Karen Read’s murder case ends in mistrial. Prosecutors say they’ll try again.

DEDHAM, Mass. — A judge declared a mistrial Monday after a jury was unable to reach a verdict in the case of Karen Read, the woman accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend by hitting him with her SUV and leaving him in a snowstorm. The case has drawn a huge amount of attention from crime buffs, conspiracy theorists and Read supporters in pink T-shirts.

Prosecutors said in a statement that they intend to retry the case.

Read, a former associate professor at Bentley College, faces second-degree murder and other charges in the death of Officer John O’Keefe, a 16-year Boston police officer who was found in January 2022 outside the home of another Boston police officer in Canton. An autopsy showed O’Keefe died of hypothermia and blunt force trauma.

Prosecutors said Read and O’Keefe had been drinking heavily before she dropped him off at a party at the home of Brian Albert, a fellow officer. They said she hit him with her SUV and then drove away.

The defense attempted to portray Read as the victim, arguing that O’Keefe was actually killed inside Albert’s home, then dragged outside and left for dead. They argued that investigators focused on Read because she was a “convenient outsider” who saved them from having to consider other suspects, including Albert and other law enforcement officers present at the party.

On Friday, the jury foreman told the judge they had not reached a unanimous verdict despite an “exhaustive review of the evidence.” The judge told jurors to keep trying. On Monday morning, jurors said they were at an impasse, but the judge asked them to continue deliberating. By afternoon, they said continuing would be futile.

“The deep division is not the result of a lack of effort or care, but rather a sincere commitment to our individual moral principles and beliefs,” the jury said in a note read by the judge at the trial.

O’Keefe’s mother cried as the mistrial was announced, while Read hugged her father and other relatives.

The Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement: “First, we thank the O’Keefe family for their commitment and dedication throughout this long process. They kept the true heart of this case in mind — finding justice for John O’Keefe. The commonwealth intends to reconsider this case.”

Attorney Alan Jackson said he and others representing Read will continue to fight.

“They failed. They failed miserably and they will continue to fail. No matter how long it takes, no matter how long they try, we will not stop fighting,” he told reporters outside the courthouse.

Testimony during the two-month trial focused on police misconduct and the relationship between the parties. Police admitted to using red plastic cups to collect blood evidence and a leaf blower to try to clear snow and expose evidence. The lead detective admitted to making vulgar statements about Read in text messages from his private cellphone.

Experts disagreed on whether O’Keefe’s injuries were consistent with being hit by Read’s luxury SUV, which had a broken taillight. The defense argued the injuries were caused by an argument and the family’s aggressive dog, Albert.

As the drama unfolded in the courtroom, dozens of Read supporters dressed in pink gathered outside each day, carrying “Free Karen Read” signs and attacking her as she arrived each day. Drivers honked their horns to show their support. A smaller group of people also showed up to convict Read.

Prosecutors cited testimony from several first responders who testified that Read admitted to hitting O’Keefe — saying, “I hit him” — as well as evidence that Read was legally drunk or close to it eight hours later, after she returned home with friends who found the body.

Several witnesses testified that the couple had a turbulent relationship that began to deteriorate. Prosecutors presented angry text messages in the hours before O’Keefe’s death. They also played voicemails from Read to O’Keefe that were left after she allegedly hit him, including one left minutes later that said, “John, I (expletive) hate you.”

Defense attorneys tried to undermine the police investigation, noting that Albert’s home was never searched for signs of a struggle involving O’Keefe and that the crime scene was not secured. They suggested that some of the evidence — such as pieces of a cracked taillight from her SUV, a broken drinking glass and even a strand of hair — was planted by police.

The turning point in the trial came when the lead investigator, state trooper Michael Proctor, took the stand. He admitted to sending offensive text messages about Read to friends, family and fellow officers during the investigation. He apologized for the language he used but insisted it had no bearing on the investigation.

In his writing, he called Read several names, including “crazy.” At one point, he wrote to his sister that he wished Read would “commit suicide,” which he told jurors was a figure of speech. And despite his relationships with several witnesses, he stuck to the case.

Two forensic experts hired by the U.S. Department of Justice during the investigation into the police handling of the case testified for the defense, presenting scientific analysis supporting their conclusion that O’Keefe’s injuries and the physical evidence did not support the prosecution’s theory that he was struck and injured by Read’s 7,000-pound (3,175 kilogram) vehicle.

O’Keefe suffered serious head trauma and other injuries but no major bruising or broken bones, which are typical of accidents caused by a vehicle impact at the speeds indicated by the SUV’s GPS and on-board computer.