An All-New ‘20/20’ Features Interview With Karen Read, the Woman Charged With Second-Degree Murder at the Center of This Summer’s Most Talked-About Trial

It’s the case that has fixated the nation: Karen Read is the woman charged with second-degree murder in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, in a tragic and controversial case that has left families and a community demanding answers.  In an all-new “20/20,” ABC News chief national correspondent Matt Gutman interviews Read, who gives her full version of events that night.

On the morning of Jan. 29, 2022, during a historic blizzard that pummeled Massachusetts, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe was found unresponsive outside in a pile of snow. “20/20” examines the night that O’Keefe and Read, a finance professional, spent the evening having drinks with friends before accepting an invitation to continue the night at a nearby home of a fellow Boston police officer. Read says she drove O’Keefe to the residence, dropping him off outside before leaving, but the homeowners and others at the residence for the afterparty said O’Keefe never entered the home.

Authorities arrested Read, charging her with second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter, and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle collision causing death. Prosecutors allege that Read intentionally backed her SUV into O’Keefe, leaving him to succumb to his injuries amidst the brutal conditions of the snowstorm. Read has pleaded not guilty to the charges and her legal team vehemently denies these allegations, claiming a cover-up. The prosecution denies any allegations of a cover-up.

In exclusive interviews with “20/20,” O’Keefe’s family and friends discuss their fears that his legacy has been lost amidst the many headlines about the case. They share their memories about the son who always dreamed of becoming a police officer and the brother who cared for his sister and best friend before her unexpected death and then took in his orphaned niece and nephew as his own.

This episode of “20/20” airs Friday, Sept. 6 (9:01-11:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC, next day on Hulu.

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Sarah Jautz
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