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Accused: The Karen Read Story is a crime drama film directed by Linda Lisa Hayter. The screenplay is written by Richard Blaney and Gregory Small, and it's about the real-life case of Karen Read. The official synopsis of this television film, as per Letterboxd, is:
When Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe is found dead in a snowbank outside a friend’s home, his girlfriend Karen Read, is charged in connection with his death. What begins as a tragedy quickly ignites a firestorm that captures national attention.
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So let's explore the film's release date and which platform it will be available on.
Where to watch Accused: The Karen Read Story?
Accused: The Karen Read Story premiered on Saturday, January 10, 2026. It can be enjoyed on the Lifetime channel. DirecTV has also aired it under the free trial. You will have to pay $40 after the trial concludes. Philo also features content from Lifetime. Viewers will have to pay around $8 in its first month. An ad-enabled HBO Max package is also available, so that you can watch it for free. Meanwhile, Sling TV also offers packages at different prices.
The film's cast members include Katie Cassidy as Karen Read and Luke Humphrey as John O’Keefe. It also stars Ryan Robbins and Kurt Evans. Accused: The Karen Read Story chronicles the real-life story of financial analyst Karen Read. On January 29, 2022, her boyfriend, and police officer John O'Keefe, was found dead. She had dropped him off at a party the night before and returned the next morning to find his body.
An autopsy report revealed that he died due to sustaining head injuries. Read was arrested on the murder charges. Her defence team argued that O’Keefe died after he was dropped by Read. Her first trial resulted in a hung jury in 2024. She was tried again in 2025 and was found not guilty.
In a TV Insider interview, actor Luke Humphrey spoke about the case. He said,
“I have family in Massachusetts and spent a lot of my summers out there since I was a kid. I had heard of the case before doing the movie but didn’t know that much about it, so when I started digging deeper, I was grateful for my time out there and that I had family there to talk to about their take.”
Katie Cassidy, who plays Karen Read, revealed that she wasn't aware of the trial.
"[But I] immediately watched the documentary in one sitting and did a major deep dive. I did such a deep dive in researching the story, I almost felt like a detective myself. There was so much information about Karen Read, but very little on John O’Keefe. I hope this movie will shine a light on the complexity of our legal system while paying a tribute to the man who lost his life.”
Accused: The Karen Read Story premiered on January 10, 2026, on Lifetime. It's also available on other platforms.
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