Day 2 - April 30, 2024

Alan Jackson methodically established that the Canton PD dispatch log contained multiple errors — wrong arrival order, wrong times, and the wrong address (32 instead of 34 Fairview). He then showed that Saraf's report and his interview with Trooper Proctor attributed only three words to Karen Read ('is he dead'), but months later at the grand jury, Saraf added 'this is my fault' and 'I can't believe this happened,' and by trial testimony it had become 'it's all my fault, I did this.' Jackson elicited that Saraf never heard Read say 'I hit him.' Jackson also used dash cam footage to show a person walking from the body toward the Albert house, established that witnesses were not separated, that no taillight pieces or O'Keefe's missing shoe were found at the scene, and that no officer ever searched the house at 34 Fairview Road.

On redirect, ADA Lally addressed two main issues raised during cross-examination. First, he had Saraf explain that dispatch logs are created by desk officers whose priority is getting emergency responders to the scene, not recording precise times — contextualizing the log errors Jackson had highlighted. Second, Lally had Saraf reaffirm that his testimony about Karen Read's statements ('this is my fault') was based on his genuine memory of the scene. Lally also established that Saraf did not know any of the people involved prior to the call, could not distinguish between McCabe and Roberts on dash cam footage, and that no one from 34 Fairview or any other address on the street came outside during the 90 minutes he was on scene.

Officer Steven Mullaney of the Canton Police Department testified about responding to a dispatch call for an unresponsive party at 34 Fairview Road shortly after 6:00 AM on January 29, 2022. He described heavy snowfall, dark conditions, approximately 25-degree temperatures with gusty winds, and about 6 inches of accumulated snow. Upon arrival, he found O'Keefe lying face-up on the front lawn approximately 10 feet from the curb, with frozen water on his face but no visible snow accumulation on his body. Mullaney assisted firefighters in placing O'Keefe on a backboard and stretcher. He testified that Karen Read was at the scene repeatedly screaming 'Is that my boyfriend? Is he dead?' and that she was later brought back to the scene after dispatch reported suicidal statements, resulting in a Section 12 psychiatric hold and transport to Good Samaritan Hospital.

Defense attorney Alan Jackson established that Officer Mullaney, a relatively junior officer with about six months of full-time experience, spent approximately two hours at 34 Fairview Road and was within 10 feet of Karen Read. Mullaney confirmed Read was hysterical, screaming, and distraught, but testified he never heard her say 'I did it,' 'It's my fault,' or 'I hit him' — statements he agreed he would have documented in his report. Jackson contrasted Read's emotional state with Jennifer McCabe's calm demeanor during a two-minute face-to-face conversation. Mullaney also testified he never saw any broken taillight plastic at the scene despite watching Lt. Gallagher use a leaf blower to clear snow from the area where O'Keefe's body had been, and confirmed he never saw McCabe enter or exit the Albert house or heard Read ask McCabe to Google anything.

In a brief redirect, ADA Lally addressed points raised during cross-examination about Karen Read's behavior at the scene. Mullaney confirmed that not all friends or family members react the same way at scenes involving deceased or injured persons, and that not everyone screams or yells. Lally established that three women were present — Jennifer McCabe, Karen Read, and Kerry Roberts — and that Roberts had no blood on her face and was not screaming. Mullaney reaffirmed he saw no one enter or exit 34 Fairview Road and no neighbors came outside during his time on scene.

In a brief recross consisting of a single question, defense attorney Alan Jackson asked Officer Mullaney whether any other neighbors on the street had the body of a dead police officer on their lawn — a rhetorical challenge to the redirect's point about neighbors not coming outside. ADA Lally immediately objected, and Judge Cannone sustained the objection. Mullaney was then excused, and the court took its morning recess.

Tim Nuttall, a firefighter-paramedic with Canton Fire Department, testified about responding to a dispatch for an unresponsive male at 34 Fairview Road around 6 a.m. on January 29, 2022, during near-blizzard conditions. He arrived to find John O'Keefe supine in the snow with three females standing nearby, none performing any interventions. Nuttall began ventilation while his crew initiated CPR, noting a pool of blood near O'Keefe's head. After moving O'Keefe into the ambulance, the crew observed a hematoma on the right side of his forehead, non-bleeding congealed scratches on his right upper arm, blood on his nose, and severely stiff extremities consistent with cold exposure. Nuttall also testified that while treating O'Keefe on the lawn, one of the bystanders repeatedly stated 'I hit him' in an agitated state and appeared to have blood on her face.

Alan Jackson challenged Tim Nuttall's recollection on two fronts. First, Jackson showed that Nuttall's memory of O'Keefe wearing a 'heavy coat' was inaccurate — the actual clothing appeared to be a thin cotton hoodie, not a winter jacket. Second, Jackson highlighted that Nuttall's account of hearing Karen Read say 'I hit him' had shifted: in his February 8th interview with Trooper Proctor, Nuttall said he overheard Read say it to another female who told her to be quiet, but by trial he testified that Read said it directly to him in response to his question 'Do you know him?' Jackson also established that Nuttall never reported the statement to hospital staff, never wrote it in any report, and never contacted Canton Police or State Police about it until Trooper Proctor interviewed him ten days later. Nuttall acknowledged his memory was 'a little bit faulty' regarding that time frame.

On redirect, ADA Lally addressed two points raised during cross-examination. First, he established that the injuries Nuttall observed on John O'Keefe could have been caused by many different things, not just the scenarios defense counsel suggested. Second, Lally sought to clarify the perceived inconsistency in Nuttall's account of Karen Read's statements. Nuttall restated his version: he asked 'Do you know this person?' and the female with blood on her face responded 'I hit him, I hit him,' after which he heard the statement repeated in the background before patient care took priority. Nuttall also confirmed he remembered another female telling that person to be quiet. Lally closed by having Nuttall reaffirm that his memory of the statement was 'I hit him, I hit him, I hit him.'