(DEDHAM, Mass.) — With closing arguments now underway, the second sensational trial of Karen Read — accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend in 2022 — is nearing a close.
Prosecutors allege Read hit her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, with her car outside the home of fellow police officer Brian Albert in January 2022 and then left him to die there during a major blizzard.
The defense has argued Read’s vehicle did not hit O’Keefe and instead said O’Keefe was attacked by a dog and beaten by other people who were in the house before he was thrown out in the snow to die.
Read’s first trial ended in a mistrial last July after the jury could not reach a verdict.
At least four jurors who served on her first trial last year have confirmed that she was found not guilty of second-degree murder and leaving a scene of personal injury and death, according to Read’s attorneys. However, the jury could not come to an agreement on a third charge of manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence, the attorneys said.
Her lawyers filed multiple appeals, all the way to the Supreme Court, claiming Read should not be retried on the counts the jury apparently agreed on, saying it would amount to double jeopardy. Each appeal was denied.
Read has pleaded not guilty to all three charges and maintains her innocence.
Here are top takeaways from the trial as the jury is about to receive the case:
Former state police officer not called to testify in 2nd trial
The lead investigator in the case, former Massachusetts State Police officer Michael Proctor — who was a key witness in Read’s first trial — was not called to the stand in her retrial.
Damning testimony in her first trial led to the suspension and later firing of Proctor last July. Two other state troopers were also subject to internal affairs investigations after her first trial.
It was revealed that Proctor was communicating with Canton police officer Kevin Albert — the brother of the man who hosted the gathering where O’Keefe was found dead — during the investigation ahead of Read’s first trial.
Proctor also sent text messages that described Read in lewd and defamatory manner, as revealed during the first trial.
At one point during the first trial, attorneys for Read questioned Proctor about searching for nude photos on Read’s phone.
Judge denied 1st motion for mistrial
Read’s attorneys made motions for a mistrial twice during her second criminal trial, both of which were denied by the judge.
The first motion came after prosecutors questioned a defense expert witness about whether there was evidence of dog DNA on O’Keefe’s sweater from the night of the murder. The defense’s witness had argued marks on O’Keefe’s arm were evidence of a dog attack.
The sweatshirt had — up to this point in trial — not been presented to this jury. The jury was removed from the room as attorneys made arguments to the judge.
Defense attorneys for Read argued that prosecutors could not mention DNA in this trial since it had not been mentioned so far. Prosecutors said they had always planned to introduce DNA evidence on rebuttal.
The defense also questioned the credibility of the report that determined there was no dog DNA and questioned why there was no swabbing of the wounds on O’Keefe’s arm for DNA. They also had a series of concerns about the chain of custody of the sweater.
Prosecutors admit to making a mistake over O’Keefe sweater, mistrial motion denied
In an explosive moment during the trial, defense attorney Robert Alessi claimed prosecutor Hank Brennan pulled a “stunt” in his cross-examination of Dr. Daniel Wolfe. Brennan had shown Wolfe the back of O’Keefe’s sweatshirt, and asked him if the holes in the back of the sweatshirt could be related to the alleged killing.
Alessi said the holes had been made by the prosecutor’s witness, criminologist Maureen Hartnett.
Alessi said the defense had “no idea” that Brennan was going to do this, claiming it was an intentional “stunt” to mislead the jury into believing the holes were caused by Read allegedly hitting O’Keefe with her car.
Brennan addressed the court and admitted he had made a mistake by presenting the hoodie as he did.
However, Judge Beverly Cannone denied the motion for mistrial. but did instruct the jury to disregard Brennan’s line of questioning, and will allow the exhibits presented by Alessi into evidence.
Karen Read does not take the stand
Like her first trial, Read did not take the stand in her own defense.
Read’s defense rested after its last witness on Wednesday and prosecutors did not call any rebuttal witnesses.
“I am not testifying. The case is — it’s our last witness. [The jury] has heard my interview clips. They’ve heard my voice,” Read said to reporters outside the courthouse last week, according to Boson ABC affiliate WCVB. “They’ve heard a lot of me.”
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