Canton residents hope to move forward after Karen Read trial, "it's been crazy"
The small town of Canton, Massachusetts is known for its treelined streets, quaint shops and now a house on Fairview Road. But it's what happened at the property that thrust this town of 25,000 into the national spotlight during the Karen Read trial.
"It's been crazy," said Shauna Moroney who works in the town. "People are coming in on little tours on buses thinking it's a party. I feel bad for the family because they are making a mockery, people are driving by the house, people are going to McCarthy's, they are going to Waterfall. It's like become this big joke."
John O'Keefe, a Boston police officer, was found dead in the snow outside the home on Fairview Road in January of 2022. Read, who was dating O'Keefe, was acquitted of murder and manslaughter charges in his death on Wednesday.
Town deeply divided
People who live here described a deep divide when it comes to views on the trial and its outcome. Some people said relationships had been ruined by strong opinions of the case.
"From the second I moved here people were asking me about the Karen Read case," said Tory Barton. "I have friends who think she is guilty. I have friends who think she's innocent. We are all amicable at least. I still think Canton is a great town. What I really think the saddest part to be is John (O'Keefe) and his family. I really empathize with what they went through and how it was dragged out for so long."
Things got so heated here that residents voted to audit their own police department for the handling of the investigation into John O'Keefe's death. The results were published before the retrial started and found serious issues with the department's processing of the scene and follow-up interviews, but did not find evidence of corruption or conspiracy.
Town of Canton Select Board Chair John McCourt released a statement following Wednesday's verdict saying, "Today's outcome may bring a sense of relief to some and continue to raise questions for others. We encourage members of the community to move forward together, treating one another with respect through civil, constructive dialogue."
This is personal for a lot of people in this town as family and friends on both sides of this case call Canton home.
"We get both sides. People that are related to both sides of the story," Moroney said. "People are very aggressive about it. It's almost as bad as when you had the presidency. I think it's nice that it's over. I think everyone wants it to be done at this point."
