Commonwealth v. Read — Trial ArchiveErin O'Keefe — Direct
359 linesWhereupon, ERIN O'KEEFE having been first duly sworn, was examined and testified under oath as follows:
JUDGE CANNONE: Whenever you are ready, Mr. Lally.
MR. LALLY: Thank you.
DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. LALLY:
MR. LALLY: Good afternoon, ma'am.
MS. O'KEEFE: Good afternoon.
MR. LALLY: Could you please state your name and spell your last name for the record?
MS. O'KEEFE: Sure. It's Erin O'Keefe, O-K-E-E-F-E.
MR. LALLY: And where is it that you live, ma'am?
MS. O'KEEFE: West Bridgewater.
MR. LALLY: Who, if anyone, do you live there with?
MS. O'KEEFE: I live with my husband, Paul, and our two girls.
MR. LALLY: And how long have you lived there in West Bridgewater?
MS. O'KEEFE: It will believe 10 years this year.
MR. LALLY: And your girls, how old are your girls?
MS. O'KEEFE: Now, 13 and 10.
MR. LALLY: And what is your husband's name?
MS. O'KEEFE: Paul.
MR. LALLY: And how long have you and Paul been together? How long have you been married?
MS. O'KEEFE: It will be 24 years this year and 17 years married this year.
MR. LALLY: And do you work, ma'am?
MS. O'KEEFE: I do.
MR. LALLY: And what do you do for work?
MS. O'KEEFE: Currently, I'm at a -- I switched jobs. Currently, I work for a mechanical contractor.
MR. LALLY: And just sort of in general terms, what type of work is it that you do?
MS. O'KEEFE: I'm their marketing director.
MR. LALLY: And you said you switched jobs. So how long have you been doing this sort of new job?
MS. O'KEEFE: I'll be there two years in October.
MR. LALLY: And your husband, Paul, how did the two of you meet?
MS. O'KEEFE: I was his waitress ina bar when he was in college.
MR. LALLY: And, as far as your husband, Paul, is concerned, his parents, what are their names?
MS. O'KEEFE: John and Margaret.
MR. LALLY: And your husband, Paul, did he have any siblings?
MS. O'KEEFE: Two. An older sister and an older brother, John and Kristen.
MR. LALLY: And, of the three, John, Kristen and Paul, who was the oldest, who was the youngest, and what is sort of the age difference between the three of them?
MS. O'KEEFE: Kristen was the oldest. Johnny was next and Paul being the youngest. And Paul is, what, three years younger than Johnny, four.
MR. LALLY: And your sister-in-law, Kristen, she was the oldest, correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: Uh-huh.
MR. LALLY: Was she married at some point?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes. Her husband, Steve.
MR. LALLY: And do you recall about when it was that your sister-in-law, Kristen, and Steve got married?
MS. O'KEEFE: They got married in 2006.
MR. LALLY: And your sister-in-law, Kristen, and her husband, Steve, did they have any children?
MS. O'KEEFE: They did. [REDACTED] and [REDACTED].
MR. LALLY: And [REDACTED] and [REDACTED], about how old are they now?
MS. O'KEEFE: [REDACTED] is 16 now and [REDACTED] is 13 now.
MR. LALLY: Now, at some point, did -- their last name was Furbush, correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: And, at some point, did your sister-in-law, Kristen; her husband, Stephen; and their children move to the town of Canton?
MS. O'KEEFE: They did.
MR. LALLY: About what time or what year was that, if you know?
MS. O'KEEFE: 2009-2010, I believe.
MR. LALLY: And, if you know, where had they been living previously before they moved to Canton?
MS. O'KEEFE: They were renting out their townhouse in Abington. So they were living in Dorchester with Johnny.
MR. LALLY: And, if you know, at the time they were living with Johnny, were both [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] born yet?
MS. O'KEEFE: Just [REDACTED].
MR. LALLY: Just [REDACTED]. So fair to say she was relatively young at that point?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes.
MR. LALLY: Now, at some point, your sister-in-law, Kristen, got sick, correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: And do you recall when about that was that you learned of that?
MS. O'KEEFE: It was June 2013, beginning of June.
MR. LALLY: And do you recall what she was sick from and what the diagnosis was?
MS. O'KEEFE: She was diagnosed with glioblastoma.
MR. LALLY: And, at some point subsequent to that, she passed; is that correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct, six months later.
