IDWith ID’s A Body In The Snow: The Trial Of Karen Read just around the corner, Dexerto caught up with Ronald “Ronnie” Estanislao, a juror on the first trial, who told us there’s far more to the verdict than meets the eye.
Is Karen Read guilty? Before 2022, no one knew this question would lead to a rising movement, a social media storm, and one of the most contentious trials of the decade. The case, which will be explored in the upcoming documentary series, started in January, when Boston police officer, John O’Keefe, was found dead in the snow.
His girlfriend Read was arrested, with prosecutors claiming she drove into O’Keefe and fled the scene. But with evidence suggesting an alternative theory, the #JusticeForKarenRead movement was born, arguing she is innocent and the victim of a conspiracy.
The first trial saw Read charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while OUI, and leaving the scene of personal injury and death. It ended with a hung jury, with a second trial set to commence in April 2025.
Is Karen Read guilty?
IDSince it was a mistrial, the answer of whether Karen Read is guilty is up for debate. However, Estanislao told Dexerto that the jury did, in fact, reach a unanimous decision on the second-degree murder charge: they agreed that she was not guilty.
He also explained that they all found her not guilty of the third charge, leaving the scene of personal injury and death. But because of a “travesty of the current justice system,” the jury were not properly informed that they could treat each charge separately.
And since they could not agree on the manslaughter while driving under the influence charge, the entire outcome was treated as a hung jury, leading to the judge declaring a mistrial.
“I believe there’s enough reasonable doubt that I cannot find her guilty of second degree murder,” said Estanislao, who added that this was the case “for me personally” and for “everybody” on the jury.
It’s unclear whether the second jury will find Read guilty or not, but Estanislao predicts that there will be the same outcome based on the evidence that was presented.
“ I think, honestly, it’s going to result in count one and count three as not guilty and then, ultimately, count two as a hung jury again.”
Jury couldn’t agree on manslaughter charge
IDEstanislao also believed there’s enough reasonable doubt for the second charge. However, the jury couldn’t agree on this.
The manslaughter while driving under the influence charge essentially means whether or not Read operating the vehicle and striking O’Keefe was the cause of death.
“ I believe that’s why we got stuck as a jury, because some of us felt there was enough reasonable doubt that they couldn’t side towards guilty versus not guilty in the setting of the manslaughter charge,” he explained.
“So the manslaughter charge is really the one that everybody was not clear about.”
Medical evidence raises questions
IDWhen asked what evidence led him to believe that there was reasonable doubt, Estanislao replied, “It was essentially the medical examiner’s report on the cause of death and the injuries, which seemed to be inconsistent with the cause of death.”
The medical examiner listed O’Keefe’s cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head and hypothermia, but the manner of death could not be determined.
One of many contested pieces of evidence were the lacerations on O’Keefe’s arm that appeared to be bite and scratch marks from an animal.
The Albert family, who had invited Read and O’Keefe over on the night of his death, had a large German Shepherd dog that they re-homed several months after the incident.
Swabs obtained from the injuries were later analyzed but there was no evidence of dog DNA – however, they did find pig DNA.
While this doesn’t prove Read’s innocence, the defense team argues that it does introduce doubt about whether her SUV was the cause of O’Keefe’s death.
The medical examiner’s inability to determine the manner of death, combined with injuries that don’t neatly align with a car strike, leaves room for uncertainty – uncertainty that ultimately divided the jury.
As a paramedic himself, Estanislao found the medical evidence was particularly compelling.
“We debated that as a group, in terms of, there were other medical experts there, and we literally debated on whether it was consistent with the injuries,” he continued.
“And for some of us, it was very hard to believe that the injuries were consistent with the cause of death.”
For Estanislao personally, “ It was the combination of the cause of death, the testimony of the medical examiner, and also the injuries that were sustained that kind of stood out as unique and created the idea, in my mind, of reasonable doubt.”
To learn more about the case, A Body In The Snow: The Trial Of Karen Read will premiere across three nights beginning Monday, March 17 at 9/8c on ID, and episodes will be available to stream on Max.
For more true crime news, read about if Alec Baldwin went to prison, the American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden delay, and where Ruby Franke is now.
