Hundreds of people wearing pink outfits waited with bated breath outside a Massachusetts court on Wednesday to hear the verdict in the Karen Read trial.
As Ms Read was found not guilty of murdering her Boston police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe in January 2022, they erupted in cheers.
A fervent TikTok following and multiple documentaries fuelled the obsession with the true-crime cause celebre.
Some saw the case as the result of a flawed criminal justice system. Other trial-watchers, especially women, said they saw themselves in the accused.
Outside court, Ms Read’s supporters were often conspicuous by their pink attire – her favourite colour.
Each time she came in and out of the building, her adoring fans would extend their index, little finger and thumb – American Sign Language for “I love you”. Ms Read and her attorneys would do the same.
Beyond the call to “Free Karen Read” – a slogan many supporters pressed into T-shirts or daubed on signs – those in the crowd seemed to relate to her.
“It could be me,” Patti Lima, who decided to start coming to court last week, told CBS, the BBC’s US news partner. “I would have done everything she did. Exact same thing.”
Robin Burns, another woman in the crowd, told CBS she brought both her daughters for parts of the two trials.
Ms Burns said: “I really believe there’s a lot of corruption here and I believe it runs deep. And I’ve got three girls, and this could be one of my kids.”
The first proceedings against Ms Read collapsed in July 2024 after the jury was unable to reach a verdict.
The prosecution said Ms Read ran over Mr O’Keefe and left him to die in a snowbank outside his colleague’s house following a night of drinking. Ms Read argued she was framed by the police for murder.
The frenzy stems from Ms Read’s circumstances, Shira Diner, a Boston University law lecturer, told the BBC.
“The public doesn’t have a lot of opportunity to see white women of means being charged with serious crimes and be put through the criminal legal process,” she said.
Statistically, as few as 10% of homicide offenders in the US are female, according to FBI data.
But Prof Diner said there is a more important reason why people are fascinated with the case – because Ms Read has “created a narrative and a story around herself and around her experience that is really impactful and really effective”.
Unlike many who face murder charges in the US, Ms Read – a financial analyst – was able to post $50,000 (£37,000) bail to stay out of custody while her trial proceeded.
“Most people who are charged with second-degree murder are held on a very high bail, and so while their trial is pending, they can’t do 60 Minutes [a CBS show] interviews and they can’t talk to their fans,” Prof Diner said.
“They can’t engage with a narrative in the way she has been able to do, because she was able to post her bail.”
Eric Schiffer, a public relations expert, told the BBC that Ms Read’s story “blends every dopamine trigger – small-town cops, alleged cover-up, influencer sleuths”.
He noted that her father had thanked “content providers” after her not-guilty verdict, underlining the role that social media, as well as documentarians and podcast hosts, have had on how his daughter was perceived in the public eye.
“This case proves crisis messaging today isn’t about press releases – it’s about Reddit flair mods and who controls the subreddit sidebar narrative,” said Mr Schiffer, referring to the popular social media forum where a subreddit named JusticeforKarenRead amassed nearly 20,000 members.
As the verdict in the second trial was read on Tuesday, screams from the crowd outside could be heard in court.
And when Ms Read walked out a free woman, she thanked the cheering throng for their years of support.
“I just want to say two things,” she said. “Number one is I could not be standing here without these amazing supporters who have supported me and my team financially, and more importantly emotionally for almost four years.
“The second thing I want to say is no-one has fought harder for justice for John O’Keefe than I have, than I have and my team.”
The O’Keefe family left court without comment.
