What's next for the Karen Read case

Also: 2 more wind projects OK'd to build off Mass. coast; Pags makes move for Celtics [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  July 2, 2024 ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 81. Good Morning Boston, I thought the big news out of Dedham yesterday was going to be [the new grilled cheese chain](. Apparently not. Let's get to it: - Hung jury: A mistrial was [declared yesterday in the Karen Read murder case]( after jurors insisted they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict (despite [multiple tries](. Read, a 44-year-old Mansfield resident, had been accused by prosecutors of drunkenly hitting and killing her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe, with her car in Canton. However, her defense team cast doubt on that story, suggesting Read was being framed by O'Keefe's law enforcement colleagues. The case and conspiracy theory — combined with [inappropriate texts]( [Read's diehard supporters]( and [small-town feuds]( — led to [national coverage]( throughout the two-month trial and gripped some so closely that even the courtroom ceiling fan became [a minor celebrity.]( (If you're one of the few who haven't been following,[here's a good way to catch up.]( - Now what? Prosecutors have a few options following a hung jury mistrial. They could drop the charges, attempt to strike a plea deal or seek a re-trial. Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey's office said in a statement they're planning to take that third route: "The Commonwealth intends to re-try the case." - How does a retrial work? There would be a new jury, and lawyers could present new evidence. Prosecutors could also pursue different or lesser charges. (In the first trial, Read was charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating a vehicle under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.) - Next steps: Lawyers are set to return to Judge Beverly Cannone's court in Dedham on July 22 for a status conference meeting. - Meanwhile: The Massachusetts State Police announced last night that the lead investigator in the case, trooper Michael Proctor, has been transferred out of the detectives unit of the Norfolk DA's office. Proctor [faced backlash]( over crude and sexist texts he sent about Read, compromising the investigation. - Go deeper: Attorney Shira Diner, president of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, joined WBUR's Morning Edition to [talk more about the case and what could happen in a retrial.]( - Selling high: The Boston Celtics are up for sale. Less than two weeks after winning [their 18th NBA championship]( the team [announced yesterday]( that majority owner Wyc Grousbeck and his family are looking to sell their controlling stake sometime in 2024 or early 2025. - Why? The Celtics said the decision is due to "estate and family planning considerations." Grousbeck can also get a pretty good return on his investment! His group originally bought the Celtics in 2002 for $360 million. As of last fall, Forbes [estimated]( the team is worth $4.7 billion, the fourth-highest in the NBA. - What's next: Celtics' minority owners, like Steve Pagliuca, are expected to hang on to their stakes. Pagliuca even [indicated last night]( he plans to bid to take over as majority owner. - A new sports betting app will start accepting wagers in Massachusetts today. Gaming commission officials unanimously approved Bally Bet's request to operate in the state yesterday. The Rhode Island-based company plans to officially launch at 11 a.m. That means Massachusetts will now have seven different mobile sports betting apps ([two left the state earlier this year](. - PSA: Tomorrow might be [the busiest day of Fourth of July holiday travel,]( but experts tell WBUR's Dan Guzman this afternoon is likely to get pretty congested, too. AAA forecasts it will get busy on the roads between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., as holiday travelers mix with people just trying to get home from work. - The big picture: AAA Northeast spokesperson Mark Schieldrop says you can thank the pandemic for big changes around the way people take time off for holidays. "Folks are taking additional days off around a three-day weekend," he told Dan. "They're leaving in the middle of the week, instead of the day before the holiday. They're coming home in the middle of the week ... and for many folks, the Fourth of July holiday is now a week long event." P.S.— Headed to the Cape this weekend? We have just the podcast to help you kill time in traffic. WBUR's Barb Moran teamed up with Scientific American for [a three-part "Science, Quickly" series]( on the pollution threatening Cape Cod's water-based tourist economy. [Listen to the first episode here](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters  The Rundown [Two offshore wind projects off Martha's Vineyard win federal approval for construction]( Two offshore wind farms immediately southwest of Vineyard Wind have received federal approval to begin construction. The projects won their main federal approval back in April. But to build, they still needed the bureau’s final approval announced Monday. [Read more.]