A mistrial was declared in the murder trial of Karen Read after the jury was unable to reach a verdict, with a status hearing set for the week of July 21. The jury handed the judge a note saying they were deeply divided after five days of deliberations in the two-month trial. Read was accused of killing her boyfriend, a Boston police officer, in 2022 but pleaded not guilty and claimed she was framed. The case has divided the town of Canton, Massachusetts, and garnered national attention. The jury received Tuey-Rodriguez instructions when they couldn’t agree on a verdict, and were ordered to continue deliberations. Closing arguments focused on conflicting timelines and inappropriate texts from the lead investigator. Trooper Proctor read text messages in court, including derogatory comments about Read, leading to objections from her attorney. The Massachusetts State Police did not respond to requests for comment on the texts. The mistrial decision came after the jury indicated being deadlocked twice, prompting the judge to issue the Tuey-Rodriguez instructions. The jury had spent over 22 hours deliberating, and further instructions were given to continue working towards a verdict. The case has garnered significant attention due to the nature of the accusations and the complexity of the evidence presented. The mistrial result leaves the case unresolved, with the possibility of a retrial pending the status hearing in July.
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