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Hamilton Spectator
13-06-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Jury begins deliberating whether Karen Read is guilty of murder in Boston police boyfriend's death
DEDHAM, Mass. (AP) — Jurors in the murder trial of Karen Read began deliberating Friday after weeks of testimony in a highly divisive case in which the prosecution's theory of jaded love turned deadly was countered by a defense claim that a cast of tight-knit Boston area law enforcement killed a fellow police officer. Read, 45, is accused of fatally striking her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, 46, with her SUV and leaving him to die in the snow outside a house party where other local police and a federal agent were closing out a night of drinking in 2022. She's charged with second-degree murder , manslaughter and leaving the scene in Canton, outside Boston. Read's defense said O'Keefe was beaten, bitten by a dog, then left outside a home in Canton in a conspiracy orchestrated by the police that included planting evidence against Read. The first Read trial ended July 1 in a mistrial due to a hung jury. Prosecution has focused on the scene of death The state's case was led by special prosecutor Hank Brennan, who called fewer witnesses than prosecutor Adam Lally, who ran the first trial against Read. Describing O'Keefe as a 'good man' who 'helped people,' Brennan on Friday said O'Keefe needed help that night and the only person who could lend a hand – call 911 or knock on a door – was Read. Instead, she drove away in her SUV. 'She was drunk. She hit him and she left him to die,' he said, repeating the phrase twice. Brennan once again referenced Read's statement about the possibility that she backed into O'Keefe, which the defense has pointed out came not from police reports but from a voluntary interview she did for a documentary series. In the television interview, Read said, 'I didn't think I hit him,' but acknowledged she could have 'clipped him.' In the first trial, the state called Michael Proctor, the lead investigator in the case. Proctor would later be fired after a disciplinary board found he sent sexist and crude text messages about Read. Prosecutors this time focused on evidence from the scene, and tried to make the point that broken pieces of Read's taillight show she struck O'Keefe with her vehicle. The defense has argued that the taillight was actually damaged when Read was backing out of O'Keefe's house and hit his car. They have suggested Proctor and others could have colluded to plant the pieces of broken plastic near O'Keefe's body after they took the vehicle back to the police department. Andre Porto, a forensic scientist who works in the DNA unit of the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab, detailed various items he tested, including the broken rear taillight and pieces of a broken cocktail glass found in the yard. Only O'Keefe was a likely match for both. A hair found on Read's vehicle was also a match for O'Keefe. Brennan said the data on Read's Lexus proved she reversed her car to where O'Keefe was standing and that health data on his phone showed he had gotten out of her car right before the alleged collision. Read, he said, 'decided' to put the car into reverse and 'decided' to accelerate toward him after the two had an argument on the way to the house where the party took place. 'I suggest to you that is second-degree murder,' he said. The prosecution also pointed out that Read and O'Keefe were fighting. Voicemails recovered from Read's phone in which she said, 'I (expletive) hate you,' to O'Keefe were played in court. That voicemail would have arrived while he was lying in the snow. The defense's strategy in the second trial Read's defense team has cast doubt on the state's case by suggesting Read was framed. Defense attorney Alan Jackson began his closing argument by repeating three times: 'There was no collision.' Jackson told the jury that Read is an innocent woman victimized by a police cover up in which law enforcement officers sought to protect their own and obscure the real killer. He referenced federal agent Brian Higgins, who exchanged flirtatious text messages with Read, leading the defense to question if that led to a fatal confrontation. Higgins was present at the party on the night of O'Keefe's death. 'What happened inside that house, that basement or that garage? What evidence was there for investigators to look into? What did they ignore?' defense attorney Alan Jackson asked Friday, noting the 'obvious dog bites' on O'Keefe's arm and the head injury from his falling backward onto a hard surface. Defense attorneys also presented a different view of how Read's taillight was cracked. They have attempted to show, via witnesses, surveillance video and photographs, that Read may have damaged her taillight the morning after O'Keefe's death when she backed out of his driveway and bumped his car with her own. Nicholas Barros, a police officer at a department where Read's car was impounded, testified that he saw only a small crack in Read's taillight when the car first arrived. The defense has pointed out that the taillight later looked much more damaged, arguing it could have been tampered with. A crash expert who testified for the defense said, based on every test he performed, the damage to Read's taillight and O'Keefe's clothing was inconsistent with her SUV striking an arm or body at the speed described by the prosecution. The