Future Crimes of the Centuries? The Death of John O’Keefe and the Trials of Karen Read

Crimes of the Centuries

Amber Hunt and Audioboom

History, Documentary, Society & Culture, True Crime

4.7 • 4K Ratings

🗓️ 25 August 2025

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week on Crimes of the Centuries, we’re breaking from tradition. Instead of a crime from decades past, we’re looking at a case that’s still shaping headlines — and raising questions that may take years to answer. When Boston police officer John O’Keefe was found dead in the snow outside a fellow cop’s home, his girlfriend, Karen Read, was accused of running him down with her SUV in a fit of drunken rage. Prosecutors said it was an open-and-shut case. But as two trials unfolded, evidence of sloppy policing, possible cover-ups, and investigative misconduct began to surface. With insights from journalist Rebecca Lavoie, we examine the tangled relationships, explosive allegations, and courtroom battles that turned this into one of the most contentious cases Massachusetts has ever seen. Will history remember the death of John O’Keefe as a tragic accident, a conspiracy, or a crime of the century?

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes on the Grab Bag Patreon page.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Some crimes are so heartbreaking or shocking. They change laws, change society, or even
0:12.4	earn the label, Crime of the Century. But the stories that made headlines and decades past
0:18.9	aren't necessarily remembered today.
0:21.6	I'm Amber Hunt, a journalist and author, and in each episode of this show, I'll examine a case that's maybe lesser known today, but was huge when it happened.
0:32.6	This is Crimes of the Centuries.
0:56.5	It was after midnight on January 29, 2022, when Karen Reed pulled her SUV into a quiet cul-de-sac in Canton, Massachusetts,
1:03.4	snow swirled under the headlights of her Lexus as she stopped in front of 34 Fairview Road,
1:10.6	the home of Boston Police Officer Brian Albert. Her boyfriend, John O'Keefe, a 46-year-old Boston cop himself, sat beside her in the passenger seat.
1:14.8	They'd been out drinking with friends, and the night could have been winding down, if not for an invitation to a bit of an after-party at Albert's home.
1:24.3	Karen barely knew the people inside this house, but she knew enough to wonder if she should feel uneasy.
1:31.7	Among those gathered for the after-party was a man with whom she'd shared a brief flirtation,
1:37.4	a history that, depending on who you ask, could have added tension to the night.
1:43.0	But John seemed eager to join the group.
1:46.0	The plan was simple.
1:47.4	He'd head in, check the vibe, and text Karen if she should come inside.
1:52.4	She waited in the driveway, engine running, snow falling harder.
1:57.3	Minutes ticked by.
1:59.1	Six, eight, ten, no sign of John.
2:02.9	No call, no text, no wave from the door.
2:06.8	Sitting there in the dark, her anger flared.
2:10.1	Had he just left her sitting there like an idiot?
2:13.1	Maybe worse, was he sneaking around?
	...

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