A special prosecutor was appointed to preside over the retrial of Karen Read in January.

Norfolk County District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey has appointed Special Assistant District Attorney Hank Brennan, according to an announcement Wednesday.

Brennan is a “highly respected and experienced former prosecutor and longtime criminal defense attorney with over 25 years of experience in state and federal court and has expertise in handling complex law enforcement matters,” Morrissey said in the statement.

With his appointment, Brennan “assumes full responsibility and all obligations for prosecuting this case and will do so conscientiously, ethically, diligently and without compromise,” the statement said.

“I have two fundamental obligations,” Brennan continued. “The first is to ensure that Karen Read receives a fair trial. Ms. Read will receive the dignity and fairness that every defendant deserves in our criminal justice system. The second is to ensure that the facts surrounding John O’Keefe’s death are fully and fairly presented in the courtroom without outside influence.”

Read, O’Keefe’s girlfriend, is accused of hitting him with her car after a night of drinking with friends and leaving him to die in the snow.

Her murder trial earlier this year made national headlines as the defense pushed the theory that she was set up and that police covered up the true cause of O’Keefe’s death.

It ended in a mistrial.

“I guarantee that I will work tirelessly with the trial team to prepare this case for trial in January 2025,” Brennan concluded.

Brennan previously represented James “Whitey” Bulger, the notorious gangster who died in prison in 2018.

That same year, he told the Wall Street Journal that he would file several lawsuits related to Bulger’s death, but did not provide further details at the time.