KAREN: THE RETRIAL
In Season 1 of KAREN, we unpacked the explosive case of Karen Read, accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, with her SUV. After the first trial ended in a hung jury, the high-stakes case of Karen Read returns to court—and the pressure has never been greater. In KAREN: THE RETRIAL, we return to the courtroom—where the stakes are higher, the drama is deeper, and the fight for truth is far from over. KAREN: THE RETRIAL isn’t just about the verdict—it’s about power, perception, and who gets to write the story. Investigative Reporter Kristin Thorne is embedded at the heart of the action, bringing exclusive interviews, expert analysis, and real-time reporting from inside the courtroom. With new prosecutors, a relentless defense, and a public obsessed with every twist, we ask: Is Karen Read the victim of a malicious prosecution—or is there finally enough evidence to convict? And in a trial tried as much in the media as in court, how much does the truth even matter? KAREN: THE RETRIAL is your front-row seat to a legal battle where reputations, lives, and the very meaning of justice are on the line. Listen to KAREN: THE RETRIAL exclusively on Wondery+ and follow the show page to keep up on all the latest developments. You can join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.
Episodes
A stormy evening in January 2022 begins as an innocent night out for drinks with friends for a local couple in Canton, Massachusetts. But by daybreak, Boston police officer John O’Keefe turns up under six feet of snow and his girlfriend, Karen Read, is immediately suspected of striking him with her SUV - leaving him for dead.
As the investigation into John’s curious death unfurls, rumors of a police cover-up captivate...
An old flame is rekindled between suburban Massachusetts couple Karen Read and police officer John O’Keefe in 2020, but the thrill of renewed love fades -- fast. In the midst of mounting relationship woes, the two join a group of friends for drinks on a particularly stormy winter night in Canton. The evening takes a shocking turn when Karen Read is implicated in the mysterious death of her boyfriend – locally beloved John ...
On the morning of January 29th, 2022, John O’Keefe was nowhere to be found. He never came home after allegedly attending a house party in Canton. His girlfriend, Karen Read, enlists two acquaintances to help find her boyfriend. Tragically, O'Keefe turns up dead under a blanket of snow outside the home she claims to have last seen him. When first responders arrive on the scene, Karen’s behavior and damage to her vehic...
Karen Read’s defense attorneys scramble for an alternate theory as to how John O’Keefe could have met his tragic fate. Then, an anonymous tip comes in from a seemingly viable source claiming John was beaten and left for dead in the Alberts’ home on January 29th, 2022. And, Karen’s lawyers aren’t the only people who begin chasing the lead. With the unexpected help of a local blogger, a solid argument gains traction: Karen R...
In pre-trial hearings, newly entered evidence comes under scrutiny. Some of the evidence implicates Karen, while other details build a case strong enough to possibly have her case thrown out entirely. And, as the trial date grows closer, so does the number of Karen Read supporters stepping out to make their voices heard.
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The trial begins, but not without fanfare. Initial witnesses leave the jury with more questions than answers. For Karen Read’s defense, this is precisely what they hoped for. Will the prosecution be able to revive their case despite the questionable investigation?
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Key witnesses take the stand and while each one of their stories contain inconsistencies, they all agree: John O’Keefe never made it through the front door of Nicole and Brian Albert’s home. Jennifer McCabe and Brian Higgins’ digital footprints raise eyebrows and demand answers. And, first responding officer Yuri Bukhenik is confronted with suspicious surveillance footage.
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Controversial lead investigator, Trooper Michael Proctor, finally gets his chance to set the record straight. But testimony expected to clear up the alleged mishandling of the case takes a turn when Proctor’s shocking text exchanges become the focus of his two days on the stand.
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Karen Read’s trial powers through its final days as witnesses from both the prosecution and the defense continue to present conflicting testimony, leaving the jury with their work cut out for them. After lengthy closing arguments, five days of deliberation elapse before the jury returns to the courtroom. What they ultimately arrive at provides little closure, opening up yet another can of worms. Will the case of the Common...
When Luigi Mangione was arrested for allegedly shooting UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, it sent shockwaves across the country, but the aftermath was even more unsettling. While mainstream media condemned the act as a brutal murder, a very different narrative was taking shape online—one that questioned the true villains in this story. Was the alleged shooter a violent extremist, or had he become an unwitting symbol of something muc...
