Katie Ring (4:10)
Last episode I took you to the end of Karen Reed's second trial when she was acquitted on all major charges in her criminal case. After this long and painful saga, the book was finally closed. Karen Reed was not a convicted murderer, which meant the questions that had been haunting her for years. Was this my fault? Did I hit him? Were finally answered. This case has really become such a major chapter in American crime history. It shed light on so many things. From a potential massive cover up to the lengths one woman was willing to go to defend her innocence and find find true justice for the man she loved. In a lot of ways, it also shed light on us as people who are captivated by true crime. Think about all the media frenzy and speculation that served as a backdrop to the trial, which there was a ton. With all the attention on this case, it's easy to forget the victim at the center of it. And John's family is still hurting. I personally can't imagine the pain his niece and nephew have had to endure with the loss of both of their parents and now John as well. However, despite the evidence and the final verdict, many of John's family members and friends still believe Karen is guilty and that she should be held accountable for his death. And on August 23, 2024, almost two months after Karen's first trial wrapped, the Okee family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in civil court. The suit named Karen as a defendant along with two bars she and John went to the night he died. CF McCarthy's and the waterfall Bar and Grill. It alleges that Karen did hit John with her car and left him to die and that she was heavily intoxicated when it happened. It also claimed that the bars negligently over served her beforehand. The suit targeted Karen more than the two establishments. It said she, quote, fabricated a false narrative, end quote. And caused severe emotional Harm, particularly to John's then 14 year old niece, who Karen allegedly woke up the night John didn't come home. The family saw at least $50,000 in total damages from for conscious pain and suffering, fear of impending death, wrongful death, lost value to next of kin, severe and profound emotional distress manifesting in bodily symptoms and other compensable damages. The civil case has been on the back burner this entire time because it was put on hold pending the outcome of Karen's criminal trial, which of course ended with her being acquitted of second degree murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene of a collision resulting in death. When these verdicts were read, her supporters hugged and cheered. But not everyone was in such a celebratory mood. John o' Keeffe's family members got up and walked out of the courtroom. About a week later, John's cousin told reporters that the family felt, quote, unquote, unable to find peace and that the only way they would have found some kind of peace would have been a guilty verdict. But now the civil suit is getting back into gear. A ruling in the o' Keeffe's favor might not bring them the same satisfaction as a guilty verdict, but it seems like they still want to see it through. And there's no guarantee that it will end the same way Karen's criminal trial did. Something to note in Karen's criminal trial is that she never testified. But in the civil suit, she'll have to. Plus, the burden of proof will now be much lower. Not only that, but the fact that Karen was found guilty of operating a vehicle under the influence could be used against her in the civil suit. Right now, her team is trying to get portions of the suit dismissed, including the emotional distress claim. The next hearing for the civil case is scheduled for September 22, 2025, so hopefully we'll get some more important updates then. In the meantime, there's even more ongoing legal drama stemming from this case going back to the very beginning, before she ever went to trial. Karen's legal proceedings began with a grand jury investigation, which determines if there's enough evidence to indict someone. And grand jury sessions are always kept very confidential because authorities don't want any information getting out just in case it influences the opinions of potential jurors in the criminal trial. And in this case, considering all of the allegations of police misconduct and how publicized the story was, it was especially important to keep things under wraps. So during the grand jury proceedings and even afterward, when Karen's case moved forward, the authorities monitored the grand juror's social media activity and other communications. While we don't know what exactly they were keeping tabs on, they eventually found something pretty shocking. A 34 year old grand juror named Jessica Leslie had been leaking sealed information, including, quote, names of various witnesses appearing before a federal grand jury, the substance of witness testimony and other evidence presented to the grand jury. Apparently investigators realized Leslie was leaking information over the course of two years and between August 11, 2022 and March 4, 2024. That was the period of time immediately following the grand jury hearings up until right before Karen's first trial began on July 11, 2025, about a month after Karen was found not guilty of murder. Massachusetts authorities charged Leslie with one count of criminal contempt and she pleaded guilty. Leslie's sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 26, 2025, which is four days after Karen's civil lawsuit hearing. It looks like she'll serve one day in jail, then 24 months of probation. In a case that already involved potential corruption, Leslie's actions may have resulted in a ton of wasted time and resources. One legal expert said, quote, unquote, the prosecution spent millions of dollars to secure the most expensive DUI conviction ever. We might never learn the full impact of her actions, but thankfully, Karen was able to eventually clear her name. And now we may get to learn even more about the details of her case, and they'll come from Karen herself. Possibility means you have a chance. Passion opens the door to all possibilities.