defense has also questioned why investigators never entered the home where the party took place, although witnesses from the scene and prosecutors have said O'Keefe never went inside. The defense also questioned Jennifer McCabe, who was at the house party and is the sister-in-law of the host, retired Boston police officer Brian Albert. McCabe made a misspelled web search, 'hos long to die in cold,' after O'Keefe's death. The timing of the search has been in question. The defense argued that McCabe made the search at about 2:30 a.m. and helped cover for the real killer. The prosecution claims she searched after O'Keefe's body was found later in the morning. The defense called into question the actions of others who were at the party the night O'Keefe died. The party happened at the home of Albert, and after O'Keefe's death, the Alberts rehomed their dog Chloe — who the defense claims bit O'Keefe — and refurbished their basement before selling their home at a loss. Read faces a maximum penalty of a life sentence if convicted. ___ Whittle reported from Scarborough, Maine. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. 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Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Digital forensics expert: SUV data missed in initial investigation
A digital forensics expert at Karen Read's second murder trial on Monday said data was missed from an initial investigation of the vehicle she was driving that can be used to more clearly pinpoint her movements on the night her boyfriend was killed. Read, 45, is accused of backing her SUV into John O'Keefe, 46, and leaving him to die on a snowy night in the front yard of another officer's home after she dropped him off at a party there in January 2022. Her lawyers say she was framed in a police conspiracy and someone inside the home that night must have killed him. A mistrial was declared last year. Read's second trial on charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene has so far appeared to follow similar contours to the first. RELATED: Forensic scientist recounts testing evidence in Karen Read trial Texas-based Shanon Burgess of the accident reconstruction, biomechanics and digital forensics company Aperture LLC testified Monday about a secure digital (SD) card he discovered on a circuit board of one of the vehicle's modules that wasn't found during the initial investigation. The data is critical to helping the prosecution pinpoint a timeline of when they believe Read allegedly hit O'Keefe with her Lexus. Burgess, who specializes in analysis of digital forensics from vehicles and cell phones, didn't participate in the initial investigation of Read's car in 2023. He was called in to complete an investigation in October 2024. He said cars contain modules that track different data. The card he found, which also contained information like contact lists, call logs, serial numbers and phone numbers for connected devices, detailed time-stamp data about when the vehicle was powered on and off both before and after O'Keefe's death. He said when the Lexus is powered on, an internal clock like a stopwatch begins running. When the car performs something like a three-point turn or backing maneuver, a time stamp is created as the clock continues to run. MORE: Medical examiner questioned about Boston officer's cause of death Using the data pulled from the GPS navigation application Waze from O'Keefe's cell phone and Ring camera surveillance video, Burgess said he was able to verify the accuracy of the time stamps collected from the Lexus. He could also adjust for any slight variances between the times on different devices. On Friday, Andre Porto, a forensic scientist who works in the DNA unit of Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab, detailed various items he tested, including the broken rear taillight on Read's SUV. Porto found three DNA contributors but only O'Keefe was found to be a likely match. He also tested DNA from parts of a broken cocktail glass found in the yard and only O'Keefe was seen as a likely match. Porto also tested a hair found on the taillight. No human DNA was found on a hair recovered from the right rear panel of the SUV. ALSO READ: Trooper pressed about broken taillight in Karen Read trial In the first trial, Nicholas Bradford, of Bode Technology lab in Virginia, conducted DNA analysis and concluded there was 'strong support' to indicate O'Keefe's DNA was found on the hair sample. Porto also took DNA samples from stains on O'Keefe's jeans, sweatshirt and T-shirt. He found DNA from several sources but the only likely match was O'Keefe. Under cross-examination by defense attorney David Yannetti, Porto acknowledged that he didn't know the source of the other DNA found on O'Keefe's clothing and other items. Porto also acknowledged that he was never was asked to test for the DNA on the taillight of Kevin Albert, who is a Canton police officer, or a former Canton police chief. He also said he was not asked to test the broken cocktail glass for the DNA from Brian Albert, a former Boston police officer who owned the house where O'Keefe was found nor Brian Higgins, an ATF agent who attended a party at Albert's house that night. The defense has suggested that O'Keefe died after getting into a fight at the party and that Albert and Higgins could have been responsible. Before Porto took the stand, prosecutors played a brief clip from a television interview with Read — something they have done throughout the trial. In this clip, Read recounted how she found a piece of glass perched on O'Keefe's nose 'wedged like a splinter.' When she pulled the piece of glass, 'it gushed blood down his face.' MORE: Karen Read Trial Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Live court video, updates: Day 18 of witness testimony in Karen Read's retrial
