Karen Read juror says explosive new true crime documentary must get one thing right

A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read is coming up soon, so Dexerto caught up with Ronald “Ronnie” Estanislao, a juror on Read’s murder trial, who said the ID documentary series will be great as long as it follows one important rule. 

Read faced a trial for second-degree murder and manslaughter after her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, was found dead in the snow in January 2022. However, as information about the investigation came to light, a defense argument was formed: Read has been falsely accused of murder. 

What followed was a media storm and the rising #JusticeForKarenRead movement, where swarms of supporters showed up outside the courthouse to argue that Read is the victim of a police cover-up. There are no clear-cut answers about whether she’s guilty or not, with the judge declaring a mistrial in 2024. 

A second trial is set to go ahead in April 2025, and to make sense of the case, Investigation Discovery – the network behind Quiet on Set – is releasing a five-part true crime docu-series, which will premiere on Monday, March 17. 

Karen Read juror on A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read

Dexerto was able to speak with Estanislao, who not only revealed the mistakes that were made during the trial but also shared his thoughts on A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read – ultimately, it must remain balanced. 

“ I think the documentary series will be fine as long as all the different points of view are actually accounted for,” he told us. “Not only conspiracy but also the factual pieces of information, making sure that the data and the evidence that’s presented involves everybody.”

Estanislao added, “So, for example, maybe asking information from a juror of what actually happened, and not just basing it on what was going on that can be perceived by the general public. 

“There should be no editorial bias in one direction or the other, and as long as that is the case, then I think it could be a realistic reflection of actually what occurred in the courtroom.”

For Estanislao, ensuring a balanced documentary is crucial. As someone who sat on the jury, he’s seen firsthand how the court case unfolded.

The Boston-based paramedic revealed what he believes to be the biggest misconception about the trial: the amount of information the jury were provided. 

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“It’s just the testimony of the individuals that are placed on the stand and also the evidence that they present to us,” Estanislao explained.

“Other than that, we don’t have these other theories and other pieces of speculation that people may have, which I think the general public has access to. So with that being said, what we were provided was very limited. 

“But that’s what we were provided, so we needed to make a decision based on the data  that we’re given and the evidence that we’re presented with.”

What is the Karen Read documentary series about?

A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read features unprecedented access to Read and her family, as well as lawyers, prosecutors, experts, and O’Keefe’s friends, family, and colleagues, all in a bid to make sense of what happened on the night of O’Keefe’s death. 

Not only does it track the events leading up to the death, the other individuals involved, and the investigation that followed, but it speaks with Read and her defense team as they prepare to go to trial. 

As per ID’s description, “On a cold January morning in a sleepy suburb outside of Boston, a local police officer named John O’Keefe is found dead on a fellow officer’s front lawn. 

“Authorities, citing a toxic dynamic between O’Keefe and his girlfriend, Karen Read, immediately narrow in on Read as their main suspect. 

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“They allege Read backed into O’Keefe with her car in a fit of passion and then left him to die in the snow – but Read maintains her innocence with her defense alleging something far more nefarious was at play.

“With the 2024 trial ending in a mistrial, and a 2025 re-trial upcoming, many questions continue to swirl over what really happened that night.”

A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read promises to take “viewers behind the scenes of the Karen Read 2024 murder trial, with unprecedented access to Read, her legal team, and other key voices involved in 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.