Welcome back to Mama Mystery. I am your host, Kelly, and today we are talking about the Karen

Reed case. This is day four, I believe. Before we begin, I think it would be helpful to clearly outline

exactly what Karen Reed is being charged

with and what potential outcomes could look like. So Karen is being charged with three things. The first

one is second degree murder. This means she's accused of intentionally killing John O'Keefe

without premeditation. If convicted, she could face life in prison. Number two, she's charged

with manslaughter while operating under the

influence. It's also abbreviated as OUI manslaughter. This charge alleges that she caused

John O'Keefe's death by driving under the influence of alcohol. Number three, she's charged with

leaving the scene of a collision causing death. This implies that she left the accident scene

without stopping to call for help or

assistance. So could the jury consider lesser charges? Yes, they can. If the jury isn't convinced

beyond a reasonable doubt that she is guilty of the more serious charges, then they have the option

to consider lesser offenses. So they could consider involuntary manslaughter, and this would

suggest that she caused John O'Keefe's death through reckless or negligent actions without intending to

kill him. They could also find her guilty of motor vehicle homicide instead, and this charge applies

if someone causes a death while operating a vehicle negligently or recklessly. Now, these lesser charges carry lighter sentences, of course, but still represent serious

felonies.

For second-degree murder, it carries a possible sentence of life in prison with eligibility for

parole after 15 years.

For OUI manslaughter, the possible sentence is a minimum mandatory sentence of five years,

with a maximum sentence of up to 20 years.

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