Karen Read jury deliberates as other famous cases took hours to days

Karen Read, a former Massachusetts financial analyst, is currently awaiting her fate after a second lengthy trial in Dedham. The 45-year-old is accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, in a drunken hit-and-run incident. O’Keefe, who had taken in his orphaned niece and nephew, appeared to want to end the relationship with Read.

The jury, who spent just under two hours deliberating on Friday, returned on Monday for their first full day of deliberation. Grace Edwards, a Massachusetts trial attorney closely following the case, mentioned that people are wondering why a verdict has not been reached yet. She believes that the jury is diligently working to understand the requirements of each count and carefully working through them.

This case is reminiscent of other high-profile murder trials, such as OJ Simpson’s trial in the 1990s for the killings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. Simpson’s trial, which lasted nine months, ended with a not guilty verdict in less than four hours. Similarly, Casey Anthony, a Florida mom accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter Caylee, was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter charges after approximately 11 hours of jury deliberation.

In another case, Scott Peterson was convicted of killing his pregnant wife Laci and their unborn child after a seven-day deliberation period. Peterson continues to maintain his innocence and is currently appealing his case. Alex Murdaugh, a former South Carolina attorney, was convicted of murdering his wife and younger son after a six-week trial, with jurors deliberating for less than three hours.

Louis Gelormino, a New York City defense attorney, mentioned that the length of jury deliberation can be indicative of the case’s outcome. He recalled a homicide trial where the jury deliberated for nine days, resulting in a hung jury. However, when the defendant was retried three months later, they were acquitted.

As the jury continues to deliberate in Read’s case, the outcome remains uncertain. The deliberation process is crucial in ensuring a fair and just verdict. The intricate details of the case, along with the jury’s careful consideration, will ultimately determine Read’s fate. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.