Karen Read’s case is a striking reminder of how a single voice can challenge an entire system. Despite facing obstacles, allegations, and intense public scrutiny, she refused to give up, fighting tooth and nail to defend herself. The case quickly became a national talking point, leaving Boston and the public at large deeply divided.

The show Accused: The Karen Read Story explores the incident in detail. With a book also in development, what is Karen Read’s story that became one of Boston’s most sensationalized cases?

The incident that changed Karen Reed’s life took place on January 29, 2022, when her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, tragically passed away. He was found lying in the snow outside a house in Canton, Massachusetts, after the two spent time in a bar. Karen Read claimed that she had dropped him off at the house for a party and left. 

When he did not come home, Karen Read and friends went back to look for him and found him outside, badly injured and later declared dead due to head injuries and exposure to the cold. She was accused of being drunk and hitting O’Keefe with her SUV while backing up. They pointed to her panic the next morning, when she asked people if she could have hit him, and to damage on her car’s taillight as key signs of guilt. 

Karen Read’s defense strongly denied this version of events and said she was being framed. Her lawyers argued that John O’Keefe was hurt inside the house during a party and that his body was later moved outside. They also said police did a poor job investigating, mishandled evidence, and ignored other possible explanations for his injuries.

The first trial ended without a verdict because the jury could not agree, showing how unclear and confusing the case was. The case attracted huge public attention. In a second trial on June 18, 2025, Karen Read was found not guilty of murder but was convicted of driving under the influence.

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Now, Karen Reed and her lead defense attorney, Alan Jackson, will share more details about the incident through a scripted series.

Accused: The Karen Read Story stars Katie Cassidy as Karen Read and Luke Humphrey as John O’Keefe. The film is based on a real-life incident and follows Read’s efforts to clear her name amid intense public scrutiny. It also promises to reveal several previously unknown details about the case.

  This is not the first time her story has been brought to the screen. The documentary A Body in the Snow also explored the case, with Karen Read openly sharing her account of what happened on the night of January 29, 2022. In addition, a book based on the incident is currently in development.  

The movie will premiere on January 10 at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime, while viewers can also stream it for free through DIRECTV, which offers a free trial to new users.

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