Commonwealth v. Read — Trial Archive
Person Sean Goode Trial 1Canton PD Sergeant Sean Goode was the overnight shift supervisor who received the 911 call and responded to 34 Fairview Road on the morning John O’Keefe was found. ← All People
👮 Law Enforcement · Canton PD

Sean Goode

Trial 1
672 lines 6 proceedings
Courtroom still of Sean Goode.

About

Sergeant Sean Goode served as the Canton PD midnight shift supervisor on January 29, 2022, and testified that he was the third officer to arrive at 34 Fairview Road after Jennifer McCabe's 911 call at 6:04 a.m. He testified about the sequence of pre-dawn contacts with police, the chaotic scene upon arrival, Karen Read's statements and behavior, and the initial evidence recovery efforts. He also testified that he did not hear Karen Read say, "I hit him," during the time he was on scene. His testimony spans two trial days and covers the prosecution's account of that morning and significant defense challenges to the integrity of his police report and the crime scene itself.

Key Points

  • Goode testified that he received an early call around 5 a.m. from a woman — later identified as Kerry Roberts — asking whether police had transported a male party that evening, framing the first contact with police as a routine inquiry rather than an emergency.
  • Goode described Karen Read at the scene repeatedly yelling 'Is he dead?' and being unable to clearly account for how she or O'Keefe had arrived at Fairview Road, stating she said 'I think so' then 'I don't remember' when asked if she had driven there — observations central to the prosecution's narrative about her state of mind.
  • Goode testified that his dashcam footage showed the front lawn of 34 Fairview with no footprints or tracks in the snow upon his arrival, a detail the prosecution used to suggest O'Keefe had not walked there himself.
  • A leaf blower was used at the scene during the response, and Goode testified that it exposed blood and a broken drinking glass under the snow where O'Keefe was found — evidence that had not been immediately visible.
  • On cross, Yannetti revealed that the face sheet of Goode's own police report had been altered after the fact — an original photo of the berm was replaced with a taillight photo — a change Goode could not fully explain and which became a focal point of the defense's crime scene integrity argument.

Trial Record (6)

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

Day 5

Direct Sean Goode Adam Lally 2 highlights 76 lines spoken
Summary

Goode described two early-morning 911 calls, dispatch to 34 Fairview, severe snow conditions, and the admission of the recorded calls.

Highlights (2)
Quote

“So once it was connected to Holbrook, I ended up dispatching my own officers, my downtown cruisers, to 34 Fairview. And then I had one other cruiser come back to the station so I could get down there.”

Describes Goode's immediate dispatch response after the 6:04 a.m. call.

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Quote

“It's as accurate as the officer that actually enters the information. So if it was busy in there and she's by herself, you're taking information down. You're writing it. Then you have to physically enter it into a computer. So there would be a delay in time.”

Qualifies the timing and accuracy of the dispatch log entries.

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Direct Sean Goode Adam Lally 3 highlights 119 lines spoken
Summary

Goode identified cruiser footage at 34 Fairview Road, described Read's condition and subsequent hospital transport, and explained early scene-preservation steps.

Highlights (3)
Quote

“You couldn't hear. It was oddly, eerily guiet. But the wind was so howling that I have a tough time actually hearing people. So you had to speak very loud or get next to each other.”

Goode described the weather conditions that affected communication at the scene.

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Quote

“I asked her if she had driven there. And she said, I think so. And then right after that, she said, I don't remember. Because of her state, I decided to stop questioning there. She couldn't keep her train of thought.”

Goode explained why he ended his conversation with Read in the cruiser.

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Cross Sean Goode David Yannetti 2 highlights 366 lines spoken
Summary

Goode was questioned about Canton Police relationships, report discrepancies, the early search and security of 34 Fairview, and synchronized dash-camera footage admitted as Exhibit 16.

Highlights (2)

Day 6

Cross Sean Goode David Yannetti 2 highlights 83 lines spoken
Summary

Goode was questioned about report face sheets carrying different photographs; limited face-sheet excerpts and a taillight photograph were admitted, and he said he did not know who added the later image.

Highlights (2)
Quote

“I didn't take the supplemental report. So I don't know. I don't know who took the photo.”

Goode said he could not identify the person who added the later photograph to the report materials.

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Quote

“From my report, yes, not other officers' supplementals to an investigation.”

Goode distinguished responsibility for his own report from responsibility for other officers' supplemental reports.

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Redirect Sean Goode Adam Lally 2 highlights 21 lines spoken
Summary

Goode clarified timing concerning Christopher Albert, described worsening snow, and explained how supplemental reports and photographs could affect printed report face sheets.

Highlights (2)
Quote

“It's not the actual meat of the report.”

Goode distinguished the report face sheet from the substantive narrative after cross-examination focused on differing face sheets.

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Quote

“So when that face sheet was printed, if Photo No. 1 was the top photo and now there is a new photo added, that could be now the top photo on that face sheet when it was printed.”

Goode offered an explanation for why different printings of a face sheet could display different photographs.

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Locations Touched By This Testimony

34 Fairview Road 6 procs Canton Police Department 4 procs Canton PD Sally Port 1 proc