Day 4 - May 3, 2024

Alan Jackson's cross-examination of Katie McLaughlin focuses on two main areas: the circumstances and exact wording of Karen Read's statement at the scene, and whether McLaughlin's account has changed over time. Jackson establishes through McLaughlin's own prior statement to Trooper Proctor that Read was looking at a civilian woman — not McLaughlin — when she said 'I hit him' four times, and contrasts this with McLaughlin's direct testimony describing an exchange where an officer reacted and left to find a sergeant. Jackson also highlights that McLaughlin never documented the statement herself in any report or note. The proceeding ends abruptly when Jackson begins questioning McLaughlin about her relationship with Caitlin Albert, prompting a prosecution objection and sidebar.

In this voir dire conducted outside the jury's presence, Alan Jackson presents four social media photographs to establish that witness Katie McLaughlin has a closer relationship with Caitlin Albert than she acknowledged during cross-examination. McLaughlin admits she went to high school with Albert, has been social media friends with her for over eight years, traveled to beaches together, and shares a large mutual friend group — but maintains Albert is only an acquaintance, not a close friend. Jackson then probes when McLaughlin learned that 34 Fairview Road belonged to the Albert family and whether she disclosed this connection to anyone, establishing that she knew for most of the case's lifespan but never volunteered the information. McLaughlin denies knowing any of Caitlin's siblings or extended family, including Brian Albert Jr. and Colin Albert.

ADA Adam Lally conducts a brief voir dire to rehabilitate Katie McLaughlin after defense attorney Alan Jackson presented social media photographs suggesting a closer relationship with Caitlin Albert. Lally elicits testimony that McLaughlin and Albert were never close friends, only acquaintances who shared mutual friends and occasionally appeared in the same large group photos. McLaughlin states she has over 500 social media friends but considers fewer than 10 actual friends, and that she never socialized one-on-one with Albert, never visited Albert's home, and had no idea whose house was adjacent to the scene on January 29th. Judge Cannone rules that the defense's photo exhibits will not be admitted under Rule 14, but grants Jackson limited leeway to question McLaughlin about the relationship, socialization, and social media connections.

After a sidebar and voir dire conducted outside the jury's presence, Alan Jackson resumes his cross-examination of Katie McLaughlin before the jury. Working within the judge's ruling on permissible scope, Jackson establishes that McLaughlin has known Caitlin Albert for approximately ten years, traveled with her on multiple occasions, shares mutual friends, and is connected on social media. He then confirms that McLaughlin now knows 34 Fairview Road was the Albert family home but did not recognize it on the morning of January 29, 2022. Jackson secures McLaughlin's admission that the statement she gave to Trooper Proctor differs from her trial testimony. He concludes by asking whether Kevin Albert — a Canton police officer — coordinated her interview with Proctor, which McLaughlin denies knowing, before a final sustained objection ends the examination.

On redirect, ADA Adam Lally methodically walks Katie McLaughlin through the nature of her relationship with Caitlin Albert to counter the defense's implication of bias. McLaughlin testifies she has approximately 500 social media friends but far fewer actual friends, never socialized one-on-one with Albert, never visited Albert's home nor had Albert visit hers, and saw her more frequently during high school (graduating Canton High in 2014) than afterward. Lally also establishes that McLaughlin did not know who lived at 34 Fairview Road when she responded to the call, has never spoken to Caitlin Albert about the events of that morning, and only learned the names of Albert family members through news and media coverage after the fact. He further elicits that working in one's hometown is common and even advantageous in civil service, and that firefighters have no discretion to decline calls based on familiarity with the location or people involved.

In a rapid-fire recross of just 16 utterances, Alan Jackson targets the redirect's framing of McLaughlin's 500 social media friends to minimize her connection to Caitlin Albert. Jackson asks how many of those 500 friends McLaughlin has taken day trips with, gone to the beach with, posed for photographs with, and been photographed in swimwear with — receiving 'I don't know' to each. Before Jackson can complete his point that McLaughlin has done all of these things specifically with Albert, Judge Cannone sustains two objections and the witness is excused.

