A new documentary series is giving Karen Read the platform to share her version of events before returning to the courtroom next month for her retrial in the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, in January 2022.
“Doing this film is my testimony,” Read says in A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read, which premieres on Investigation Discovery on March 17. “I know the events of that morning, I know what I said and didn’t say, and I haven’t been able to say it. It’s incredibly frustrating. I want to say what happened exactly as it happened.”
Read is accused of intentionally backing over O’Keefe with her car after a night of drinking. She faces charges of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter, and leaving the scene of a fatal collision. A conviction could result in a life sentence, with additional penalties of up to 20 years for manslaughter and 10 years for fleeing the scene.
The three-part series, which will also stream on Max, was filmed over 11 weeks in Boston during Read’s first high-profile trial, which ended in a mistrial in July 2024. The documentary’s release comes just two weeks before her retrial begins on April 1 in Dedham’s Norfolk County Superior Court.
Behind-the-Scenes Access
Director Terry Dunn Meurer told Yahoo News that she and her crew had unprecedented access to Read and her legal team throughout the first trial, even staying at the same hotel as them in Boston.
“I have never had this level of access that a defendant and defense team would give to a crew to just be with them the whole time,” Meurer said.
Meurer emphasized that Read and her legal team had no involvement in the production, stating that they will see the final version for the first time when it airs. While the series includes interviews with some of O’Keefe’s friends, it does not feature his parents, remaining siblings, or members of the prosecution.
Instead, the documentary highlights extensive interviews with Read and her attorneys, who argue that she was the target of a cover-up by the Boston Police Department.
A Case for the Defense
“I took one look at one of the autopsy photos of John O’Keefe, and I saw his arm, and I said, ‘Are you kidding me? He was hit by a car?’” Read’s attorney, Alan Jackson, says in the series, questioning the evidence used against her. “Something doesn’t sound right about that. None of the evidence fits.”
Jackson, who previously represented actor Kevin Spacey, and the rest of Read’s high-profile defense team claim that the real events unfolded inside the house where Read allegedly ran over O’Keefe—a residence belonging to another Boston police officer. They argue that Read is being framed.
Impact on the Community
The case, which gained nationwide attention during the televised trial, has deeply divided the suburban Boston community where Read and O’Keefe lived. The docuseries explores this tension, shedding light on the case’s far-reaching impact beyond the courtroom.
