S20EP2: Secrets in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read

Mystery and Murder: Analysis by Dr. Phil

Dr. Phil McGraw

True Crime, Society & Culture, News

4.4 • 10.1K Ratings

🗓️ 18 September 2025

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The prosecution says Karen Read ran over John O’Keefe. The defense says she was framed. Dr. Phil analyzes the explosive retrial and the theories that divided a jury.

The drama continues in part two of Secrets in the Snow. Prosecutors presented DNA, taillight fragments, and voicemails to argue that Karen Read fatally struck her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe. But the defense countered with an alternate story: John was attacked inside the house, bitten by a dog, and dumped outside while a cover-up unfolded. Dr. Phil examines the dueling narratives, the explosive testimony, and the mistrial that left the case unresolved while the court of public opinion raged louder than ever.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Quick update before we begin. The trial of Karen Reed has officially ended. A Massachusetts
0:07.0	jury acquitted her, finding her innocent in the death of her boyfriend, Officer John O'Keefe.
0:14.8	Supporters celebrated the victory, while some in law enforcement voiced frustration and concern about the outcome.
0:24.6	One juror told today that they were confident they made the right decision after reviewing
0:31.2	all the evidence.
0:47.3	Welcome. Welcome back to Mystery and Murder Analysis by Dr. Phil, where we dive into the stories that keep you and me up at night.
0:51.6	The ones that make people want to scour Reddit for any tiny new nugget or piece of
0:56.4	information. Tonight, we're continuing to dive deep into a case that is as puzzling as it is
1:04.2	chilling. It has more twist and turns than a thriller novel, and it's all unfolding for a second time right now in a Massachusetts court.
1:15.6	Be sure and click subscribe and follow down below so you don't miss any of the information or episodes that we're bringing to you about this particular story. Let's reset the scene.
1:29.3	Karen Reid, 44, pleaded not guilty to charges
1:34.3	including second-degree murder in the death of John O'Keefe,
1:39.3	her boyfriend of two years,
1:41.3	who also happened to be a Boston police officer.
1:46.3	Now, prosecutors claim Karen hit John with her car after a night of partying and
1:52.8	drunk and fighting, leaving him to die in the snowbank outside the home of one of his close
1:58.0	friends. And the prosecution presented some pretty hefty evidence to support their theory about what
2:05.3	went down that snowy night in 2022.
2:09.4	Witnesses who were at the scene when John's body was discovered claimed Karen was frantic,
2:15.6	and that she admitted out loud that she was fearful she had run over,
2:21.5	John, and was so drunk she didn't remember it. DNA found on her car matched his DNA.
2:31.4	Pieces of Karen's taill light were discovered at the scene.
	...

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