( [Two offshore wind projects off Martha's Vineyard win federal approval for construction]( Two offshore wind farms immediately southwest of Vineyard Wind have received federal approval to begin construction. The projects won their main federal approval back in April. But to build, they still needed the bureau’s final approval announced Monday. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court says Trump has absolute immunity for core acts only]( The decision likely ensures that the case against Trump won’t be tried before the election, and then only if he is not reelected. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court says Trump has absolute immunity for core acts only]( The decision likely ensures that the case against Trump won’t be tried before the election, and then only if he is not reelected. [Read more.]( [Navigating FEMA: Some Vermont flood survivors say system seemed 'designed to make you fail']( Interviews with flood survivors, state and local officials and current and former FEMA employees reveals a pattern of administrative bloat at a federal agency that, to many Vermonters, seemed less interested in providing assistance than in finding ways to reject requests for aid. [Read more.]( [Navigating FEMA: Some Vermont flood survivors say system seemed 'designed to make you fail']( Interviews with flood survivors, state and local officials and current and former FEMA employees reveals a pattern of administrative bloat at a federal agency that, to many Vermonters, seemed less interested in providing assistance than in finding ways to reject requests for aid. [Read more.]( [Hurricane Beryl grows to Category 5 strength in the southeast Caribbean]( Hurricane Beryl upgraded to a "potentially catastrophic" Category 5 storm late Monday night, the National Hurricane Center said, as it crossed islands in the southeastern Caribbean. [Read more.]( [Hurricane Beryl grows to Category 5 strength in the southeast Caribbean]( Hurricane Beryl upgraded to a "potentially catastrophic" Category 5 storm late Monday night, the National Hurricane Center said, as it crossed islands in the southeastern Caribbean. [Read more.]( [Study shows sea level rise threatens critical infrastructure on New Hampshire’s seacoast]( The Union of Concerned Scientists’ study shows wastewater treatment plants, a fire station and an affordable housing unit may flood regularly as sea levels rise on the New Hampshire coast. [Read more.]( [Study shows sea level rise threatens critical infrastructure on New Hampshire’s seacoast]( The Union of Concerned Scientists’ study shows wastewater treatment plants, a fire station and an affordable housing unit may flood regularly as sea levels rise on the New Hampshire coast. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - In [this commentary for Cognoscenti]( former Boston Globe columnist Eileen McNamara writes that the Supreme Court's "official-acts immunity" ruling ignores the explicit counsel of the Founders.  - In other Celtics news, the team [inked both Jayson Tatum and Derrick White to new, long-term contract extensions yesterday](. Tatum’s five-year $314 million contract is set to become the largest in NBA history.  - Author and Massachusetts native J. Courtney Sullivan's [sixth novel, "The Cliffs," hits bookstores today](. Book critic Carol Iaciofano Aucoin writes it features a large Victorian house on the Maine coast as the nexus for a story about lives once lost to history — and of one woman’s own rocky journey toward self-discovery and acceptance.  - The U.S. men's national soccer team was eliminated from the Copa America tournament last night — [raising questions about whether it's time for a new coach]( before before the 2026 World Cup. What We're Reading 📚 - The Irresolvable Tragedy of the Karen Read Case ([The New Yorker]( - Steward Health Care spent millions on surveillance of its critics — even amid financial crisis ([The Boston Globe]( - An escape, a shot in the dark, a legacy: Here is Olympian Lilia Vu ([The Athletic](  Tell Me Something Good [At BAMS Fest, local music and community thrive]( The sixth annual Boston Art & Music Soul Festival felt like a homecoming — a gathering of old friends and family members coming together to celebrate their community, WBUR's Maddie Browning reviews. [Read more.]( [At BAMS Fest, local music and community thrive]( The sixth annual Boston Art & Music Soul Festival felt like a homecoming — a gathering of old friends and family members coming together to celebrate their community, WBUR's Maddie Browning reviews. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common tries to figure out [what the deal is with Massachusetts liquor laws](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [It's a slippery slope pole.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.](    Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.