Commonwealth v. Read — Trial ArchiveLaura Sullivan
Testimony Impact
Laura Sullivan knew John O'Keefe through their mutual friend Pat Rogers, and O'Keefe was godfather to her son Ben. She testified exclusively in Trial 1 about the Aruba trip over New Year's 2021-2022, where she observed friction between O'Keefe and Karen Read, and about a phone call she received from Read on the morning O'Keefe's body was found. She had no firsthand presence at either the Waterfall Bar or 34 Fairview Road on the night in question.
Challenges & Responses
What attorneys challenged during examination and how the witness responded.
Cross-examination established that Sullivan had no firsthand knowledge of the key events of the night — she was not at the Waterfall Bar on January 28 or at 34 Fairview Road on January 29. Defense counsel also highlighted that Trooper Proctor had traveled all the way to her home in Pembroke to interview her, though Sullivan confirmed on redirect that he did not visit alone.
Notable Quotes From The Record
“I asked him if he needed to take it. And he said, 'Yes, she's crazy, I got to take care of this.'”
O'Keefe's characterization of Read on New Year's Eve, admitted under state-of-mind instruction for motive evidence.
“He said, 'Well, apparently I made out with your sister the other night, according to Karen.'”
Sullivan recounts O'Keefe's statement attributing the Marietta allegation to Read; Sullivan later testified that Read apologized and said she thought she saw something she did not.
“I asked him if he was okay and he kind of just shrugged it off. And I said, 'Are you happy?' And he kind of just rolled his eyes and shrugged it off. I said something along the lines of, 'Life is too short to not be happy.' And he goes, 'Well, you know, Laura, it is what it is.'”
Sullivan's observation of O'Keefe's unhappiness during the relationship, offered to establish his state of mind.
“She said, 'I don't know. We were both at the same party. I didn't go in. I went home.'”
Read's early account to Sullivan of the night O'Keefe died — 'I didn't go in' becomes a key factual claim in the case.
“He was with another Trooper.”
States that Proctor was accompanied by another trooper when he came to Sullivan's house.
“Trooper Fanning.”
Identifies the second trooper present during the interview.
Key Moments
- Sullivan recounted that on New Year's Eve in Aruba, O'Keefe received a call from Read and told Sullivan he had to take it because 'she's crazy' — testimony admitted under a state-of-mind instruction as motive evidence for the prosecution.
- Sullivan testified that O'Keefe told her Read had accused him of kissing Sullivan's sister Marietta, an incident that illustrated Read's jealousy and the tension in the relationship during the trip.
- When Sullivan asked O'Keefe whether he was happy during the Aruba trip, he responded with a shrug and rolled his eyes — a moment the prosecution used to characterize the relationship as troubled.
- Sullivan testified that when she called Read on the morning of January 29, Read told her 'I didn't go in. I went home' — an early account from Read that became a significant factual claim regarding her presence at 34 Fairview Road.
- On redirect, Sullivan confirmed that Trooper Proctor was not alone when he traveled to her Pembroke home to interview her — Trooper Fanning had accompanied him, a detail the prosecution introduced to address the propriety of that interview.