Opening statements began Tuesday in the retrial of Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman accused in connection with the death of her boyfriend, a Boston police officer.Jury selection concluded on April 15, after 10 days of work over three weeks. Eighteen people were selected to serve in the case. After closing arguments, 12 will be selected to deliberate and others will be alternates.Read, 45, of Mansfield, a former adjunct professor at Bentley University, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges.The prosecution says she hit her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, with her Lexus SUV outside of a home in Canton during a snowstorm on Jan. 29, 2022, following a night of drinking. Read’s attorneys indicated they again plan to pursue a third-party culprit defense strategy, arguing that someone else was responsible for killing O’Keefe and that Read is the victim of a law enforcement cover-up.Special prosecutor Hank Brennan began by describing the scene, saying EMTs encountered Read screaming and O’Keefe lying in the snow when they arrived outside 34 Fairview Road. Brennan said one of the EMTs who was working on the victim looked up and heard Read say, “I hit him, I hit him, I hit him.”Video below: Prosecution’s opening statementHe told the jurors that O’Keefe’s cellphone contains “remarkable data that you will use to find the truth.” After Read was charged, Brennan said she began a “campaign” to prove her innocence and gave numerous interviews to the media, including one with “Dateline” that aired on Oct. 18, 2024, which was played in court.“I mean, I didn’t think I hit him, but could I have clipped him? Could I have tapped him in the knee and incapacitated him? He didn’t look mortally wounded, as far as I could see, but could I have done something that knocked him out and in (his) drunkenness and in the cold didn’t come to again,” Read said in the “Dateline” interview.“And this would have been the moment you dropped him off at the party?” she was asked.“Yeah, yeah, it would have had to have been,” Read said.The defense opened their case with attorney Alan Jackson telling the jury “data and evidence” will show that O’Keefe did not die from being struck by a vehicle. He said O’Keefe’s death was a “tragic loss,” but the investigation was “corrupted” by “incompetence” and “deceit,” carried out by “disgraced” members of law enforcement.“The scientific evidence and the medical evidence will establish that John O’Keefe had to be injured somewhere else – somewhere warmer – and his body had to have been moved out into the cold. And that is where, ultimately, at 6 a.m., Karen found him the next morning,” Jackson said.The evidence will show that no injuries on O’Keefe’s body are consistent with a car accident, “despite the commonwealth’s contention that he was slammed into by a 6,000-pound SUV,” Jackson said.Since her first trial, which ended with a hung jury, Read has continued to contest the charges and expand her legal team. She now has five lawyers in the courtroom with her, including Victoria George, who served as an alternate juror during Read’s first trial.The prosecution is also being led by a new attorney. Brennan, who was previously a member of James “Whitey” Bulger’s defense team in 2013, was appointed as a special assistant district attorney to guide the retrial.Based on the intense, ongoing interest in the case, Judge Beverly Cannone reinstated and expanded the buffer zone outside the courthouse. She said the jury from the first trial reported hearing demonstrators outside screaming and yelling during deliberations. The judge said the zone is necessary to prevent outside influence, interruption and distraction, but protesters are challenging the order in court. What to know about the case:Karen Read, 45, of Mansfield, pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges. The prosecution says she hit her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, with her vehicle outside of a home in Canton during a snowstorm on Jan. 29, 2022, following a night of drinking. Read’s defense team argues that someone else was responsible for killing O’Keefe.The defense centered on allegations of a cover-up involving members of several law enforcement agencies. They say O’Keefe was beaten inside the home, bitten by a dog and then left outside.Testimony in Read’s first trial began on April 29, 2024, following opening statements. It ended on July 1, when jurors reported being hopelessly deadlocked, and a mistrial was declared.Read’s team vowed to keep fighting, and her defense has waged a considerable battle across multiple courts, attempting to get charges dropped or have the case thrown out entirely. Meanwhile, a federal investigation into the case concluded without any charges being filed against police.Ultimately, jury selection for Read’s retrial began on April 1 and continued through April 15. Eighteen jurors were selected, 12 of whom will deliberate on the verdicts. Alternates will be selected and separated from the deliberating jurors before deliberations begin.

