DEDHAM – Just minutes after the judge handed down his sentence. The judgment was declared invalid In Karen Reed murder case With the jury unable to reach a consensus, Massachusetts prosecutors have revealed their next move.
“The state intends to retry this case,” Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey said in a statement.
When will Karen Reed be back in court?
Judge Beverly Cannone is scheduled to hold a briefing in Norfolk Superior Court at 2 p.m. on July 22. Reed is scheduled to appear in court with his attorney, David Yannetti.
Legal analyst Jennifer Roman previously told WBZ-TV that it could be months, or even a year, before another trial takes place. In a place where many people’s opinions are already set, it could be difficult to get a trial, Roman said.
“If this case has to be retried, we’re going to have to go back to the same people, the same Norfolk County jury, and we’re going to have to go back to a group of people who know absolutely nothing about this case. That’s going to be extremely difficult,” Roman said.
Former Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Jack Lew said the state’s quick reinvolvement in the case, and Judge Cannone’s scheduling of a status conference for July, demonstrate a very diligent effort to get the Karen Reed retrial underway.
“There could be a small appeal process that is not fully considered and, if there is one, it could be delayed for a few months; or, if there is a full appeal process, the trial could be delayed for a year or more,” Judge Lu said.
What was Karen Reed charged with?
Reid was accused In January 2022, she was arrested on suspicion of running over her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, with her SUV in Canton, Massachusetts, and leaving him in the snow for his death.
Reed, 44, of Mansfield, is charged with second-degree murder, DUI manslaughter and leaving the scene of a fatality. If convicted of murder, Reed faces life in prison with the possibility of parole.
What happens next for Karen Reed?
WBZ-TV lead investigator Cheryl Fiandaca, who is also an attorney, said after the annulment that “anything could happen.”
“There could be a plea bargain. Additionally, she could appeal the case and indicate that there shouldn’t be a retrial because there wasn’t enough evidence to convict her,” Fiandaca said. “And the prosecutor could decide to settle the charges and drop the second-degree murder charge if they think that was an issue and that might be why the jury couldn’t reach a verdict.”