Lt. Greg Woodbury of Canton Fire testified about responding to a call for an unresponsive person on Fairview Road on the morning of January 29, 2022. He described finding O'Keefe supine on the ground covered in snow, with no pulse and no breathing. His crew performed CCR/CPR, moved O'Keefe to the ambulance, and conducted a secondary survey revealing a hematoma on the right eye and scratches on the right forearm. Woodbury then returned to the station but was dispatched back to the same address for a Section 12 involving Karen Read, who was distraught, repeatedly asking 'Is he dead?', and initially resistant to hospital transport. Firefighter Katie Moffin obtained a backstory from a civilian on scene, but the substance was stricken after defense objection.

David Yannetti's cross-examination of Lt. Greg Woodbury focused on two areas. First, Yannetti established that Woodbury's main interaction with Karen Read was during the Section 12 transport, not the initial emergency response, and elicited detailed testimony about Read's emotional state — distraught, grief-stricken, hysterical, crying — and her repeated question 'Is he dead?' Second, Yannetti turned to the injuries Woodbury observed on O'Keefe's body, introducing a photograph (Exhibit 382) depicting scratch marks on O'Keefe's right arm extending from the forearm to above the elbow. Woodbury also explained lividity for the jury and noted that O'Keefe's hypothermic state made it difficult to assess skin coloration.

Daniel Whitley, a paramedic firefighter with the Canton Fire Department, testified about responding to a Section 12 psychiatric evaluation call for Karen Read on the morning of January 29, 2022. He described arriving at Fairview Road in heavy snow, finding Read very upset and repeatedly asking whether the person transported by the first ambulance was alive. Whitley recounted Read's statements during the 20-25 minute ambulance transport, including that she didn't want to live if her husband died, that she couldn't take care of the children because they weren't hers or his, and her question about whether someone could survive in the snow without a jacket. He also testified about escorting Read to the psychiatric unit at Good Samaritan Hospital, where she resisted changing into a hospital gown and providing a urine sample.

David Yannetti conducted a brief cross-examination of paramedic Daniel Whitley, focusing on the medical history taken during Karen Read's ambulance transport. After refreshing Whitley's memory with Jason Becker's report and a police report from Sergeant Yuri Bukhenik, Whitley confirmed that Read's medical history included multiple sclerosis. Yannetti established that MS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting neurological muscle control, and that paramedics routinely collect medical history to pass along to hospital caregivers. The cross was short and targeted, lasting only a few minutes.

Jason Becker, a Canton Fire Department firefighter paramedic, testified about being dispatched at approximately 6:41 a.m. on January 29, 2022, to 34 Fairview Road for a psychiatric evaluation (Section 12) call. He found Karen Read in the front passenger seat of a black SUV with another woman (later identified as Kerry Roberts). Read had blood on her face, neck, and chin, was crying and in shock, and told Becker she had just performed CPR on her husband. During the ambulance transport to Good Samaritan Hospital, Read repeatedly asked whether he could be dead, expressed worry about who would care for the children, said they had gotten into an argument and was sad it was the last thing she said to him, denied alcohol or drug use, and stated 'could I have hit him.' Becker described her demeanor as alternating between calm and agitated, with pressured and repetitive speech, but ultimately cooperative.

David Yannetti focused on two key areas during cross-examination of Jason Becker. First, he used Trooper Proctor's February 14, 2022 interview report to refresh Becker's memory and establish that Karen Read had in fact told Becker she consumed alcohol the previous night — a detail Becker initially denied on the stand but acknowledged after reviewing the report. Second, Yannetti established that Read's reference to a last interaction or argument with the person she believed was her boyfriend provided no specifics: she never indicated whether it was in-person, by phone, by text, or by voicemail. Yannetti also confirmed Read's speech was rapid and repetitive, particularly her fixation on asking whether 'he' was dead.