A Massachusetts judge has given the nod to unseal portions of documents in the contentious murder case of Karen Read, charged in the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe. During a hearing on Tuesday, Judge Beverly Cannone ordered that some files, which include arguments for and against the dismissal of the murder case, be revealed to the public with certain redactions. Read faces charges of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while impaired, and leaving the scene of an accident, as reported by NBC Boston.

Accusations have swirled around the case, with Read's defense team alleging that she was set up in a "massive coverup." These claims have spiked interest and dispute in Canton and beyond, however, the prosecution, and individuals implicated have consistently denied these accusations. In the hearing, the judge considered The Boston Globe's petition for access to the court materials surrounding the dismissal motion which were previously sealed, the paper illuminated the public's presumptive right to access these materials. The trial is set to commence on April 16, according to the same NBC Boston report.

The courthouse has also been a point of focus, with Judge Cannone ordering a 200-foot buffer zone around the premises for the duration of the high-profile trial. Distancing itself from the defense's framing narrative, last month the court squashed Read’s hopes of avoiding trial by denying a motion to dismiss her second-degree murder indictment. These developments come as her attorneys also unsuccessfully pushed to have Norfolk District Attorney, Michael Morrissey disqualified from the case, based on information from Boston 25 News.

Details that might see the light of day include a memorandum in support of Read’s bid to ditch the murder charges and the Commonwealth’s opposition to that motion, with Cannone directing the state to redact personal details about those linked to the matter. The documents could be public as early as Wednesday morning. While Read herself was absent from Norfolk Superior Court this Tuesday, the buzz around the case continues, especially as her legal team claims federal investigations have been probing the inquiry into O’Keefe’s death, according to Boston 25 News. As the trial date nears, the public and media alike are braced for revelations that could shed new light on this twisted tale of tragedy and accusation.