Commonwealth v. Read — Trial Archive
Person Brian Albert Jr Trial 1Brian Albert Jr. is the son of Brian Albert Sr. and was celebrating his 23rd birthday at 34 Fairview Road on the night John O’Keefe died. He testified in Trial 1 about the gathering and what he observed that evening. ← All People
🗣️ Witness

Brian Albert Jr

Trial 1
281 lines 2 proceedings
Courtroom still of Brian Albert Jr.

About

Brian Albert Jr. was hosting a birthday party at his family's home at 34 Fairview Road on January 28–29, 2022, the night John O'Keefe was found dead on the front lawn. He testified about the sequence of guests arriving and departing, his observations of an unrecognized dark SUV parked outside, and his firm denial that O'Keefe or Karen Read ever entered the home. His cross-examination focused on an 18-month gap before his first police interview and his inability to account for the movements of all guests.

Key Points

  • Albert Jr. testified that Colin Albert was getting up and leaving as Brian and Nicole Albert returned with the McCabes and Brian Higgins.
  • Albert Jr. described seeing an unrecognized dark SUV near the mailbox and later nearer the flagpole; he said that was all he knew about the vehicle.
  • Albert Jr. testified that he observed no injuries on his father, Brian Albert Sr., the following morning.
  • Under cross-examination by Elizabeth Little, Albert Jr. acknowledged that he had not looked outside the morning O'Keefe was found, explaining that doing so would have given him anxiety — a response the defense framed as suspicious avoidance given that he had seen tire tracks from a window.
  • Little questioned Albert Jr. about how many times he had discussed the case with family before his May 18, 2023 Massachusetts State Police interview. He estimated "Hundreds?" of conversations, but qualified that they included both discussions of the events and harassment, said conversations continued after the interview, and said there was nothing to discuss about the January 28–29 specifics because "we weren't part of it."

Trial Record (2)

Trial 1 First Criminal Trial Apr 29, 2024 – Jul 1, 2024 2 proceedings

Day 10

Direct Brian Albert Jr Adam Lally 4 highlights 179 lines spoken
Summary

Brian Albert Jr. described the gathering at 34 Fairview Road, an unfamiliar SUV he saw outside, and testified that John O'Keefe and Karen Read did not enter the house.

Highlights (4)
Quote

“Yeah. So I saw a truck, which was Julie Nagel's brother's truck, I believe. And that was a little ways, almost like in front of the driveway of the house. And then a little ways in front of it, there was another car that I hadn't recognized before. It was a dark SUV-ish. And that's all I knew about it and could see about it.”

He described the unfamiliar vehicle he saw outside the house and the limits of his observation.

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Quote

“Yeah. So the first time I looked, I would say it was closer towards the mailbox, maybe a little bit in front of the mailbox. And then the second time, the last time I looked out the window, it had moved further down, closer to, I'll say, the flagpole. So closer that way. It went down that way towards the flagpole.”

He testified that the unfamiliar SUV appeared in two different positions during his observations.

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Key Moment

Brian Albert Jr. testified that he saw Julie Nagel's brother's truck and an unfamiliar dark SUV outside, and later saw the SUV in a different position with tracks in the snow.

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Cross Brian Albert Jr Elizabeth Little 3 highlights 102 lines spoken
Summary

The defense challenged Brian Albert Jr.'s recollection of the timeline, his observations outside, and discussions with family members.

Highlights (3)
Quote

“Okay. If I said that, yes, because I was not sure. I'm still not sure if he was there or not.”

Albert acknowledged uncertainty about whether Brian Higgins was present when he looked out the window.

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Quote

“I'm just an anxious person, and I got overwhelmed. I think most people would be overwhelmed in that situation.”

Albert explained why he said he did not want to look outside on the morning of January 29.

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Locations Touched By This Testimony

34 Fairview Road 2 procs Canton Police Department 1 proc Waterfall Bar & Grille 1 proc