Commonwealth v. Read — Trial ArchivePaul O'Keefe
Testimony Impact
Paul O'Keefe is the brother of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, whose death on January 29, 2022 gave rise to the prosecution of Karen Read. He testified in Trial 1, Day 1, covering his brother's background, the nature of John and Karen's relationship, and his own observations at Good Samaritan Hospital on the morning John died. The defense waived cross-examination of Paul O'Keefe.
Notable Quotes From The Record
“She called and just said something happened to your brother — they found him in the snow and they took him to the hospital.”
Establishes how the family first learned of John O'Keefe's death.
“I noticed Karen Read was there. She was being restrained by hospital employees, and she was screaming out to us, asking if he was alive.”
Documents the defendant's state at the hospital — prosecution framing it as potentially significant behavior.
“He was pretty banged up. He had — His eyes had swelled up. He had a breathing tube — a mask anyway. Blood come down his nose, blood come down his mouth. But what really stood out to me was the eyes — it was almost as if there were ping-pong balls under his eyelids, they were that swollen.”
Lay witness description of the victim's injuries as observed at the hospital.
“I said, you know, I just want to tell you, I think your daughter's great — very appreciative of what she's done for the kids and helping my brother.”
Establishes Paul's positive pre-incident view of Karen Read, lending credibility to his testimony and showing the relationship was not adversarial before January 29.
“She had some of her belongings that she had taken from the bedroom.”
Establishes that the defendant removed personal items from the victim's home on the day of his death.
Key Moments
- Paul described receiving a 6:40 a.m. call from his mother Margaret telling him something had happened to his brother — establishing the family's first awareness of John's death and the chaotic circumstances of that morning.
- At the hospital, Paul observed his brother with swollen eyes, a breathing mask, and blood on his face, providing lay witness testimony about the severity of John O'Keefe's injuries before any medical or forensic expert had testified.
- Paul recounted seeing Karen Read at the hospital being physically restrained by hospital employees while screaming to the family asking whether John was alive — a moment the prosecution presented as significant to the circumstances of John's death.
- Paul testified that Karen Read came to the Canton house that day with her father, went upstairs to the bedroom for ten to fifteen minutes, and left with her personal belongings along with all Read family vehicles — establishing her movements in the hours following John's death.
- Paul told the jury that before January 29, he had spoken positively to Karen's father about her, calling her great and expressing appreciation for what she had done for John's children — contextualizing the family's prior relationship with the defendant as non-adversarial.