DEDHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - A new prosecutor is set to oversee the Karen Read murder case when it goes before a jury for the second time early next year following an announcement from the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday.
Read is facing charges including second degree murder in connection with the January 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe.
After years of pretrial proceedings, the jury in her first trial failed to reach a verdict, prompting Judge Beverly Cannone to declare a mistrial.
With Read’s new trial currently scheduled to begin in January 2025, Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey announced he had tapped former prosecutor-turned defense attorney Hank Brennan as a special assistant district attorney assigned to the Read case.
“Attorney Brennan is a highly respected and skilled former prosecutor and long-time defense attorney with over 25 years of experience in state and federal courts,” Morrissey said in a statement.
Morrissey said Brennan “has expertise handling complex law enforcement matters.”
“I look forward to Attorney Brennan working in concert with the trial team of Assistant District Attorneys Adam Lally, Laura McLaughlin, and Caleb Schillinger,” Morrissey continued.
Brennan’s courtroom experience includes time spent as a defense attorney for Whitey Bulger in his high-profile 2013 trial.
Brennan addressed his new role in a statement, saying “I assume full responsibility and all obligations for prosecuting this case and will do so meticulously, ethically, and zealously, without compromise.”
Brennan said he has “two core obligations” as he eyes his new role. Among those, he said he must “make certain that Karen Read receives a fair trial.” Brennan said he must also “ensure that the facts surrounding John O’Keefe’s death are fully and fairly aired in the courtroom without outside influence.”
“I guarantee that I will work tirelessly with the trial team to prepare this case for trial in January of 2025,” Brennan said.
Prosecutors claim Read hit O’Keefe with her car and left him to die outside the home of a fellow Boston police officer.
Her defense claims she is being framed, saying O’Keefe actually died after a fight inside the house.
Lally, who is scheduled to remain on the trial team for Read’s new trial, became a familiar face for court watchers during proceedings earlier this year when he served as the lone voice questioning witnesses for the prosecution.
As the Norfolk DA makes adjustments ahead of new proceedings, Read has also altered her roster of defense attorneys, adding lawyer Martin Weinberg for a hearing in August where her team asked Judge Beverly Cannone to dismiss two of the three charges against her.
Fellow defense attorney Alan Jackson responded to Wednesday’s announcement from the DA Morrissey in a statement, saying “The news that Michael Morrissey has decided to use taxpayer funds to hire an outside lawyer to prosecute this case speaks volumes about his confidence in his own team.”
“They can bring anyone they want to court,” Jackson said. “We will beat this unjust prosecution, just like we did the last time. Like we’ve said to Mr. Morrissey previously, do your worst. We’ll see you in court.”
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)