My Deep Dive with Vinnie Politan on the Verdict, Turtleboy, and Possibility of Wrongful Death Suit Against Karen Read?

Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield

True Crime

4.6 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 19 June 2025

⏱️ 68 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Protesters in pink, waving American flags, chanting “Free Karen,” and yes… someone even showed up in a full German shepherd mask with a sign that said, "I bit him, I bit him, I bit him."

After seven long weeks of explosive testimony… clashing experts… and more sidebars than anyone bargained for… the wait is finally over. On Wednesday, after nearly 16 hours of deliberation, spanning four days, the jurors finally came to an agreement: not guilty on everything except the lesser charge of operating a vehicle under the influence.

In this episode, Ashleigh Banfield reunites with Court TV’s Vinnie Politan to unpack the surreal scene outside the Karen Read courthouse, where the crowd wasn’t just passionate, they were convinced she was framed. Vinnie shares what made this case unlike anything he’s ever seen, including how quickly the spotlight shifted from Read to Turtleboy, the blogger-turned-defendant facing his own day in court. They dive deep into what’s next for Karen, the real chances of a wrongful death suit, and the family still seeking justice for John O’Keefe. Plus, Ashleigh and Vinnie tackle the Diddy sex trafficking case, RICO charges, and whether Bryan Kohberger’s Idaho murder trial is about to get derailed.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey everyone, I'm Ashley Banfield and this is Drop Dead serious.
0:07.0	After seven long weeks of explosive testimony, clashing experts and more sidebars than anybody bargained for,
0:15.0	the weight is finally over and a verdict has finally been reached in the Karen Reed murder trial.
0:22.8	It did not come easy, though. Closing arguments wrapped up on Friday, and the case was in the
0:27.5	jury's hands by the afternoon just in time for about two hours of deliberating before breaking
0:33.0	for the weekend. On Monday, all eyes were on the courthouse. Many people believed a verdict was on the
0:39.5	way, but at the end of the day, nothing. Nada. Tuesday brought more of the same, but also some
0:46.5	activity from the jury that caused that familiar knot in your stomach, reminiscent of Karen
0:52.0	Reed's first trial. And I got more on that in just a
0:54.5	moment. Because Tuesday, the jury sent four questions to Judge Beverly Canoni. Most of them
1:00.8	related to the three charges against Karen Reed, second degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while
1:07.0	operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.
1:12.8	One question was asked about timing. Was Karen allegedly under the influence when she left
1:18.5	John O'Keefe at the House on Fairview Road? Or was she under the influence later when she went back
1:24.3	out to find him at 5 a.m.? And the judge's answer was, since it wasn't listed
1:29.3	in the indictment, it wasn't appropriate for the judge to give them a time frame. And she told the
1:34.6	jury it was simply up to them to decide. Another question asked whether video clips from Karen
1:41.2	Reed's media appearances could be considered as evidence. And to that,
1:45.1	that was easy. The judge said yes. And then came a question about convicting Karen Reed on a lesser
1:52.4	charge, basically splitting the charge of vehicular manslaughter while operating under the influence.
2:00.4	They wanted to know if it was two different things, two separate charges, manslaughter while operating under the influence. They wanted to know if it was two
2:02.2	different things, two separate charges, manslaughter and also operating a vehicle under the influence.
	...

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