Monday marks the start of the fifth week and Day 18 of witness testimony in Karen Read's murder retrial after the judge presiding over the case issued an important ruling. WATCH LIVE: Streaming coverage of Read's second trial starts at 9 a.m. Read, 45, of Mansfield, is accused of striking John O'Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend, with her SUV and leaving him to die alone in a blizzard outside of a house party in Canton at the home of fellow officer Brian Albert following a night of drinking. A new witness is expected on the stand when testimony resumes. On Friday, right after Judge Beverly Cannone sent the jury home for the weekend, she announced in Dedham's Norfolk Superior Court that she would not penalize the prosecution for entering new evidence. One of Read's lawyers called it an 'ambush.' A prosecution expert shifted the timing of a 'trigger' event that was recorded by Read's Lexus. That data is expected to be compared to the last movement of O'Keefe's phone. The defense has called it a Rule 14 violation and said there is no remedy for it. 'We will not ever be able to recover strategically or substantively from it, given all that's been presented to the jury,' defense attorney Robert Alessi said. The prosecution says there is no time change, and the defense's expert made an improper conclusion. 'The government is not changing its timeline. The Commonwealth is not changing any information. The Commonwealth is not offering anything that affects in any way the testimony of witnesses,' Special Prosecutor Hank Brennan argued. 'Because their expert made an improper conclusion. It's not our fault.' Also on Friday, Andre Porto, a forensic scientist who works in the DNA unit of the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab, detailed various items he tested, including the broken rear taillight on Read's SUV. Porto found three DNA contributors, but only O'Keefe was found to be a likely match. He also tested DNA from parts of a broken cocktail glass found in the yard, and only O'Keefe was seen as a likely match. Porto also tested a hair found on the taillight. No human DNA was found on a hair recovered from the right rear panel of the SUV. Porto also took DNA samples from stains on O'Keefe's jeans, sweatshirt, and T-shirt. He found DNA from several sources, but the only likely match was O'Keefe. Under cross-examination by defense attorney David Yannetti, Porto acknowledged that he didn't know the source of the other DNA found on O'Keefe's clothing and other items. Porto also acknowledged that he was never was asked to test for the DNA on the taillight of Kevin Albert, who is a Canton police officer, or a former Canton police chief. He also said he was not asked to test the broken cocktail glass for the DNA from Brian Albert, a former Boston police officer who owned the house where O'Keefe was found nor Brian Higgins, an ATF agent who attended a party at Albert's house that night. Prosecutors allege Read intentionally backed into O'Keefe after she dropped him off at a house party and returned hours later to find him dead. The defense has claimed that she was a victim of a vast police conspiracy and that O'Keefe was fatally beaten by another law enforcement officer at the party. A mistrial was declared last year after jurors said they were at an impasse and deliberating further would be futile. Read has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death. Get caught up with all of the latest in Karen Read's retrial. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Fox News
15-05-2025
- Fox News
Karen Read defense takes aim at scientist's DNA testing, hair discovery in police investigation
incoming update… On Wednesday, Maureen Hartnett of the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab testified she found broken glass, scratches and at least one dent on the back of Karen Read's vehicle, as well as blood and debris recovered from John O'Keefe's clothes. She also swabbed the evidence that Canton Police collected in red Solo cups, although she testified that it had never been tested. As a result, she couldn't even identify it as blood. Hartnett collected samples for additional testing but testified that she did not perform testing herself. That was someone else's responsibility. She also testified she could not rule out that any of the damage to Read's SUV happened before Jan. 29, 2022, the morning O'Keefe died. The red substance, described as "red-brown" by the time she saw it, was collected by Canton Police from the front lawn at 34 Fairview Road under a dusting of snow at the spot where investigators believed O'Keefe had been found. "I think you test it anyway, even if there is no chain of custody, just to contextualize the case," said Paul Mauro, a retired NYPD investigator who is following the case. "If there was a fight inside the house, presumably O'Keefe would've fought back. If the blood in the snow came back to one of the Alberts or Higgins, if you're the defense, you're doing backflips." Read the full story here. Karen Read's trial is resuming Thursday morning with Massachusetts State Police forensic scientist Maureen Hartnett set to return to the witness stand for cross-examination. Hartnett testified yesterday regarding her testing of DNA evidence from the crime scene at 34 Fairview Road, telling defense attorney Alan Jackson the blood samples collected in red Solo cups were never tested by the police lab. Read is facing murder charges and the possibility of life in prison for the alleged killing of Boston police officer John O'Keefe. The prosecution, led by attorney Hank Brennan, alleges Read struck O'Keefe with her Lexus SUV in a drunken rage and left him to freeze to death in a blizzard. Read's defense claims she never struck O'Keefe on the morning of Jan. 29, 2022. Live Coverage begins here
