Karen Read Jury Foreman Speaks Out: Costs, ‘Shoddy’ Police Work, and the Fight for Justice for the Victim

Juror #1 from the Karen Read retrial shared some thoughts on the case, calling it a waste of taxpayer money due to the flimsy evidence. He felt that something was off when investigators didn’t rush to the crime scene during a winter storm in January 2022. “That’s just bad work,” he said. Despite some emotional moments, the jury only found Read guilty of drunken driving, as there wasn’t enough solid proof against her.

The juror, who prefers to stay anonymous, spoke about how he and his family have personal connections to tragedy. He recalled a disturbing past involving the Boston Marathon bombing. His wife even worked at MIT during that chaos, avoiding any direct danger.

He struggled with the evidence presented in Read’s case, especially when he saw images of her late boyfriend, John O’Keefe, and the pain it caused his family. “We had to focus on what was in front of us,” he explained, expressing his frustration about the lack of clear justice for O’Keefe.

Another juror, Paula Prado, was vocal about her disgust over the amount spent on the trial. She couldn’t understand why so much taxpayer money went into prosecuting someone the jury felt they couldn’t convict. “It broke my heart to see his family in court,” she mentioned in an interview. The costs included $400,000 for an accident reconstruction team, which left the jurors baffled.

In their deliberations, jurors leaned on what was presented to them. Prado suggested that there are still many unanswered questions. “What really happened that night?” she wondered. Some jurors even theorized that O’Keefe may have been struck or attacked by a dog rather than Read’s vehicle.

Interestingly, the FBI had also looked into the case, although Judge Beverly Cannone limited what could be discussed in court regarding their findings. This background involvement was puzzling to jurors. Prado even expressed discomfort with the behavior of some police witnesses.

With all this drama, Prado also faced criticism on social media after sharing her views publicly. She clarified that, despite being an attorney in Brazil, she had no prior knowledge about the specifics of the case. “I thought Karen Read was just a lady,” she said, emphasizing how much responsibility jurors carry in such high-stakes cases.

Despite the confusion and frustration surrounding the trial, there’s a shared hope among jurors that O’Keefe’s family will eventually find the answers they need. It’s a lingering question in their minds, as they continue to process the case’s rollercoaster of emotions. The search for real justice remains unresolved.

For more details on the ongoing investigations, you can read the Boston Herald’s coverage, which dives deeper into this complex story.

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