MR. LALLY: So sometime in the fall or November of 2013?
MS. O'KEEFE: November 11th, 2013.
MR. LALLY: Now, at that point in November of 2013, as far as you and the rest of your family was concerned, what was sort of the plan or the expectation as far as what was going to happen with the children, [REDACTED] and
MS. O'KEEFE: I know that my in-laws were helping while Steve was still here. Steve passed away a few months later, but my in-laws were helping Steve kind of get acclimated.
MR. LALLY: And what, if any, role did your brother-in-law -- you called him Johnny; is that correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes.
MR. LALLY: So what, if any, role did your brother-in-law, Johnny, have with respect to the kids during this time?
MS. O'KEEFE: He was very involved because he was very involved when my sister-in-law was sick. I think he was out on -- he had hurt his hand or something when he was working out on the -- when he was out on the streets, I guess. And so he was on disability and was helping and going to the hospital all the time and being with Kristen.
MR. LALLY: And you mentioned he was out on disability and that he was working. What was it that your brother-in- law, Johnny O'Keefe, what did he do for work?
MS. O'KEEFE: He was a police officer in Boston.
MR. LALLY: Now, you mentioned that shortly after your sister-in-law, Kristen, passed away, her husband, Stephen, also passed away; is that correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: And so what, if anything, sort of became the plan or what happened with respect to your niece and nephew following their father's death?
MS. O'KEEFE: Paul and Johnny went out to lunch one day, and we had kind of assumed because Johnny was out, you know, on the streets doing his job like that, that Paul and I would take the kids. And Johnny said that he was going to do it.
MR. LALLY: So he sort of volunteered or stepped up to do it, correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: And, pursuant to that, where did Johnny go to live? Where did the kids live when he did that?
MS. O'KEEFE: Johnny moved into their house in Canton, the original house that Steve and Kristen had bought. He moved in with the kids there.
MR. LALLY: And about how long was it that Johnny lived there with the kids once he sort of assumed that role?
MS. O'KEEFE: Maybe four years, four or five years. I don't remember the exact year that he bought the new house.
MR. LALLY: And so they lived there for four or five years, and then you mentioned that he bought a new house. Where was the new house that he bought?
MS. O'KEEFE: The new house is the house now on Meadows Ave. in Canton.
MR. LALLY: And so from whatever time Johnny bought that house, he lived there basically with the kids, [REDACTED] and [REDACTED], until he passed away, as well, correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: And, with respect to your niece and nephew, what, if any, sort of legal relationship did Johnny have with respect to the kids, [REDACTED] and [REDACTED]?
MS. O'KEEFE: He became their guardian.
MR. LALLY: During the time that -- from the time that your brother-in-law, Johnny, sort of took over that guardianship with respect to your niece and your nephew, as far as dating was concerned, what, if any, sort of long-term relationships did he have during that period? And, before you answer that, if I could just ask you for your definition as far as what do you deem or term as far as a long-term relationship?
MS. O'KEEFE: One, two years, I guess, as a start. Two years.
MR. LALLY: So during that time after he assumed sort of guardianship of the kids, about how many of those relationships, one or two years or so, did Johnny have during that time?
MS. O'KEEFE: Two.
MR. LALLY: And what were the names of the people that he had those relationship with?
MS. O'KEEFE: The first was Amy and then Karen.
MR. LALLY: Just to be clear, by "Amy," that was -- do you know where she lived, what town?
MS. O'KEEFE: She resides in Westwood.
MR. LALLY: And she had children of her own; is that correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes.
MR. LALLY: And the second that you mentioned was Karen; is that correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: What is Karen's last name?
MS. O'KEEFE: Read.
MR. LALLY: Just for clarity purposes, do you see the person you knew, Karen Read, correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes.
MR. LALLY: So for clarity purposes for the record, do you see Karen Read in the courtroom?
MS. O'KEEFE: I do.
MR. LALLY: Could you just identify as to where she is seated or an article of clothing she is wearing?
MS. O'KEEFE: Black or blue blazer.
MR. LALLY: Your Honor, I would just ask the record reflect the identification of the defendant by the witness.
JUDGE CANNONE: Yes.
BY MR. LALLY:
MR. LALLY: Now, with regard to Ms. Read as far as her relationship with regard to your niece and nephew, what, if any, sort of legal relationship did she have with regard to either your niece or nephew or to your brother-in-law, Johnny O'Keefe?
