A new documentary on the Karen Read murder trial has split the city of Boston in half.

Read’s late boyfriend, John O’Keefe, 43, a Boston police officer, was found dead on the morning of Jan. 22, 2022. Read was accused of murder after it was alleged she ran O’Keefe over with her car outside a house in Canton, Mass. A new documentary following the case, “A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read,” was recently March 17 on HBO Max.

Read, 45, was charged with second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter, and leaving the scene of an accident, according to Fox News. The first trial, which is covered in the documentary, ended in a hung jury on July 1, 2024. Her second trial is currently in the jury selection process, according to Fox News.

This case has gained immense popularity all across the nation. The city of Boston is spiraling trying to figure out what happened on the night of Jan. 21. Those in favor of Read believe that she was framed by fellow officers of O’Keefe, while others think Read deliberately backed into O’Keefe with her SUV.

The first trial, documented in the MAX show, began on April 29, 2024 in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass. As seen in the documentary, thousands of people gathered outside the courtroom. Read’s supporters wore pink with signs that said “Free Karen Read.”

Zola Piekarski, a junior boarder from Concord, Mass., has been following the trial closely.

“Living near the area has definitely made it feel more real,” Zola said. “It’s hard to ignore the constant media coverage, and it feels like the case is everywhere.”

After Zola watched the new documentary, she was even more interested in the murder trial.

“I honestly believed Karen Read was guilty and should be in jail,” she said. “However, the documentary highlighted several issues that weren’t clear during the trial, particularly with the inconsistencies in the evidence and how key pieces of information seemed to be overlooked.”

Zola said “it almost felt like the police were more focused on quickly pinning the crime on someone rather than thoroughly investigating all the facts. For example, the documentary showed how crucial evidence was either mishandled or ignored entirely, and how they didn’t properly follow up on other potential suspects.”

Zola finds it interesting how divided the community through this case.

“Some people believe Read is innocent and should be freed, while others are convinced she’s guilty. It’s difficult to come to any conclusion when there are contrasting witness statements and a lack of physical evidence linking [her] to the crime. I think that these uncertainties have really fueled the split in public opinion and have led to people seeing the case from very different angles.”

Ava Carr, a freshmen boarder, from Medway, Mass is interested in the case due to living in the area.

“I think living close to the area makes me curious that just a regular town, or what I think a regular town, can turn corrupt,” she said. “I used to think Canton was this perfect town, now I here about al the corrupt people in it and its all because of the Karen Read trial.”

Ava’s views were shifted upon watching the documentary.

“I used to think FULLY that [Read] had not done it I would have told everyone she didn’t,” she said. “After watching it I still believe this, but after seeing more of the case I also think she could have done it but not known because of how intoxicated she was.”