The Karen Read case returned to court on Friday, with defense attorneys seeking dismissal of two charges against her.
Every twist in this case hits home and divides the city of Canton.
The uncertain outcome of the case and its impact on the city are taking their toll.
“I think the city is divided,” said local resident Donna Lacivita. “Everyone has a point of view, of course.”
Read is accused of hitting and killing her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, a Boston police officer, with her SUV in January 2022. Her legal team argued she was the victim of an elaborate police cover-up, pointed the finger at a family of Canton residents and questioned the reliability of the city’s police department. With the trial ending in a mistrial, there is still no closure for O’Keefe and the city.
The international attention the case received came in a variety of forms, from allegations that bleach-filled balloons were thrown at homes to Jonathan Comeau spending Tuesday night dressed as a chicken, fuming about what he saw as the Select Board’s lack of transparency.
Several jurors who were involved in the case now allegedly claim that during deliberations the entire jury was of the opinion that Read was not guilty of either premeditated murder or of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.
“I look ridiculous, yes, I look ridiculous, but I’m not crazy. I’m here looking ridiculous to show how ridiculous their actions are,” Comeau told NBC10 Boston.
“As Mark Twain once said, we are all like the moon, we all have a dark side that you don’t see,” said Jeffrey Zeizel, director of the Center for Health Resources and a clinical social worker. He says that for many, what was once an interest has turned into a passion. Given that, it’s no surprise that the divisions can run so deep.
“I think it’s partly narcissism. It’s an element that says, ‘You’re clearly wrong because I think the same way,'” Zeizel said.
Attorney Brian Simoneau says an unprecedented case is triggering an unprecedented reaction among those who feel so closely intertwined with what is happening.
It has also brought outsiders to town and to the courthouse in Dedham, some of whom used their vacation days to make signs and express their support for the dead or Read.
“It is unbelievable the damage this has done to the community of Canton. There is still a lot of healing and redemption to be done because this case will leave scars for years to come, no matter the outcome,” Simoneau said.
Although much is still uncertain about how the case will proceed, the investigation is underway. The investigative committee is awaiting the results of an independent review of the police department. And, as experts say, there will be a way forward as long as the other side is willing to listen.