MS. O'KEEFE: Legal, none.
MR. LALLY: Now, as far as over the course of -- well, when was the first time that you recall meeting the defendant, Ms. Read?
MS. O'KEEFE: I believe it was in June of 2020 during COVID.
MR. LALLY: Based on sort of your understanding, when was that in relation to when they began sort of their relationship?
MS. O'KEEFE: I think it was in February or March of that same year.
MR. LALLY: So right around the time that the pandemic caused a sort of general shutdown, correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: I think so, yes.
MR. LALLY: Now, as far as you were aware, did you know of any sort of pre-existing relationship or any time that they had dated in the past, prior to that February/March of 2020?
MS. O'KEEFE: I learned that after the fact.
MR. LALLY: Okay. So fair to say during any sort of previous time that they may or may not have dated, you hadn't met Ms. Read, you weren't aware of her?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct. I had not met her.
MR. LALLY: Do you recall where you were or what the circumstances were the first time that you met the defendant?
MS. O'KEEFE: I believe we were all coming to our house. It was either -- it may have been a birthday party or Father's Day. But we were out on the patio. I think it was June.
MR. LALLY: So John O'Keefe, Ms. Read, as well as the children, came over to your house for some kind of holiday or something like that?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: Now, from that time, sort of going forward, how would you describe sort of your relationship with the defendant, Ms. Read?
MS. O'KEEFE: I liked her a lot.
MR. LALLY: And, as far as prior to January 29th of 2022, would you consider yourself or characterize your relationship as friends?
MS. O'KEEFE: I would.
MR. LALLY: And about how often sort of from that time of when you first met her in June of 2020 through January, the end of January 2022, how often would you see sort of your niece, your nephew, Mr. O'Keefe and/or Ms. Read?
MS. O'KEEFE: One, two times a month. It was COVID. So when we could be outside or all get together or if there was a birthday.
MR. LALLY: And were there any occasions where you would have occasion to spend time with or hang out with the defendant outside of either your husband or your brother-in-law, Johnny O'Keefe?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes, and we talked quite often.
MR. LALLY: And, just in regard to sort of in person, about how many times was that?
MS. O'KEEFE: Without them, I don't recall.
MR. LALLY: Now, as far as your understanding of sort of the living arrangement around it, how often -- what was your understanding as far as the relationship and sort of where everybody lived or where everybody stayed or how often, things like that.
MS. O'KEEFE: I believe that Karen was there most times. I do know that she liked to go home on Mondays just to kind of have a fresh time by herself. And Thursdays she was teaching an online class. So she would be home on Thursdays, as well. But, for the majority of time, I believe she was over there.
MR. LALLY: Now, just to be clear, when you say "over there," do you mean the house on Meadows?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: Okay. And, when you say she was home, where else did she have a home during that time?
MS. O'KEEFE: In Mansfield.
MR. LALLY: And had you had occasion to be over her house in Mansfield at any point in time that you were friends?
MS. O'KEEFE: I had gone over once, yes.
MR. LALLY: Now, with respect to their relationship, what, if anything, were you aware of as far as fights, arguments, issues, anything like that?
MS. O'KEEFE: I think normal relationship, you know. The stuff everyone goes through.
MR. LALLY: If I could ask you to just, if you could, expound upon that a little as far as when you say normal relationship stuff, what exactly do you mean?
MS. O'KEEFE: I know that, you know, my in-laws being there often could be stressful and, you know, two people with kids in life, normal, everyday relationship.
MR. LALLY: Now, during this time frame you were living in West Bridgewater still; is that correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: And where were you? Like what town were you working in at that point?
MS. O'KEEFE: At that time, I was working in Brighton.
MR. LALLY: So fair to say a relatively long commute between Brighton and West Bridgewater on a daily basis?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: And so during that sort of long commute, what, if anything, would you do with reference to the defendant or who, if anyone, would you typically talk to on those long commutes?
MS. O'KEEFE: IT would text her or call her and say, hey, I'm driving. Or she would call me and we would just shoot the breeze and just talk.
MR. LALLY: Was that something -- how often would you do that?
MS. O'KEEFE: Quite often.
MR. LALLY: Now, as far as your relationship with the defendant, Ms. Read, you considered yourself friends or friendly; is that correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: And is that something that you communicated to her or she communicated to you in any way?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yeah. Yeah. We would say how well we got along. She would say if they ever broke up, she hoped that she and I would stay friends.
