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DEDHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - Jurors in the ongoing Karen Read murder trial ended their fourth day of deliberations without a verdict Friday, heading home for the weekend with nationwide attention still focused on Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham.
Earlier Friday afternoon, in a note near 12:15 p.m., the jury said they had not reached a unanimous decision despite an “exhaustive” review of the evidence.
Just a few hours later, near 3:30 p.m., jurors asked for more time to continue deliberating, asking Judge Beverly Cannone to keep meeting until 4:15 p.m. Still without unanimous agreement, jurors are scheduled to continue deliberating on Monday.
The prosecution and the defense delivered closing arguments on Tuesday. Deliberations soon got underway.
Come Friday, lawyers for the prosecution and the defense argued for next steps after Cannone read the jury’s early afternoon note, with Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally arguing against ending deliberations and declaring a mistrial.
Lally said the jury’s note did not explicitly say jurors could not reach a verdict.
“It just says that they haven’t come to a conclusion through their deliberative process,” he said.
Defense attorney David Yannetti disagreed.
“The word ‘exhaustive’ is the word, I think, that’s operative here,” he said. “They’re communicating to the court that they’ve exhausted all manner of compromise, all manner of persuasion and they’re at an impasse.”
“They’ve been working nonstop over the past few days,” Yannetti said.
Cannone cited the length of the trial and the length of deliberations in her response.
After hearing from 74 witnesses and after admitting 657 exhibits as evidence in the case, Cannone said “I’m not prepared to find that there have been due and thorough deliberations at this point.”
“We all know how hard you’ve been working,” Cannone told the jury. “Lunch will be arriving shortly. When it comes, I would ask you to clear your heads, have lunch and begin your deliberations again, or continue your deliberations.”
Read is facing three charges including second degree murder, OUI manslaughter, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident after prosecutors said she hit her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, with her SUV and left him to die outside the Canton home of Brian and Nicole Albert.
Her defense team has said she is being framed, saying O’Keefe actually died after a fight inside the home.
More than two years after O’Keefe died, jurors started hearing evidence in the case in late April. Jurors had completed roughly 17 hours of deliberations before sending their note to Cannone on Friday.
Read and her team did not respond to questions from reporters while leaving Norfolk Superior Court after discussing the jury note.
Read could receive a life sentence if convicted on the murder charge against her. The OUI manslaughter charge is punishable by five to 20 years in prison. A conviction on the charge of leaving the scene of a fatal accident could put Read behind bars for up to 10 years.
With her fate in the jury’s hands, Read’s many supporters have continued to gather outside the courthouse, cheering Read’s arrivals and departures and anxiously awaiting a verdict.
“It’s a little disheartening,” said one supporter when asked about the delay on Thursday.
Read has mingled with her supporters, at times, pausing to take a photo with a 12-year-old fan Thursday afternoon.
The two share a similar medical condition and Read gave the child words of encouragement.
On Friday, in addition to supporters, several Read protesters gathered. Some held signs, with one reading “Karen Read is guilty.”
Though testimony is done, a 200-foot buffer zone designed to keep supporters and protesters away from the actual courthouse remains in effect. State police have also stepped up security, staffing troopers around barricades and the throngs of people in the area.
This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.
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