Going into jury deliberations for Karen Read’s second murder trial, the outcome of acquittal was anything but certain.
At least one juror told interviewers afterwards that she was leaning toward guilty as she met with her fellow jurors to deliberate.
Janet Jimenez, in an interview with WCVB, told the news outlet that she had filled up a notebook and a half with notes on evidence and witness testimony.
“I was hoping that my fellow jurors could help me to go through all of this,” Jimenez said during the interview. “So I went in with a very open mind but definitely leaning toward that she was guilty.”
Read, 45, was charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident causing injury or death in the 2022 death of her police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, who was found in the snow outside the Canton home of a fellow Boston police officer.
The jury acquitted Read of the three most serious charges — second-degree murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene of an accident — but was convicted of operating under the influence.
That verdict ended a near three-year saga as well as two trials, the first ending in a mistrial.
Jimenez, who WCVB identified as a personal trainer, said she felt it was highly likely she would be selected to be a juror because she knew almost nothing about the case — unlike many who had followed along with the first trial.
Jimenez told WCVB that she found the defense’s argument about a Google search for “hos long to die in cold” hours before O’Keefe’s body was found unconvincing, and that she found lead investigator Michael Proctor’s text messages about Read “crude” but not proof of a coverup.
What eventually swayed Jimenez was when she went looking for something among the 200 pieces of evidence, but didn’t find it.
Jimenez wouldn’t tell WCVB what it was she was looking for, but when it didn’t turn up, that was meaningful to her.
“It was one big part that led me closer to ‘there’s a lot of doubt,’” she said.
Jimenez and the other jurors had a long period of deliberations. Overall it took about 22 hours for the seven women and five men to come to their decision.
The jurors sent four notes to presiding judge Beverly Cannone and had a false start on Wednesday before delivering their verdict.
Jimenez said she stands by her decision.
“I’m very comfortable with how I came to the decision,” she said. “So I guess it will be part of my story.”
That echoes another juror who has come forward, Paula Prado, who told the Today show she was convinced Read was not guilty and that “We did the right thing.”
MassLive reporter Charlie McKenna contributed to this article.