MR. LALLY: Now, Mrs. O'Keefe, if I could turn your attention to January 28th, 2022 into January 29th, 2022. Actually, first, let me bring you back a little bit further. So New Year's Eve going from 2021 into 2022, do you recall that time frame?
MS. O'KEEFE: I do.
MR. LALLY: Okay. And do you recall where you were or who you were with around that time of New Year's?
MS. O'KEEFE: We were in Aruba for my mother's birthday.
MR. LALLY: And, when you say "we," who, if anyone, were you in Aruba with?
MS. O'KEEFE: My mother, father, sister, husband and our two girls. QO And, over the course of that, were you also aware of where your brother-in-law, Johnny O'Keefe, and Ms. Read and the children, [REDACTED] and [REDACTED], were at that time, as well? A They were also in Aruba.
MR. LALLY: And so where they were situated in Aruba, where was that in relation to where you were situated in Aruba?
MS. O'KEEFE: We weren't close. You'd need a cab. It was not the other side of the island but far enough away you'd need to catch a cab. They were more downtown.
MR. LALLY: And what, if anything, did you know about sort of who they were with or how they had come to be there in Aruba at the time?
MS. O'KEEFE: They were with a large group of people. I don't know how many. But there was a large group of people that was going down.
MR. LALLY: And, as far as you knew, was there any one person in particular that organized sort of that trip?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes. Laura Sullivan.
MR. LALLY: And do you know Laura Sullivan?
MS. O'KEEFE: I do.
MR. LALLY: And how do you know Laura Sullivan?
MS. O'KEEFE: I know Laura through Johnny. He's her son's godfather.
MR. LALLY: And is it fair to say that as far as you knew that Mr. O'Keefe, Johnny O'Keefe, and Laura Sullivan had known each other for some time?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: Now, at any point when you were in Aruba around the time of New Year's, did you ever meet up with or connect with Ms. Read and Johnny O'Keefe?
MS. O'KEEFE: We did not.
MR. LALLY: Now, at some point in time when you were in Aruba during that same time frame, what, if any, conversation did you have with Ms. Read, the defendant?
MS. O'KEEFE: I don't believe any with Johnny. Karen texted me on the flight down. The flight attendants were Karen and Erin, and we were trying to arrange and see if there was a time we could get together.
MR. LALLY: So the flight attendants on their flight down had the same names as both yourself and Ms. Read?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yeah. She texted me and said that.
MR. LALLY: And so you had been trying to arrange some time or some day to sort of meet up; is that correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: I don't know. I don't recall. I had texted her on New Year's Eve to see where they were.
MR. LALLY: And what, if anything, did she reply? Did she reply in text?
MS. O'KEEFE: She did. It wasn't until later in the evening that she had caught Johnny kissing Laura's sister in the lobby of the hotel.
MR. LALLY: And what, if anything further, did she indicate to you in regard to that?
MS. O'KEEFE: Just that they got into an argument about it.
MR. LALLY: And so did the two of you -- and I mean sort of the two groups of families -- did you ever connect or meet up at any point when you were in Aruba?
MS. O'KEEFE: We did not.
MR. LALLY: Did you have any further conversation with Ms. Read in reference to what she had indicated occurred at their resort?
MS. O'KEEFE: I responded and said, like, kissing? And I don't recall what her response was. But I had missed the next text. She had said did I want to meet up. She had freshened up and did I want to meet up. But I had missed it and was either already going to bed or just missed it until the next day.
MR. LALLY: So she had indicated to you via text that they had got into an argument and then further indicated or asked you if you wanted to meet up, correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
JUDGE CANNONE: Mr. Lally, I'm just going to give a limiting instruction at this point.
MR. LALLY: Absolutely.
JUDGE CANNONE: Excuse me. So, folks, you just heard testimony about statements that were allegedly made by the defendant. You're really not to use the statements for the truth, but you can consider them solely on the limited purpose of the defendant's state of mind and as they go to the nature of the relationship between the defendant and John O'Keefe. Thank you.
BY MR. LALLY:
MR. LALLY: Now, between that time in Aruba and January 28th of 2022, had you had occasion to meet up with Johnny O'Keefe and/or the defendant, Karen Read or the kids or anybody from that Canton house?
