Katie McLaughlin

McLaughlin described the dispatch for an unresponsive man in the snow at 34 Fairview Road and her arrival with a stretcher as other responders were treating the patient.

McLaughlin testified that, after she asked Karen Read about significant trauma, Read repeated a statement that McLaughlin understood as "I hit him"; McLaughlin said she then relayed the information and did not continue questioning Read.

“The patient was off the road.”

McLaughlin gave her direct reference point for where she recalled O'Keefe being located.

McLaughlin testified that O'Keefe wore jeans, a dark-colored light zip-up jacket, and one sneaker; she said the clothing was soaked through and she saw no tears or holes.

Using Exhibit 18, McLaughlin identified the call address as 34 Fairview Road and said her reference point was that the patient was off the road, to the left of the house near a fire hydrant.

“Respectfully, I think my testimony has been pretty consistent.”

McLaughlin disputed the defense suggestion that her account had materially changed.

“I would say more acquaintances, not close friends.”

McLaughlin characterized her relationship with Caitlin Albert as limited.

The judge directed defense counsel to ask another question when McLaughlin began recounting Firefighter Nuttall's response in the ambulance.

“No. I'm saying I can't -- these photos are old. I don't know. I don't remember where these were or the circumstances around them. That's what I'm saying.”

McLaughlin clarified that her inability to identify the photographs' settings or dates reflected limited recollection of old photographs.

“I would consider her to be a close friend.”

This answer differed from McLaughlin's earlier description of Caitlin Albert as an acquaintance rather than a close friend.

“I would categorize our relationship as always being just acquaintances. I knew her. We had some mutual friends, but we were never close friends. We don't have a one-on-one relationship.”

McLaughlin defined the relationship at issue in the voir dire as an acquaintance relationship rather than a close friendship.

McLaughlin described Caitlin Albert as an acquaintance with mutual friends, not a close friend, and said they had no one-on-one relationship.

“I've always testified to -- like I feel as though my testimony has been consistent.”

McLaughlin disputed counsel's characterization that her account had evolved before later agreeing that the two statements were not the same.

“I would describe it as we're not close friends. I would say we're more acquaintances. We have mutual friends. I don't have a one-on-one relationship with her.”

McLaughlin directly characterized the limited nature of her relationship with Caitlin Albert.

“To help the patient, to save someone's life.”

Establishes McLaughlin's focus was medical, not investigative — framing Read's statement as spontaneous rather than elicited by law enforcement.

“I asked if there had been any significant trauma that happened that preceded this. And she answered with a series of statements that she repeated. 'I hit him. I hit him.' There was a woman next to us who told her to calm down. 'Stop talking. Calm down. You're hysterical.' So she repeated, 'I hit him.' And a police officer asked her, said, 'You what?' And she repeated it again. 'I hit him.'”

McLaughlin testified that, in response to her question about significant trauma while gathering medical information, Read repeated ‘I hit him.’ The meaning of those words is for the factfinder to assess.

“I didn't feel comfortable pushing and asking for more. I just didn't think that it was the right time for that. And it was also really not my place at that point. I feel like that was something that the police were — that's more their role.”

Explains why McLaughlin did not follow up on Read's statement, reinforcing the line between medical and police roles.

“We went to high school together. We're in the same grade. We have mutual friends, and growing up we had different friend groups, but those groups would often get together in bigger groups and hang out. I see her in group settings. I socialize with her occasionally. I don't have a personal relationship with her. I wouldn't consider her to be a friend of mine, but I do see her occasionally because of social events. I don't have a one-on-one. I don't have a close personal relationship with her.”

Brennan preemptively addresses the Caitlin Albert connection that the defense used for impeachment in Trial 1.

“She was distraught.”

McLaughlin described Read as 'distraught' during Jackson's video questioning. She later said the video was hard to assess and that Read looked hysterical and was extremely upset, rather than adopting Jackson's interpretation.

“I explained the relationship over and over again throughout the testimony.”

Counters Jackson's implication that McLaughlin minimized or concealed her connection to Caitlin Albert

“I just felt bad for her at the time. It was a very disturbing scene and I did not want to push further down that road. It's not my job and I didn't feel comfortable doing it.”

McLaughlin explained that she did not follow up on Read's reported statement because the scene was disturbing, she felt bad for Read, and investigation was not her role.

“I won't ever forget those statements.”

McLaughlin said she would not forget the statements she attributed to Read.

“I heard "I hit him" repeatedly.”

McLaughlin's final word on the central disputed statement — she maintains it was a declaration, not a question.

“Never. No.”

Flat denial of any knowledge that Kevin Albert coordinated her interview with Proctor.