Commonwealth v. Read — Trial ArchiveMargaret O'Keefe
Testimony Impact
Margaret O'Keefe is the mother of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, whose death on January 29, 2022 is at the center of the Karen Read case. She testified in Trial 2 about the family's tragedy, including the prior deaths of John's sister and brother-in-law that left him raising two children. Her testimony focused on her phone call with Karen Read during the drive to the hospital, Read's behavior at the hospital, and events at John's home afterward. The defense waived cross-examination.
Notable Quotes From The Record
“I hear Karen Read yell, 'Peg, is he dead? Is he dead? Peg! Peg, is he dead?'”
Describes Read's behavior at the hospital — prosecution uses this to characterize her demeanor and possible consciousness of guilt.
“She um — I asked her what happened and she said, 'We went to a party. I left him there.' I said, 'You just left him there?' She said, 'Yes, I just left him there.'”
Karen Read's own words to John's mother about leaving him at the party, central to the prosecution's narrative.
“He just said, 'I'll never see him again.'”
Patrick's reaction upon learning of John's death, establishing the emotional impact on the children John was raising.
“I don't even remember her being in the house. When she went upstairs, that's the last I saw of her.”
Contradicts any claim that Margaret confronted Read or discussed John's injuries that morning — denies the 'hit by a car' kitchen island exchange.
Key Moments
- Margaret testified that during the drive to the hospital, Karen Read told her over the phone that she had left John at the party — 'We went to a party. I left him there' — a statement the prosecution used as central evidence of Read's state of mind and conduct.
- Margaret described hearing Karen Read yelling in the hospital hallway, 'Peg, is he dead? Is he dead?' — testimony the prosecution offered to characterize Read's demeanor as inconsistent with that of a grieving partner unaware of what had happened.
- Margaret recounted how her grandson Patrick, one of the children John had been raising since his sister's death in 2013, reacted to the news of John's death by saying 'I'll never see him again,' putting a human face on the family's loss.
- Margaret flatly denied that she had confronted Karen Read about John's injuries or had a conversation with her at the kitchen island — directly rebutting any defense suggestion that such an exchange occurred or that Margaret had discussed a 'hit by a car' scenario with Read at the house.