MS. O'KEEFE: No. Our older daughter tested positive and she and Paul had to stay back in Aruba. So we didn't have -- and then by the time they got back, it was back to school, and we didn't have a chance.
MR. LALLY: So your oldest daughter was quarantined along with your husband in Aruba, and they came back sometime after you and your younger daughter?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: And, with respect to that sort of weekend of January 28th into January 29th, what, if any, plans did you have initially to meet up with your brother-in-law, Johnny, and the defendant?
MS. O'KEEFE: Johnny had been communicating to Paul they wanted to get us together on the 29th. And I said, there's a big storm coming. I don't think that's going to happen.
MR. LALLY: And so you were aware somehow of a big storm coming in on that weekend as far as the 29th was concerned?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: And what, if anything, do you recall sort of about what you were aware of as far as that storm, like how severe, what kind of storm?
MS. O'KEEFE: I don't recall specifics, but I knew that it was a big storm that was coming for Saturday with a lot of snow.
MR. LALLY: And so you didn't think that was a good idea to set up a time to meet up with them?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: Now, on that date, January 28th, what, if any, conversation did you have with Ms. Read on that day?
MS. O'KEEFE: She had texted me while I was waiting for the school bus, asking if there was any chance I was out without Paul.
MR. LALLY: And was that a typical thing that she would text you as far as the "without Paul" part?
MS. O'KEEFE: No.
MR. LALLY: You indicated that you were waiting for the school bus; is that right?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: And at that time in January of 2022, you had two daughters, correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes. Correct
MR. LALLY: And were they sort of on the same school as far as on the same bus?
MS. O'KEEFE: No, they were not. They were at separate schools.
MR. LALLY: Okay. So fair to say one was maybe in elementary and one was in middle school?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: So as far as around that time that you received the text, would that have been the younger daughter or the older daughter that you were waiting for the bus?
MS. O'KEEFE: The younger daughter. It was after 3:00 o'clock.
MR. LALLY: And who comes home or, at that time, who came home first? The younger daughter or the older daughter?
MS. O'KEEFE: Our older daughter.
MR. LALLY: And, when you received that text from the defendant, how did you respond to that?
MS. O'KEEFE: I said that I was waiting for the school bus, and we had basketball on Friday nights.
MR. LALLY: And the basketball on Friday nights, was that something that was one of your daughters, both?
MS. O'KEEFE: Both.
MR. LALLY: And do you recall -- well, let me ask you this: With regard to your daughter's basketball league at that time, what, if any, sort of relationship did your husband have to those basketball teams?
MS. O'KEEFE: He was the coach for both of them.
MR. LALLY: And was that something that was sort of likea local league; is that correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: Town league.
MR. LALLY: Town league. Did all of you -- and, by “all," I mean yourself, your husband and the two girls. Did you all go to both games that night?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: And do you recall about what time those games were?
MS. O'KEEFE: Six or seven.
MR. LALLY: Now, Ms. Read reached out to you and texted you and then you responded as you've described. What, if any, further conversation did they have with Ms. Read on that day?
MS. O'KEEFE: I asked her if everything was okay, if something was up. And she responded and said, just another day I didn't talk to an O'Keefe after 2004.
MR. LALLY: And how do you respond to that, if you recall?
MS. O'KEEFE: I said, what happened, what's going on? And they had bickered, I guess, about her taking [REDACTED] to Dunkin' Donuts in the morning before school.
MR. LALLY: And, just to be clear, when you say "they," you mean Johnny O'Keefe and Karen Read?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: Do you recall sort of how that conversation evolved or what, if anything, else was said during that time?
MS. O'KEEFE: I just knew that they had gotten into some type -- I don't know if it was an argument or -- there was something. They bickered about her taking them. And he said that she spoiled them.
MR. LALLY: Now, as far as your conversation with Ms. Read in regard to the weekend, what, if anything, did the two of you talk about as far as sort of plans for the weekend at that point?
MS. O'KEEFE: I said I was anticipating a storm. So I was probably going to hang in the neighborhood with everybody.
MR. LALLY: Now, as far as later on in that afternoon, what, if any, sort of further communication did you receive from Ms. Read that day?
MS. O'KEEFE: I think the last text was a picture, something that popped up in her memories of my children and [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] from the Cape that summer and said, this just popped up in my memories and made me smile.
