Naman Shrestha
On the blistering cold morning of January 29, 2022, the chilling remains of Boston Police Department Officer John O’Keefe were found right outside the house of another police officer at 34 Fairview Road in Canton, Massachusetts. When the authorities found suspicious evidence against his girlfriend, Karen Read, they suspected her to be involved. The entire case, the investigation, and the case of Karen are covered in a detailed manner in Investigation Discovery’s ‘A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read.’ It also features an exclusive interview with one of John’s friends, Tara Kerrigan, who talked about the impact his death caused him and her stance on the matter.
Tara Kerrigan and John O’Keefe Had a Romantic History
Tara Kerrigan claimed that she met John O’Keefe in 2001, and not long after, they started dating. According to her, their loving and romantic relationship soon ended but evolved into a close friendship that spanned over two decades. Throughout all these years, they shared a special bond, supporting each other through various rough patches and celebrating together in good times, as per her accounts. So, when she received the news of John’s sudden demise in January 2022, she was devastated.
Talking about the time she learned the news, Tara said, “I hung up and I lost it. I remember pounding on my dresser and just literally screaming, ‘Not John O’Keefe,’ over and over.” Along with his loved ones and the authorities, she also showed determination to get to the bottom of the case and bring the killer/s to justice. When his then-girlfriend, Karen Read, became a suspect and gained popularity, Tara wrote a piece titled ‘Remembering the Real Victim in the Karen Read Case, My Friend John O’Keefe’ and got it published in the Boston Magazine in April 2024 as a reminder for anyone who forgot that the real victim was John and not Karen. In February 2025, she announced that her article was ranked #1 in the Top Most Popular of 2024.
Tara Kerrigan is an Experienced Freelance Writer
Tara Kerrigan’s professional career started back in the mid-2000s at Boston University Medical Center, where she worked for a few months as a Project Manager from August 2005 to January 2006. Over the course of the next few years, she worked in different capacities in the film industry. In 2007 and 2008, she served as the Production Assistant for ‘On Broadway’ and ‘The Box.’ Tara also worked on the ‘Walk the Talk,’ for which she served as the Producer, Director, Camera Operator, and Editor of the Electronic Press Kit. Moreover, she was reportedly one of the producers of ‘Finding Red Cloud,’ ‘Engaged,’ and ‘All Things Pass.’
In June 2016, she began working at The Playwright Bar as a Marketing and Event Manager. After a couple of years, Tara switched to South Boston Online, where she was employed as a Freelance Journalist. From June 2022 to April 2023, she became a part-time Program Manager at Girl Reports. Having earned so much experience in different roles, she bagged a job at The Human Innovation Garage in January 2023. There, she was the Director of Operations until September 2024. Currently, the Boston, Massachusetts resident is a freelance writer and project manager with nearly two decades of professional experience.
Tara Kerrigan is Focused on Getting Justice For John O’Keefe Today
On the personal front, things are reportedly a bit more complicated than Tara Kerrigan would like them to be. She was married to a photographer named Terrence Hayes, with whom she shared a kid. However, when their marriage deteriorated to the point of no return, the couple parted ways and got divorced, but not in the most amicable fashion. Reportedly, she filed a motion for contempt, which was denied by the court, against her ex-husband, who wanted her to bring their child to New Orleans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since Tara prefers to keep updates on her personal life away from the prying eyes of the media, not much is known. But what we can tell you is that the divorced mother appears to be leading a single life while she remains determined to bring the killer/s responsible for the murder of her close friend, John O’Keefe.
Read More: Where is Karen Read’s Family Now?
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