Commonwealth v. Read — Trial Archive
Person Erin O'Keefe Trial 1Erin O’Keefe is John O’Keefe’s sister-in-law who testified about Karen Read’s statements and behavior in the hours after John’s death was discovered. ← All People
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Erin O'Keefe

Trial 1
167 lines 1 proceeding
Courtroom still of Erin O'Keefe.

About

Erin O'Keefe is the wife of Paul O'Keefe, John O'Keefe's brother, making her John's sister-in-law by marriage. She had an established friendship with Karen Read prior to John's death. In her Trial 1 Day 1 testimony, she described the O'Keefe family background, John's guardianship of his niece and nephew following his sister Kristen's death, and her direct communications with Read on January 28–29, 2022, including a phone call on the morning John's body was found.

Key Points

  • O'Keefe recounted that, after learning John had been found in the snow and family members were heading to the hospital, she called Read and heard Read yell that John was dead. Kerry Roberts immediately took the phone and said John was at the hospital and doctors were working on him; prosecutors later argued that Read's statement was significant.
  • O'Keefe testified that Read told her she needed to 'remember the bad times,' a comment O'Keefe described as striking her as odd given the circumstances, which prosecutors presented as a consciousness-of-guilt statement.
  • O'Keefe recounted Read saying she did not think she would 'ever see you guys again,' which prosecutors framed as Read anticipating permanent separation from the O'Keefe family.
  • O'Keefe testified about a January 28 text exchange in which Read wrote that she wished she had not spoken to an O'Keefe after 2004.
  • O'Keefe testified that Read told her she had dropped John off at a party, did not feel like going inside, and returned to Canton.

Trial Record (1)

Trial 1 First Criminal Trial Apr 29, 2024 – Jul 1, 2024 1 proceeding

Day 1

Direct Erin O'Keefe Adam Lally 3 highlights 167 lines spoken
Summary

Erin O'Keefe described family and relationship history, January 28 communications, and what she learned after Johnny was found in the snow; the court gave a limiting instruction on alleged statements by Read.

Highlights (3)
Quote

“I woke up to my husband on the phone with his mother, saying he's going to be okay. He's going to be okay. And they got off the phone, and I said, what happened? What's going on? And he said, they found Johnny in the snow this morning.”

Erin O'Keefe described how she first learned on January 29 that Johnny had been found in the snow.

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Quote

“She told me that she had to remember the bad times, which struck me as an odd comment to say. But I assumed, since she was at the hospital, that maybe she was medicated. But it just struck me as something odd.”

Erin O'Keefe characterized a statement she attributed to Read during their later phone call.

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Key Moment

Erin O'Keefe described a later call with Read, including Read's account of dropping Johnny at a party, searching for him after waking, and comments Erin said struck her as odd.

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Locations Touched By This Testimony

Good Samaritan Medical Center 1 proc