MR. LALLY: Now, did you have occasion to talk with Ms. Read any further on that day, the 28th?
MS. O'KEEFE: No. That was it.
MR. LALLY: And so you went to your kids' basketball games. You came back to your house; is that correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: And do you recall about what time you went to bed that night?
MS. O'KEEFE: It was either close to midnight or after because Paul and I were sitting up, watching T.V.
MR. LALLY: Do you recall what you were watching on the T.V.?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yellowstone.
MR. LALLY: Is that sort of a binge watch that you were doing?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes.
MR. LALLY: Now, before you went to bed, did you have occasion to sort of, knowing that the snow was coming, did you have occasion to sort of, look out and make any observations about what the weather was like before you went to bed?
MS. O'KEEFE: I noted that while we were still up, watching television, that it was snowing already.
MR. LALLY: And did you have occasion to see whether or not it was sticking to the pavement or grass or anything like that?
MS. O'KEEFE: I looked out on the deck, and it was starting to accumulate on the deck, sticking to the deck.
MR. LALLY: Do you know about what time that was?
MS. O'KEEFE: Probably around 10:30 or 11:00.
MR. LALLY: And this is at your house in West Bridgewater?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: Now, you go to bed and at some point you wake up on the 29th. And, if you recall, what is it that wakes you up the next morning?
MS. O'KEEFE: I woke up to my husband on the phone with his mother, saying he's going to be okay. He's going to be okay. And they got off the phone, and I said, what happened? What's going on? And he said, they found Johnny in the snow this morning.
MR. LALLY: And, after that phone call, what is it that your husband, Paul, did?
MS. O'KEEFE: He's pacing around, and he goes to the bathroom to brush his teeth because he said that he was going to drive to the hospital.
MR. LALLY: And do you know what hospital he was going to drive to?
MS. O'KEEFE: Good Samaritan.
MR. LALLY: And, based on the weather and sort of the road conditions, what, if any, concerns did you have about that plan of your husband's?
MS. O'KEEFE: I was concerned with him driving because the roads weren't good.
MR. LALLY: Now, as far as your in-laws, so your father- in-law is John O'Keefe, Jr.; is that correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: Senior.
MR. LALLY: Senior. And your mother-in-law is Margaret or Peggy O'Keefe; is that correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: And what, if any, information did you have as far as were they going to the hospital and, if so, how were they going?
MS. O'KEEFE: They were going to the hospital, and Kerry Roberts was going to pick them up because they didn't have a car that could drive in the snow.
MR. LALLY: Now, is Kerry Roberts someone that you knew prior to this day?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yeah. I knew her from when Johnny moved to Canton.
MR. LALLY: And, at some point, do you recall approximately how long was it between the time that the phone call comes in and the time that your husband left your house?
MS. O'KEEFE: Ten minutes.
MR. LALLY: So relatively quick? I'm sorry.
MS. O'KEEFE: (No verbal response.)
MR. LALLY: You just have to --
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes. I'm sorry.
MR. LALLY: No. You're fine. You're fine. So then when your husband is leaving, what if any -- Similar to earlier the previous evening, what, if any, observations did you make of sort of the weather and what was going on outside at the time he was leaving?
MS. O'KEEFE: It was snowing, when he was leaving, heavy.
MR. LALLY: Now, at some point, you're at home and your children are at home with you; is that correct?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: And, at some point, who, if anyone, do you reach out to to sort of find out what's going on?
MS. O'KEEFE: When Paul was brushing his teeth, I said to him, where's Karen? Where is she? Is she okay? And I called her, and I could hear the phone pick up. And I -- she didn't say "hello." I just said, Karen, what the hell is going on. And she just yelled back on the phone, John's dead. And Kerry Roberts grabbed the phone from her and said, no, he's not. He's at the hospital. They are working on him. And I didn't know what was going on.
MR. LALLY: Was there any further conversation on that initial phone call that you made to Ms. Read?
MS. O'KEEFE: They were in Kerry's car, waiting for an ambulance to pick up Karen. And then Kerry was going to pick up my in-laws.
MR. LALLY: As far as sort of going through that day, what was the next thing you learned as far as your brother- in-law, Johnny, and who did you learn it from?
MS. O'KEEFE: When I spoke to Kerry in the car, I asked her to take my phone number. I knew she was going to the hospital, and I was nervous that Paul was going to be there by himself. So I asked her to please keep me informed as to what was happening when she got there.
