Before her second trial even began, accused murderer Karen Read told Vanity Fair she owed her attorneys more than $5 million in deferred fees.
“If I can get the entire truth of this case out in the public forum, that, to me, is priceless,” the accused murderer told Vanity Fair.
Read told Vanity Fair she’s living off of what’s left of her 401(k) retirement fund after losing her jobs as a Fidelity Investments equities analyst and Bentley University finance professor after being arrested and charged with the murder of her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, in Canton, Massachusetts.
She told the magazine she owed he defense team more than $5 million as of last fall.
The defense has also added two attorneys since the first trial: Robert Alessi and Victoria George, who is a former alternate juror from Read’s first trial. David Yannetti, Alan Jackson and Elizabeth Little also remain on Read’s team. That can’t be cheap.
So how is Read paying these defense costs?
The background of the Karen Read murder trials
Prosecutors say Read and O’Keefe had been drinking at a Canton bar with friends and acquaintances before they got into an argument. They say she hit him with her SUV outside the home of Brian Albert, who was hosting an after-party, shortly before 12:30 a.m.
But Read’s lawyers say Read dropped O’Keefe off at Albert’s home, and that O’Keefe was fatally beaten inside before his body was planted on the front lawn. They say she was then framed for his death.
Read is charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while driving drunk and leaving the scene of personal injury and death.
Online fundraiser to support Karen Read
A Justice for Karen Read legal defense fund, organized by Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP, has raised more than $900,000 from more than 11,000 donors. Donations have continued to flow during her second trial.
One donor, Amber Carrico, recently contributed $100 recently.
“Looking forward to the day the weight of the world is finally removed from your back,” Carrico wrote on the donation. “Sending you love, prayers, and endless strength from Utah.”
Read sold her Mansfield home for $810,000. The four-bedroom, three-bathroom home was listed for $849,000 in July. The sale closed on November 13, 2024.
Supporters hold events to raise funds
Read supporters from across the state and beyond have held events to raise funds for her defense.
For example, two Read supporters recently held a cocktail-style party at Toscana Forno in Peabody. Tickets were $100 with all proceeds going to Read’s defense fund.
Members of the Free Karen Read movement have also sold T-shirts and other gear and held various events and auctions to raise money for her cause.