DEDHAM, Mass. —Opening statements began Tuesday in the retrial of Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman accused in connection with the death of her boyfriend, a Boston police officer.

Jury selection concluded on April 15, after 10 days of work over three weeks. Eighteen people were selected to serve in the case. After closing arguments, 12 will be selected to deliberate and others will be alternates.

Read, 45, of Mansfield, a former adjunct professor at Bentley University, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges.

The prosecution says she hit her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, with her Lexus SUV outside of a home in Canton during a snowstorm on Jan. 29, 2022, following a night of drinking. Read’s attorneys indicated they again plan to pursue a third-party culprit defense strategy, arguing that someone else was responsible for killing O’Keefe and that Read is the victim of a law enforcement cover-up.

Special prosecutor Hank Brennan began by describing the scene, saying EMTs encountered Read screaming and O’Keefe lying in the snow when they arrived outside 34 Fairview Road.

Brennan said one of the EMTs who was working on the victim looked up and heard Read say, “I hit him, I hit him, I hit him.”

Video below: Prosecution’s opening statement

He told the jurors that O’Keefe’s cellphone contains “remarkable data that you will use to find the truth.”

After Read was charged, Brennan said she began a “campaign” to prove her innocence and gave numerous interviews to the media, including one with “Dateline” that aired on Oct. 18, 2024, which was played in court.

“I mean, I didn’t think I hit him, but could I have clipped him? Could I have tapped him in the knee and incapacitated him? He didn’t look mortally wounded, as far as I could see, but could I have done something that knocked him out and in (his) drunkenness and in the cold didn’t come to again,” Read said in the “Dateline” interview.

“And this would have been the moment you dropped him off at the party?” she was asked.

“Yeah, yeah, it would have had to have been,” Read said.

The defense opened their case with attorney Alan Jackson telling the jury “data and evidence” will show that O’Keefe did not die from being struck by a vehicle.

He said O’Keefe’s death was a “tragic loss,” but the investigation was “corrupted” by “incompetence” and “deceit,” carried out by “disgraced” members of law enforcement.

“The scientific evidence and the medical evidence will establish that John O’Keefe had to injured somewhere else – somewhere warmer – and his body had to have been moved out into the cold. And that is where, ultimately, at 6 a.m., Karen found him the next morning,” Jackson said.

The evidence will show that no injuries on O’Keefe’s body are consistent with a car accident, “despite the commonwealth’s contention that he was slammed into by a 6,000-pound SUV,” Jackson said.

Since her first trial, which ended with a hung jury, Read has continued to contest the charges and expand her legal team. She now has five lawyers in the courtroom with her, including Victoria George, who served as an alternate juror during Read’s first trial.

The prosecution is also being led by a new attorney. Brennan, who was previously a member of James “Whitey” Bulger’s defense team in 2013, was appointed as a special assistant district attorney to guide the retrial.

Based on the intense, ongoing interest in the case, Judge Beverly Cannone reinstated and expanded the buffer zone outside the courthouse. She said the jury from the first trial reported hearing demonstrators outside screaming and yelling during deliberations. The judge said the zone is necessary to prevent outside influence, interruption and distraction, but protesters are challenging the order in court.

What to know about the case:

Karen Read, 45, of Mansfield, pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges. The prosecution says she hit her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, with her vehicle outside of a home in Canton during a snowstorm on Jan. 29, 2022, following a night of drinking.

Read’s defense team argues that someone else was responsible for killing O’Keefe.

The defense centered on allegations of a cover-up involving members of several law enforcement agencies. They say O’Keefe was beaten inside the home, bitten by a dog and then left outside.

Testimony in Read’s first trial began on April 29, 2024, following opening statements. It ended on July 1, when jurors reported being hopelessly deadlocked, and a mistrial was declared.

Read’s team vowed to keep fighting, and her defense has waged a considerable battle across multiple courts, attempting to get charges dropped or have the case thrown out entirely. Meanwhile, a federal investigation into the case concluded without any charges being filed against police.

Ultimately, jury selection for Read’s retrial began on April 1 and continued through April 15. Eighteen jurors were selected, 12 of whom will deliberate on the verdicts. Alternates will be selected and separated from the deliberating jurors before deliberations begin.