Commonwealth v. Karen Read
The first criminal trial of Karen Read for the death of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe began in April 2024 before Judge Beverly Cannone. The prosecution alleged Read struck O'Keefe with her SUV in a Canton snowstorm; the defense argued he was beaten inside 34 Fairview Road and investigators with ties to the Albert family covered it up. After five days of deliberation, the jury declared itself hopelessly deadlocked.
April 2024
Police officers and paramedics described the response at 34 Fairview Road, while cross-examination addressed dispatch records, reported statements, and witness recollections.
May 2024
Gallagher and Goode testified about the Fairview Road response, scene processing, dispatch records, and early search. Outside the jury's presence, the court heard voir dire on Michael Lank and deferred a ruling on proposed evidence from a 2002 incident.
Goode completed testimony about report materials as the court set limits on questioning of Lank, who described the response at 34 Fairview Road and was cross-examined about relationships and scene handling. Rae began testimony about a welfare check at O'Keefe's home.
Witnesses described the Waterfall gathering, admitted videos and phone records, and limited observations as Read and O’Keefe left.
The judge admitted bulkhead video as Brian Albert's cross-examination addressed prior statements and phone records; Albert family members testified about the gathering at 34 Fairview Road.
Caitlin Albert, Tristin Morris, Sarah Levinson, and Julie Nagel testified about the gathering, departures, and observations near 34 Fairview Road.
Kun testified about swab testing, Fairview witnesses described their observations, and Colin Albert testified about leaving with Allison McCabe.
Jennifer McCabe denied making or deleting a disputed 2:27 a.m. phone search, while Kerry Roberts described the search for John O'Keefe and the response after he was found. The court also heard Aruba-trip relationship testimony under limiting instructions.
Brian Higgins testified about his phone disposal, followed by hospital, alcohol-analysis, plowing, and municipal-video testimony.
June 2024
Forensic testimony addressed taillight and glass comparisons before Trooper Yuriy Bukhenik testified about investigative evidence and a reported interview with Karen Read.
Tully completed testimony on video, phone records, and evidence documentation before DNA analysts described testing results and limitations. The court set jury-instruction submissions.
Rulings limited expert testimony and excluded proposed phone-search evidence from the Commonwealth's case-in-chief. The jury then heard phone-data testimony and medical-examiner evidence concerning John O'Keefe's injuries and death.
Dr. Scordi-Bello completed her testimony, the judge denied directed verdicts, and the defense began its case with Loughran, Russell, and Green.
Sheridan, Wolfe, and Rentschler testified about injuries, tail-lamp testing, and biomechanics before the defense rested and the court held a charge conference.