Based on a true story, the series will tell the story of Boston police office John O'Keefe who is found dead in the snow during a 2022 blizzard; all eyes are on his girlfriend, Karen Read (Banks). But when she and her legal team claim she's not only innocent, but that she's the victim of a conspiracy protecting the real assailants, the story spreads like wildfire, dividing a community in ways they've never seen. As endless suspicion mounts in multiple directions, this genre-bending true crime series explores society's explosive obsession with true crime.
Following a highly watched and discussed trial, Read was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter, but was found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol. She was sentenced to one year of probation.
Justin Noble (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Sex Lives of College Girls) developed the series and will serve as showrunner. He will executive produce with Banks, David E. Kelley, Matthew Tinker, Max Handelman, Krissy Wall, Aaron Hart, Marshall Lewy, Jeni Mulein, Jen Sargent, Rachel Stockman and Dan Abrams. Warner Bros. Television, Brownstone Productions and David E. Kelley Productions will produce in association with Audible and Law&Crime.
"I grew up in Massachusetts, and like so many people there, we watched this case divide families, friends, and entire towns," said Banks. "We have spent years with this material because the questions it raises go far beyond one courtroom: why we choose the stories we believe, and what happens when trust in our institutions breaks down. Justin has written a series that respects and treats with care the complexity of what happened and the public reaction to it."
"This case has more twists and turns than any story I've ever consumed, real or fiction," added Noble. "It makes M. Night Shyamalan look like Nora Ephron. But the reason this story resonates and must be told is because of the profound takeaways it leaves us with: about a deeply imperfect justice system that urgently needs change, about the mistreatment of women by those who weaponize and abuse their power, and about a victim who deserves to be remembered."
