Commonwealth v. Read — Trial Archive
Person Julie Nagel Trial 1Julie Nagel was a guest at the Brian Albert Jr. birthday party on the night of January 28–29, 2022, who testified that she observed a dark, body-sized object near the flagpole on the Albert front lawn as she was leaving. ← All People
🗣️ Witness

Julie Nagel

Trial 1
477 lines 6 proceedings
Courtroom still of Julie Nagel.

About

Julie Nagel attended the gathering at 34 Fairview Road on the night John O'Keefe died and was among the last guests to leave. Her brother Ryan Nagel picked her up in Richard D'Antuono's Ford F-150 around 1:45 AM, and as she departed she noticed a dark object near the flagpole — the same location where O'Keefe's body was found hours later. She testified in Trial 1 across two days, covering both the events inside the house that night and her observation of the object on the lawn.

Key Points

  • Nagel testified that no one entered the house between approximately 12:15 AM and 1:45 AM, directly supporting the prosecution's contention that O'Keefe never went inside 34 Fairview Road.
  • Her observation of a 'black blob' near the flagpole — which she estimated was five to six feet long — became a focal point of the trial, as the shape was consistent with a person lying on the ground at the location where O'Keefe was found.
  • On cross-examination, Yannetti revealed that Nagel's five-to-six-foot size estimate had never appeared in any prior statement to investigators and was disclosed for the first time on the witness stand, which Jackson reinforced during recross.
  • On cross-examination, Nagel said Jennifer McCabe requested screenshots of her texts with Ryan Nagel; she did not remember when the request was made or whether an investigator or prosecutor separately requested them.
  • Nagel acknowledged on cross that she never asked the driver to stop, never called police after seeing the object, and did not contact authorities even the following morning when she connected what she had seen to O'Keefe's death.

Trial Record (6)

Trial 1 First Criminal Trial Apr 29, 2024 – Jul 1, 2024 6 proceedings

Day 11

Direct Julie Nagel Adam Lally 2 highlights 213 lines spoken
Summary

Juliana Nagel described the gathering at 34 Fairview Road, a black SUV she saw from inside, and an unidentified dark object near the flagpole as she left.

Highlights (2)
Quote

“I did say out loud -- I was like, I think I might have saw something. I'm not kind of sure what it was. But I was also intoxicated, drinking. So I didn't really know what it was, what I saw. But Sara was like, what, Julie? And I was like, I don't know what it was. And then that was kind of really it.”

Nagel described both her contemporaneous reaction to the object near the flagpole and her uncertainty about what she had seen.

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Quote

“I'm not quite sure. No. It was just too kind of quick, too quick to tell.”

Nagel expressly said she could not identify the object she observed while passing the house.

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Cross Julie Nagel David Yannetti 2 highlights 241 lines spoken
Summary

Defense cross-examined Julie Nagel about her delayed interview, relationships with partygoers, drinking, and her account of seeing a dark object near 34 Fairview Road.

Highlights (2)
Quote

“I saw it pull up, stopped, pulled up again, stopped, pulled up again by the flagpole and stopped.”

Nagel described the vehicle movements she recalled seeing from inside the house.

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Day 12

Locations Touched By This Testimony

34 Fairview Road 3 procs Canton Police Department 1 proc