A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read – Review | Max

A BODY IN THE SNOW: THE TRIAL OF KAREN READ on Max is an ID true crime documentary with five episodes. It premieres with the two first episodes and it’s fascinating from the very beginning. Read our A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read docuseries review here!

A BODY IN THE SNOW: THE TRIAL OF KAREN READ is a new Max true crime documentary that also airs on Investigation Discovery. As an ID docuseries, I expected it to have fewer episodes, but it’s clear that there is a lot to process with this case.

From the first two episodes, we’re only just getting started. This is a three-night event with new episodes being released Monday through Wednesday. I could not stop watching or looking away as something new (and often shocking) would come next.

Continue reading our A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read docuseries review below. It premiered on ID and Max on March 17, 2025.

How did John O’Keefe die?

As a rule, I want the focus of any murder case to be on the victim as well as the killer, but this isn’t a “normal” murder case. Also, to be fair, this documentary does start by telling us about the victim, John O’Keefe.

However, the series is called A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read. While the first part of the title refers to John O’Keefe, the second is all about Karen Read, who gets to give her side of events here.

Fortunately for everyone (including Karen Read), she isn’t the only one telling her side of the story. Several friends of John O’Keefe also participated in the docuseries and came with their opinions.

Of course, their opinions are not based on actually having been there, so it’s more in the style of character witnesses. And all of them liked both John and Karen.

At least until that fateful night when John O’Keefe became a body in the snow and Karen Read ended up accused of murder. How John O’Keefe died is much more of a mystery than anyone might like to think.

Who do you believe?

A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read is very much a whodunnit story. We know John O’Keefe died, but who is responsible for his death? Also, the fact that John O’Keefe was a police officer doesn’t help matters.

When a police officer dies at the hands of someone else, the proverbial “blue wall” goes up. If you’re not one of them, you’re on the outside. Karen Read is not one of them.

Unfortunately for John O’Keefe (and justice in general), the Boston Police Department has had some pretty nasty cases over the years. So did the Catholic Church in Boston (and just about everywhere else), but even in that regard the police didn’t help.

Instead, the press had to focus on the abuse that took place in the church. In the same way, the press becomes a key part of Karen Read’s defense. The truth is that there is no real evidence to back up the accusations against her.

Still, everyone in the police department acts as if it’s an open-and-shut case. That alone is very strange and should give many people reason enough to sit back and watch every single episode to make up their own minds.

Watch A Body in the Snow: The Trail of Karen Read on Max and ID now

I really liked that we get to hear from Karen Read herself, while also having people speak for John O’Keefe. Of course, she’s speaking about being accused of murder, while they speak of his character.

For the record, no one speaks badly of John O’Keefe. Nor did anyone dislike Karen Read, until they believed she was responsible for his death.

Obviously, this is a controversial trial because most people feel extremely strongly that either Karen Read is a murderer or she’s a victim of some strange cover-up. Or, at the very least, she’s a scapegoat because they want someone to pay for his death.

Having watched the first two episodes, I’m still up in the air about what happened to John O’Keefe. I have yet to see any evidence that should be enough to convict her – quite the opposite – but I am intrigued to see if something could show up to change my mind.

The A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read documentary premiered on ID and Max on March 17, 2025. The final episode will air on March 19, 2025.