The choose within the Karen Learn homicide trial has declared a mistrial after the jury mentioned it was unable to achieve a unanimous consensus on the fifth day of deliberations Monday.
Learn was charged with killing her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, in January 2022.
Prosecutors allege she hit O’Keefe together with her automotive and left him to die in the midst of a snowstorm after the 2 bought into an argument earlier within the day. Learn has strenuously denied the allegations, and her attorneys alleged {that a} fellow police officer was concerned in O’Keefe’s demise and colluded with others in a cover-up.
She had pleaded not responsible to second-degree homicide, manslaughter whereas working a motorized vehicle beneath the affect and leaving the scene of a deadly accident.
After jurors instructed the court docket earlier Monday they’d been unable to achieve a consensus, Choose Beverly Cannone learn them the Tuey-Rodriguez directions and had them return to their deliberations. Per Tuey-Rogriguez, the choose could be compelled to declare a mistrial if the jury returned as soon as extra undecided.
In a observe to the court docket Monday afternoon, the jury mentioned it was unable to achieve a unanimous consensus regardless of an exhaustive deliberation course of.
“Regardless of our rigorous efforts we discover ourselves at an deadlock,” the observe, as learn aloud by Cannone, mentioned. “The deep division will not be resulting from lack of consideration however to a extreme adherence to our private beliefs and ethical compasses. To proceed to deliberate could be futile.”
In response, Cannone said, “Your service is full. I’m declaring a mistrial.”
A standing convention has been scheduled for July 22 within the case.
The Norfolk District Legal professional’s Workplace mentioned it plans to retry the case.
“First, we thank the O’Keefe household for his or her dedication and dedication to this lengthy course of,” the district legal professional’s workplace mentioned in a press release. “They maintained sight of the true core of this case — to search out justice for John O’Keefe.”
Outdoors the courthouse in Dedham, Massachusetts, Learn’s attorneys mentioned they won’t cease combating.
“Of us, that is what it appears like once you deliver false fees towards an harmless particular person,” her legal professional, Alan Jackson, instructed reporters. “The commonwealth did their worst. They introduced the load of the state primarily based on spurious fees, primarily based on compromised investigation and investigators and compromised witnesses. That is what it appears like. And guess what? They failed. They failed miserably, and so they’ll proceed to fail.”