Court hears of alleged discord between Karen Read and her officer boyfriend during their text conversations at her murder hearing.
Karen Read faces accusations of backing her black Lexus SUV into her boyfriend, Officer John O'Keefe, during a night of bar-hopping in January, leading to his death in the snow. Discover how the prosecution and defense present their cases in this paraphrased account.
Adam Lally, Assistant District Attorney, presented the prosecution's theory: "Karen Read allegedly reversed into her boyfriend, Officer John O'Keefe, leaving him injured on the ground. The bleeding in his brain, swelling, and hours spent in a blizzard, with temperatures in the teens and snow piling up on his body, resulted in his eventual death outside another police officer's home in Canton's Boston suburb."
The relationship between Read and O'Keefe had deteriorated after an incident during their New Year's vacation in Aruba, where Read accused him of flirting with another woman. They argued, loudly, for about 20 minutes in Aruba, and their truculent relationship would be reflected in text messages introduced during the trial, according to Lally.
On the contrary, the defense claimed that Read was framed to cover up a more sinister event inside the house on Fairview Road. They believe O'Keefe was severely injured in a fight involving the homeowner and others inside the house, and was then thrown outside to die.
David Yannetti, Read's defense attorney, painted a different picture: "John O'Keefe’s death didn’t occur via a car accident. It happened inside that home on Fairview Road, and not at the hands of Karen Read. The residents of the house, a well-connected law enforcement family in Canton, covered up the true events, pinning the crime on Read to protect themselves."
"Someone ambushed John O'Keefe," said Yannetti, continuing, "Perhaps that someone didn't intend to kill him. But they went too far."
Read, aged 44, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and leaving the scene of a collision.
The trial commenced in Dedham, after a two-week-long jury selection, following months of polarizing speculation around the incident.
Outside the courthouse, Read's supporters gathered, sporting pink, and held signs that read, "Free Karen Read." They chanted encouraging messages.
For many months, Read's supporters have claimed her innocence, emphasizing that she's been framed by a cover-up involving the families within the house on Fairview Road. They have been vocal at city council meetings, demanding answers. They've set up private Facebook pages and discussed the case online, making it into a national media sensation.
Now that the trial has begun, some of Read's supporters have added a pink background to their Facebook profile photos in show of solidarity.
The defense and prosecution agree that Read and O'Keefe met some friends and acquaintances while bar-hopping and later returned to Fairview Road after midnight for a small after-party.
However, they disagree strongly on the events that followed.
O'Keefe never entered the house, Lally stated. "None of the people inside the house observed John O'Keefe step in that house that evening. They assumed the duo had left without noticing," he told jurors.
Conversely, Yannetti posited a different scenario: "If John O'Keefe had been killed outside the house after Read dropped him off shortly after midnight, why didn't those living there notice his body lying in the yard when they left?" He further challenged the thoroughness of the police investigation.
The story tells us about how Read found her boyfriend's body in the front yard of their home, covered in snow, and proceeded to perform CPR on him. Police officers who arrived at the scene questioned her about any injuries that might have contributed to her actions. Read reportedly said, "I hit him, I hit him." However, the defense argued that she was only trying to understand the situation and wasn't making any confessional statements.
"Read was like many of us," explained her lawyer, Yannetti. "She was concerned about what could've happened. Did I hurt him? Could I have harmed him? That's what she was saying to herself and others."
The prosecution claimed that a computer expert would testify about an internet search made by the victim's sister-in-law, who was home at the time of the incident. The search was said to have occurred around 2:27 a.m., which was several hours before Read called searching for O'Keefe. The defense, in turn, contested this, stating that Read asked her to conduct the search at around 6:30 a.m., after she had already found him dead in the snow.
Additionally, the defense brought up the fact that a piece of Read's broken taillight was discovered outside the house the next day. The prosecution claimed this as evidence, but the defense refused to acknowledge it as a key finding during their initial search and called it a botched investigation, as the piece of taillight was only discovered hours later.
Read's lawyer further explained that she had broken her taillight when she crashed into her boyfriend's car while trying to leave the driveway in a rush to find him.
The US Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts has since launched a federal investigation into Read's case, with the Massachusetts State Police announcing an investigation into one of the officers involved. The defense has accused this officer, Michael Proctor, of not disclosing his relationship with some of the key witnesses. Proctor's lawyer, DiStefano, denied any wrongdoing and stated that his client is cooperating with the investigation.
The victim's younger brother, Paul O'Keefe, was called to testify in court. He spoke about his two siblings, John and their sister, who passed away in 2013. John was taking care of his sister's children at the time of his death.
The trial is expected to last for approximately six weeks.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
