Commonwealth v. Read — Trial ArchiveSteven Mullaney
Testimony Impact
Officer Steven Mullaney of the Canton Police Department responded to the call at 34 Fairview Road in the early morning hours of January 29, 2022, arriving to find John O'Keefe unresponsive on the front lawn in heavy snow. He testified about the scene conditions, O'Keefe's body position and state, and Karen Read's extreme emotional distress. He also observed the subsequent evidence search of the property and was present when Read was placed on a Section 12 psychiatric hold following reports of suicidal statements.
Challenges & Responses
What attorneys challenged during examination and how the witness responded.
Mullaney was not directly challenged on his veracity; instead, defense attorney Jackson used his observations to undercut the prosecution's case — eliciting admissions that he saw no taillight debris and heard no incriminating statements from Read despite being present throughout the scene response.
Notable Quotes From The Record
“He was lying face up, as in back on the ground.”
Establishes O'Keefe's body position when found — on his back, face up on the front lawn.
“There was really no snow, but you could tell that he had been in the conditions. It was almost as if — it was like water, kind of like frozen on, kind of, to his — — face.”
Mullaney testified that he could tell O'Keefe had been in the conditions and described frozen water on his face.
“She was screaming, 'Is that my boyfriend? Is he dead?'”
Documents Karen Read's behavior at the scene, which the prosecution presents as part of the narrative.
“Canton control advised us that — — she was making suicidal statements.”
Establishes basis for Read's Section 12 psychiatric hold and transport to Good Samaritan Hospital.
“Screaming. Very loudly.”
Mullaney described Read as screaming very loudly at the scene.
“I did not.”
Mullaney's confirmation he never saw any of the 45 pieces of taillight debris later recovered, despite watching the evidence search with a leaf blower
Key Moments
- Mullaney described O'Keefe lying face up on the front lawn approximately ten feet from the curb, with frozen water on his face. He did not recall other observations or any injuries.
- On direct, Mullaney testified that Karen Read was screaming 'Is that my boyfriend? Is he dead?' at the scene, and that Canton dispatch later reported she was making suicidal statements, forming the basis for her Section 12 psychiatric hold and transport to Good Samaritan Hospital.
- On cross-examination, Mullaney confirmed that despite watching the evidence search of the property — including the use of a leaf blower by Lieutenant Gallagher — he never observed any of the 45 pieces of taillight debris that the prosecution later introduced as physical evidence linking Read's vehicle to the scene.
- Mullaney acknowledged on cross that in roughly two hours at the scene, he never once heard Karen Read make any incriminating statement, and that he never heard her ask Jennifer McCabe to Google anything — directly countering two pillars of the prosecution's narrative.
- On redirect, Mullaney was used to establish that Read's hysterical reaction was not shared by others present at the scene, with Jennifer McCabe described as notably calm by contrast — a point the prosecution framed as distinguishing Read's behavior.