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Lifetime Debuts 'Accused: The Karen Read Story'

The film revisits the case of John O’Keefe’s death through a dramatization grounded in real trial outcomes.

Overview

  • The premiere airs Saturday, January 10 at 8/7c on Lifetime, with live streaming options available through services such as Philo, DIRECTV and Sling.
  • Katie Cassidy stars as Karen Read with Luke Humphrey as John O’Keefe, in a feature directed by Linda-Lisa Hayter.
  • Karen Read was acquitted in June 2025 of murder and related charges but convicted of operating under the influence and sentenced to one year of probation.
  • Authorities determined O’Keefe’s cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head and hypothermia, findings that shaped the prosecution’s theory.
  • The story continues beyond the verdict with a pending wrongful-death lawsuit from O’Keefe’s family and additional screen projects in development, including a Prime Video series with Elizabeth Banks and a Netflix docuseries.