EZReview - A huge success on Read's Second trial

  Read's Second trial

Brought your mind back to

October 1995 

EZReview - June 19th, 2025

Prosecutors said Read hit O'Keefe, her boyfriend, with her SUV, leaving him to die in a blizzard, and charged her with second-degree murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene of a deadly collision.

Read found O'Keefe around 6 a.m. lying in the snow and unresponsive. She was with two other women, both of whom testified against her at the trial. They said Read called them in a panic that morning and said she couldn't find O'Keefe. McCabe, one of the women Read was with, testified that on the morning in question, Read repeated three times, "I hit time."

Brennan, an attorney hired as special prosecutor to take over from last year's prosecutor Lally, said the case was "simple": Read killed O'Keefe in a final act of jealousy in a bad relationship. "She got drunk, she hit him, she left him to die, it's that simple," he said.

 In contrast, defense attorney Jackson said that all the evidence points to one conclusion:" There was no collision."

He pointed toward a lack of common vehicle strike injuries to O'Keefe's body, like bruising or broken bones in the extremities, as well as the corruption of police that failed to conduct an adequate investigation.

Paul O'Keefe, the victim's brother, held his head in his hands when jurors stated their second "Not guilty" verdict to manslaughter, looked up again at the mention of guilt to a lesser offense, but looked down and gave a slow shake when he heard it was the lightest charge.

Outside the courthouse, Read said,"No one has fought harder for justice for John O'Keefe than I have."