4th juror confirms Karen Read was found not guilty on 2 counts; Officer Michael Proctor suspended

Damning testimony during Read's trial led to the suspension of Massachusetts State Police Officer Michael Proctor.

ByNadine El-Bawab ABCNews logo
Thursday, July 11, 2024
Karen Read case twist as defense claims jury found her not guilty on several serious charges
Defense attorneys say jurors agreed to acquit Karen Read on 2 of the 3 counts, including murder.

BOSTON -- A fourth juror in the Karen Read trial has come forward to report that the jury found her "not guilty" of second-degree murder and leaving a scene of personal injury and death, attorneys wrote in court documents.

Read's attorneys are asking the judge to dismiss the two counts when the case goes to trial again.

RELATED: Karen Read's defense team says jurors were unanimous on acquitting her of murder

"There was no manifest necessity for a mistrial as to those counts, and therefore the Double Jeopardy protections of the federal and state Constitutions require that those counts not be retried," Read's defense attorney Alan Jackson wrote in court documents.

Judge Beverly Cannone declared the mistrial on July 1 after the jury informed her that they were deadlocked. Read's attorneys have since filed a motion to dismiss the case.

Officer suspended

Damning testimony during Read's trial led to the suspension of Massachusetts State Police Officer Michael Proctor. Trial testimony revealed Proctor was communicating with Canton Police Officer Kevin Albert during the investigation ahead of Read's murder trial.

Albert is the brother of Brian Albert, who hosted the party at the house where John O'Keefe's body was found outside. The Canton Police Department had recused itself from the investigation due to the Albert brothers' connection to the case.

Kevin Albert was also placed on paid administrative leave, according to WCVB. The Canton Police Department did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for July 22.

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