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Karen Read's retrial starts Tuesday. What's different from the first?
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It’s April 1. Don’t be made a fool by the Red Line diversion that begins today; we had all the details in yesterday’s newsletter.
To the news:
Round two: Jury selection begins today in the retrial of Karen Read. Read’s first trial — for allegedly hitting and killing her Boston police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe with an SUV in Canton in 2022 — ended in a hung jury last July. The case garnered national attention, as Read’s supporters popularized the defense’s theory that she was the victim of an elaborate cover-up. Now, eight months and a couple documentaries later, the case returns to the same Dedham courthouse for the retrial. The charges and many of the key players are the same, but it won’t be an exact replica of the first trial. Here’s a look at what’s different:
- The evidence: Last month, a judge allowed prosecutors to submit data from phones belonging to Aidan Kearney, the local blogger known as Turtleboy, into evidence for the retrial. Prosecutors say Read and her legal team talked often with Kearney, who championed her professed innocence and theories that a third-party killed O’Keefe. (He’s also been charged with witness intimidation.)
- The lawyers: There’s also a new lead prosecutor, Boston lawyer Hank Brennan. According to the Associated Press, Brennan has a history of representing big clients, such as James “Whitey” Bulger. Experts think he might be more forceful arguing the case against Read than the previous prosecutor. Meanwhile, in an unusual move, Read’s side added a juror from her first trial to her defense team last week. Victoria George, a lawyer who served as an alternate juror, previously told WBZ the trial left her “questioning the integrity of the system.”
- The witnesses: Read’s brother and father have been added to the prosecution’s list of possible witnesses, amid questions about why Read called her family in the wee hours the night of O’Keefe’s death. Former lead investigator Michael Proctor could also return to the stand, despite being fired after he had to recite derogatory texts he sent about Read during the first trial. Both sides have him listed as a possible witness.
- Go deeper: Read NPR’s full guide to the retrial here.
April Fools' Day came early to Boston’s mayoral race. Last week, multiple outlets reported local real estate developer Thomas O’Brien would throw his hat in the ring; he even reportedly had a spot picked out for the announcement. But yesterday, O’Brien announced he changed his mind. “After many conversations with people I know, trust and admire, I’ve decided not to pursue a political candidacy at this time,” O’Brien said in a statement to WBUR’s Simón Rios.
- Where does the race stand now? Here’s a look at everyone who is running — or considering a run — to be mayor of Boston.
PSA: Applications reopen today for Boston’s e-bike voucher program. The city plans to dole out about 1,000 vouchers ranging from $800 to $2,400 to help more residents buy e-bikes (including adaptive e-bikes) and “address historic inequities in transportation access.”
- Who’s eligible? The program is limited to adults living in Boston who are either 60 or older, living with a disability or make less than 40% of the area’s median income ($45,720 a year, if you’re single).
- Wait, there’s more: Each recipient will also get a $150 voucher to buy bicycle safety equipment, like helmets, locks, lights and more.
In other news on two wheels: Bluebikes is offering no-strings-attached $20 credits to help commuters get through this year’s MBTA diversions. That’s the equivalent of up to six free trips.
- The only rule is you need the Bluebikes app to claim it. (Just enter the code BLUECROSSMAMBTA into the app’s “Rewards” section.)
Food trucks return to the Rose Kennedy Greenway today. As WBUR’s Stevee Chapman reports, this year’s lineup features 22 vendors, including four new trucks: Mi Corazon Taqueria, Hungry Nomads, Suya Joint and Butter “UR” Biscuit. Natalie Ng, the Greenway Conservancy’s program manager, says they’re also adding lunchtime programming like live music and lawn games.
- Where and when to go: See the daily food truck schedule here. While the trucks are just at Dewey Square and Rowes Wharf Plaza for now, Ng says they plan to expand to more spots, like The Rings Fountain and Trillium Garden, in the coming weeks.
P.S.— This morning is your chance to maximize your support for WBUR. If you donate to our spring fundraiser before 10 a.m., your gift will get a dollar-for-dollar match. Thanks for your support!
