact the forensic integrity of the evidence. The defense also disputes the prosecution's theory that those jagged wounds on O'Keefe's arm were a result of being hit by Reed's car. How did those injuries occur? Is this something from the undercarriage of the vehicle? Is this because he rolled over glass? What exactly occurred? And the problem

is they've never addressed it. Call Jennifer McCabe to the stand. And then there's that Google search by Jennifer McCabe, who was with Reed when O'Keefe's body was discovered. Karen was screaming, my hands were shaking, and she was saying, Google hypothermia, how long does it take to die in the cold? The prosecution claims the search took place at 6.23 a.m. The defense says it was made at 2.27 a.m., long before O'Keefe's body was discovered. According to Alan Jackson, that means the witness knows more than she's letting on, something prosecutors and Jennifer McCabe

vehemently deny. You never made any search like that at 327 in the morning, correct? I did not, no. Did you delete that search because you knew that you would be implicated in John O'Keefe's death if that search was found on your phone? Objection. Could you answer that, please? I did not delete that search. I never made that search. I never would have left John O'Keefe out in the cold to die because he was my friend that I loved. So, two competing versions of what happened.

Read, Karen, read! After eight weeks of testimony, the case is about to go to the jury. And up to the jury to figure out what they believe the truth was. Everyone's presumed innocent, but someone isn't. When do we get to the answer to that most important question? It's closing now open. You may be seated. 22117, the Commonwealth v. Karen Reid.

It's closing arguments, and each side has one final hour to persuade the jury. Look the other way. Look the other way. Four words that sum up the Commonwealth's entire case. Four words that sum up the hopes of those who have tried to deceive you. The prosecution says there's no evidence of any of this. Prosecutor Lally's closing statement mirrors his opening statement. Simply put, Karen Reid did it, and she told people she did it. I hit him. I hit him. I hit him. I hit him.

With the words of the defendant, four times, we heard testimony from four different witnesses who overheard and observed those statements from the defendant on January 29, 2022. To me, that's an enormous moment for the prosecution because you have someone who's not connected to the investigation saying that she confessed the problems that the prosecution had is that there were some problems with some of their witnesses most notably their lead investigator had big problems the defense makes sure to remind the

jury of the name michael proctor alan jackson will reference him 33 times. And lo betide anyone who might find ourselves in the crosshairs of a Michael Proctor. Loudly says Proctor's name only three times. There is no conspiracy, there is no cover-up, there is no evidence of any of that. Two things can be true at the same time. The texts from Trooper Proctor are distasteful. There is no defense to them. And the defendant killed John O'Keefe. When you start talking about a conspiracy and try to tell a jury that it's impossible for this to happen

and your lead investigator has serious, serious issues, it makes you stop and say well wait a minute. Even folks that love a good conspiracy story know if there's more than one person involved somebody winds up talking. All right jurors. Judge Canone gives her instructions to the jury. You'll soon deliberate for the purposes of reaching a verdict in this case. It's hard to explain the feeling as the jury was deliberating. It wavered between dread and hopefulness. I could see a juror getting caught up on it saying,

listen, I think she confessed, but I also think he could have framed her. All the doubt hasn't been erased that that's a possibility. So if it's just a possibility that's reasonable doubt after five days of deliberations the jury informs the judge they're deadlocked the jury telling the judge for a third and final time they were unable to reach a consensus your service is complete i'm declaring a mistrial in this case so i think we were all waiting for that it to be finally over so we can finally grieve. I mean that could be another 18 months. It could

be another five years. And we're gonna be there. Yeah. Absolutely. Reed's legal troubles are now stacking up. She faces a second criminal trial. In addition to a retrial, the O'Keeffe family has also filed a wrongful death civil suit against Reed and the Waterfall and C.F. McCarthy bars. The suit alleges they over-served Reed on that snowy January night. Reed's legal team and the two bars had no comment. For now, both sides are preparing for the next criminal court date. But Reed, she's got no intention of staying quiet. court date. But Reid, she's got no intention of staying quiet. This week she met with supporters in Massachusetts who held rallies across the state and

organizers say those rallies extend as far south as Florida. Reid says she would like to meet all of her supporters. So at this point as we sit now after the mistrial we are sitting at halftime and we have got a second half to let play out. And we hope that that will end up with a conviction. Karen Reed's retrial is scheduled for early next year. And by the way, John O'Keefe's family and friends tell us they'll be back in court again every single day. That's our program for tonight. Thanks so much for watching. I'm David Muir. And I'm Deborah Roberts. From all of us here at 2020 and ABC News, good night.