LAUNCHING APRIL 28TH – In Season 1 of KAREN, we unpacked the explosive case of Karen Read, accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, with her SUV.
After the first trial ended in a hung jury, the high-stakes case of Karen Read returns to court—and the pressure has never been greater. In KAREN: THE RETRIAL, we return to the courtroom—where the stakes are higher, the drama is deeper, and the f...
A dead officer, a girlfriend on trial, and a case that tore a town apart.
When John O'Keefe was found lifeless in the snow in January 2022, Karen Read said she dropped him off. Prosecutors said she left him to die.
As the high-stakes retrial begins, we recap the explosive first trial—tainted evidence, missing pieces, and a system under fire. Was it a drunken accident, a murder, or a cover-up buried beneath a blizzard of lies...
The retrial heats up—and the stakes are higher than ever.
Karen Read's defense tries to stop the case before it starts, a disgraced lead investigator becomes a ticking time bomb, and a new special prosecutor sharpens the commonwealth's attack. With a jury finally seated and opening statements fired, both sides are playing for keeps. Will the prosecution’s precision win the day, or will the defense turn a compromised investi...
The timeline is everything. And this week, the prosecution’s case hinged on one critical detail: when a Google search was made and who made it. In this episode of Karen: The Retrial, jurors are taken from the scene at 34 Fairview to the digital trail that could make or break the Commonwealth’s theory. With forensic experts reshaping the timeline and Jen McCabe back on the stand, the courtroom turned into a battleground of ...
In the third week of Karen Read’s retrial, the prosecution leans on phone logs to frame a timeline and a motive. But the defense counters with science and expert testimony that could dismantle the case entirely. As credibility battles erupt and a controversial trooper looms, the question sharpens: is this justice, or just déjà vu?
Featuring interviews with: Matt Tympanick, Rich Schoenstein, and Ian Runkle
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Host: Kristin Th...
As cracks widen in the Commonwealth’s case, Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik takes the stand…and absorbs the fallout. With key evidence unmeasured, surveillance video reversed, and critical leads ignored, his testimony reveals more than just missteps and mistakes. It raises the question: was this investigation ever built to find the truth?
Featuring interviews with: Dr. Amy Santoro
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Host: Kristin Thorne
Writer & Producer: Coope...
The prosecution says the data proves it: Karen Read backed into John O’Keefe and left him to die. But the medical examiner still won’t call it a homicide. Now that the prosecution has rested, we break down the Commonwealth’s case; what they showed, what they skipped, and why the defense thinks that silence might speak louder than science.
Featuring interviews with: Matt Tympanick, Rich Schoenstein, Ian Runkle, and Naida Rut...
The defense launches its case with a flurry of witnesses aimed at unraveling the prosecution’s theory and timeline. Each testimony adds a new piece to the puzzle, but what is the defense really trying to prove? And are they creating reasonable doubt, or just more confusion?
Featuring interviews with: Will Korman, Matt Tympanick, and Katherine Loftus
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Host: Kristin Thorne
Writer & Executive Producer: Jessica Lowther
Edito...
A taillight. A skull fracture. A cannon. The defense calls ARCCA’s Dr. Daniel Wolfe and Dr. Andrew Rentschler to challenge the state’s case with science, testing whether a thrown glass, not a car, caused the damage. Their findings? Not a smoking gun, but maybe a game-changer.
Featuring interviews with: Rich Schoenstein
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Host: Kristin Thorne
Writer & Producer: Cooper Moll
Executive Producer: Jessica Lowther
Editor: Anna Mc...
Closing arguments, jury tension, and a verdict that split the state. The Karen Read retrial reaches its explosive conclusion.
Featuring interviews with: Ian Runkle
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Host: Kristin Thorne
Writer & Producer: Cooper Moll
Executive Producer: Jessica Lowther
Editor: Anna McClain
Associate Producer: Tess Jagger-Wells
Booking Producers: Diane Kaye and Alyssa Fisher
Legal: Elizabeth Vulaj
Key Art: Sean Panzera
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