MR. LALLY: Without any reference to anything that Ms. Roberts may or may not have said to you, did you receive further updates from Ms. Roberts throughout the course of that morning?
MS. O'KEEFE: I think I called her every five minutes.
MR. LALLY: And, at some point, did you learn what sort of the status was in regards to Johnny?
MS. O'KEEFE: I think it was -- I don't recall the exact time, but Kerry had texted me or called me to let me know when they were finally called in by the doctors from the emergency room.
MR. LALLY: And what, if anything, did you learn once they had been called in by the hospital?
MR. JACKSON: Objection.
JUDGE CANNONE: Sustained.
BY MR. LALLY:
MR. LALLY: At some point later on in that day, did you have further conversation with the defendant, Ms. Read?
MS. O'KEEFE: I did.
MR. LALLY: And do you remember approximately what time that was?
MS. O'KEEFE: I think it was around one o'clock.
MR. LALLY: And, if you recall, was that a situation where you called her or she called you or --
MS. O'KEEFE: I called her because I didn't know what was going on. And I kept saying to my husband, has anyone checked on Karen? Is Karen okay? So I called her.
MR. LALLY: And, when you called her, what, if any, conversation did you have with her at that time?
MS. O'KEEFE: She answered the phone and said that I was on speaker and she was in the car with her dad and they were driving to Dighton.
MR. LALLY: And what, if any, questions did you ask her about what had happened and what, if anything, did she say?
MS. O'KEEFE: I asked her, I said, what the hell happened last night? And -- because I couldn't understand, first, how they were together, if they had been arguing earlier in the day. And she told me that they were out, that she dropped him at a party afterwards, didn't feel like going, so dropped him and went back to Canton.
MR. LALLY: What, if anything, did she says occurred after dropping Johnny off?
MS. O'KEEFE: She said she went back to Canton and I think woke up around 4:30 and couldn't find him and woke up [REDACTED] to see if [REDACTED] had heard from him at all.
MR. LALLY: And what, if anything, did she say happened after that?
MS. O'KEEFE: She said that she went to go out and look but the roads were bad, so went back and called Kerry and Jen so that they could drive together.
MR. LALLY: And by "Kerry," you understood that to mean Kerry Roberts?
MS. O'KEEFE: Kerry Roberts.
MR. LALLY: And, by "Jen," who, if anyone, did you understand that to be?
MS. O'KEEFE: Jen McCabe.
MR. LALLY: Is that someone that you knew or were familiar with at that time?
MS. O'KEEFE: I had never met Jen.
MR. LALLY: And what, if anything, did she say happened after that when she went out with Kerry and Jen?
MS. O'KEEFE: I don't -- is it possible to refresh my memory on that?
MR. LALLY: Without getting into the -- just as far as beyond sort of what happened, what, if anything else, did the defendant say to you as far as --
MS. O'KEEFE: She told me that she had to remember the bad times, which struck me as an odd comment to say. But I assumed, since she was at the hospital, that maybe she was medicated. But it just struck me as something odd.
MR. LALLY: Now, in addition to having to remember the bad times, what, if anything else, did she say to you at that point during that phone call?
MS. O'KEEFE: She said, I don't think I'm ever going to see you guys again. And I said, of course you will. We're friends.
MR. LALLY: Now, following that conversation and that day, did you ever speak with the defendant, Karen Read, again?
MS. O'KEEFE: No.
MR. LALLY: May I have one moment, Your Honor?
JUDGE CANNONE: Yes.
BY MR. LALLY:
MR. LALLY: Just one last question, ma'am. So in regard to those last two statements that you had testified about, was that all part and parcel of the same conversation when the defendant indicated she was driving back with her father to Dighton?
MS. O'KEEFE: Correct.
MR. LALLY: So there was no further conversation after that conversation shortly after 1:00 p.m.?
MS. O'KEEFE: No.
MR. LALLY: I have nothing further for this witness, Your Honor.
JUDGE CANNONE: All right. Cross-examination?
JURY: Thank you, Your Honor. We have no questions.
JUDGE CANNONE: All right, Ms. O'Keefe. You're all set. Thank you.
(Whereupon, the witness is excused.)
JUDGE CANNONE: Mr. Lally, your next witness?
MR. LALLY: Yes, Your Honor. The Commonwealth would call Officer Steven Saraf to the stand.