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Karen Read trial: Crime lab expert testifies blood evidence was never tested
A forensic scientist from the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab revealed during Karen Read's murder trial that evidence collected in red Solo cups was never tested in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe. Testimony Wednesday came from O'Keefe's niece, whom he was caring for after her parents died within months of one another, as well as forensic experts involved in the search for Read's Lexus SUV and crime lab testing. Maureen Hartnett of the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab testified she found broken glass, scratches and at least one dent on the back of Read's vehicle, as well as blood and debris recovered from O'Keefe's clothes. She also swabbed the evidence that Canton Police collected in red Solo cups, although she testified that it had never been tested. As a result, she couldn't even identify it as blood. Karen Read's Defense Opens Door For Special Prosecutor To Bring In New Evidence: Court Docs She collected samples for additional testing but testified that she did not perform testing herself. That was someone else's responsibility. Read On The Fox News App She also testified she could not rule out that any of the damage to Read's SUV happened before Jan. 29, 2022, the morning O'Keefe died. Karen Read Defense Floats Theory That 'Jealous' Brian Higgins Fought John O'keefe Before Death The red substance, described as "red-brown" by the time she saw it, was collected by Canton Police from the front lawn at 34 Fairview Road under a dusting of snow at the spot where investigators believed O'Keefe had been found. "I think you test it anyway, even if there is no chain of custody, just to contextualize the case," said Paul Mauro, a retired NYPD investigator who is following the case. "If there was a fight inside the house, presumably O'Keefe would've fought back. If the blood in the snow came back to one of the Alberts or Higgins, if you're the defense, you're doing backflips." If the swabs still exist, however, the defense could ask for them to be tested today, he said. Karen Read's Google Timeline Derailed Again As 2Nd Expert Disputes Defense Claims But police could also have done a better job collecting and documenting evidence, especially after a series of instances when officers had to defend making unusual decisions, including having someone else fill out the level of an evidence bag, using a grocery bag instead of an evidence bag and sending someone home to grab a leaf blower without sending anyone to the police station to get proper evidence-gathering containers. Other awkward moments included an evidence bag with the wrong number of broken taillight shards and a brief delay after a state police sergeant was asked to open a mislabeled evidence bag with one of the victim's sneakers inside. "You don't have to be doing homicide investigations daily to know that if you gathered a bunch of stuff from a crime scene, preserve it and make sure it's logged into evidence so you can retrieve it later since you don't know where this is going," Mauro said. "If they knew enough and cared enough to take samples from the scene, however imperfect they did it … and they put each cup in a separate Stop and Shop bag, initialed it, closed it as good as they could in a blizzard. It is unorthodox. Not perfect, but defensible." GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub Defense attorney Robert Alessi also asked Hartnett about two photos purported to show the same lone hair sample recovered from the back of the SUV. "You could argue that the snow sealed it in there," Mauro said. Read faces charges of second-degree murder, drunk driving manslaughter and fleeing a deadly accident in O'Keefe's death. Prosecutors allege she reversed her Lexus SUV into O'Keefe and left him to die on the ground during a blizzard. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and her lawyers say she never hit O'Keefe. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X SIGN UP TO GET True Crime Newsletter While prosecutors have shown photos of her broken taillight, and investigators have testified that it played a role in their allegations against Read, her lawyers played a close-up video of her appearing to back into O'Keefe's parked car before she and two other women found O'Keefe on the ground outside the Fairview Road house. A group of people had been there the night before for an after-party following a night out drinking. Read, speaking with reporters outside the courthouse, claimed she saw O'Keefe leave the party before she left. Other witnesses, testifying under oath, told jurors that he did not go article source: Karen Read trial: Crime lab expert testifies blood evidence was never tested
