Is there a new episode of Dateline this week (June 20, 2025)? Explained

A brand-new Dateline special titled Center of the Storm will examine the Karen Read trial just two days after a Suffolk County jury cleared her of second-degree murder in the 2022 death of Boston police officer John O’Keefe. The two-hour broadcast is slotted for 9 p.m. U.S. prime time this week, but the calendar stamp depends on the time zone.

Viewers in the Eastern and Central zones receive the early network feed on Thursday, June 19 (9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT), while Mountain and Pacific stations list the same program on Friday, June 20 (9 p.m. local). After the linear run, the episode drops on Peacock early Saturday, making it available on demand worldwide for seven days before migrating to the service’s Premium tier.

NBC says the special revisits every phase of the two-year legal fight, from the snow-bank discovery of O’Keefe’s body to this week’s mixed verdict, using courtroom video, forensic demonstrations, and an exclusive post-verdict interview with former Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor.

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Dateline episode Center of the Storm: air date, time, and how to watch

Dateline keeps its regular two-hour slot but deploys two separate feeds. The early feed reaches Eastern/Central households on Thursday night. The taped West Coast feed follows 24 hours later. Listings services that default to Pacific data therefore show 20 June, causing occasional confusion.

• NBC linear — Thu 19 Jun 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT; Fri 20 Jun 9 p.m. MT & PT.
• Peacock (U.S.) — on-demand from Sat 21 Jun ( 2 p.m. ET).
• NBC app/cable VOD — mirrors Peacock window with TV provider login.
• International viewers can stream the show once Peacock or a partner platform clears the episode in their region.

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Key evidence disputes that dominated the Karen Read trial

As per the NBC Boston report dated June 18, 2025, prosecutors argued that Read reversed her Lexus SUV into O’Keefe, citing taillight fragments and phone telemetry, while the defense countered that he was beaten inside a Canton, MA home and staged in the snow.

The eight-week retrial also replayed:

• A disputed Google search- “how long to die in cold”, entered minutes after the alleged collision.
• Conflicting autopsy opinions on whether head wounds came from a vehicle impact or blunt trauma indoors.
• Allegations that investigators withheld phone data favouring the defense.
• These clashes, livestreamed daily, turned the Karen Read trial into a viral true-crime debate and set the stage for Dateline’s forensic re-creation.

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Now that jurors returned their June 18 verdict in the Karen Read trial, what happens next?

The jury found Read guilty only of operating under the influence, for which she received one year’s probation. All homicide counts ended in acquittal. O’Keefe’s family plans a wrongful-death lawsuit that could move to discovery later this summer.

State Police remain under internal review for their handling of evidence, a process Proctor addresses in his Dateline sit-down. As per NBC affiliate WJAR's (turnto10.com) report dated June 19, 2025, Proctor told correspondent Andrea Canning,

“I laugh because it’s such a ridiculous accusation…There's not one piece of evidence or fact to support that, because it did not happen. I would never do something like that.”

Dateline producers note that any civil filings or disciplinary findings will be covered in future updates across the program’s podcast feed and 24/7 streaming channel. For now, Center of the Storm offers the first long-form national look at a case that split Massachusetts residents for more than two years and delivers clear viewing guidance so audiences know exactly when and where to tune in.

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Stay tuned for more updates.

Edited by Bharath S