Netflix has announced a three-part documentary series focused on the Karen Read murder trial and the death of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe.
Read faced charges including second-degree murder in the death of O'Keefe, her boyfriend, with prosecutors alleging that she struck him with her SUV outside a home in Canton, Massachusetts, in January 2022. But her defense argued that she was the victim of a law enforcement conspiracy to protect the real killers.
After a trial that spanned months and drew intense media attention, jurors failed to return a verdict, and the case was declared a mistrial.
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The Netflix series, which does not have a title yet, is currently in production with Sandpaper Films, co-directed by Danielle Johnson and Rob Miller.
“The team feels immensely privileged to be bringing this important series to a Netflix global audience,” Johnson and Miller told Netflix. “It is a case that has garnered a huge amount of public attention and has far-reaching implications. We are also mindful that this is a hugely sensitive case and we are determined to treat all those involved with the respect and consideration they deserve.”
The mistrial is far from the end of the case, and it remains unclear if there will ever be justice for O'Keefe. Prosecutors have said they intend to retry Read, while the defense is pushing for dismissal on two charges - second-degree murder and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death. The jury list remains impounded as questions swirl about the safety of jurors. And the prosecution will have to manage the fallout as one of their key witnesses - former State Police lead investigator Michael Proctor - was suspended without pay for his conduct.
Netflix has not provided a release date for the documentary series.
