Day 7 - May 8, 2024

Lieutenant Charles Rae resumed direct examination as the Commonwealth played cruiser and Ring-camera footage from the welfare check at One Meadows Ave. Rae testified that the officers received no answer at the front door, later learned the children were staying with friends or family, and saw two vehicles but nothing beyond snow on the driveway. He identified video showing himself and Sergeant Meehan at the residence and said he looked through windows for people or activity. The court sustained a defense objection when Rae began to describe what he learned from later reviewing the cruiser video.

Counsel discussed planned text-chat and video exhibits, including an additional Ring video not yet marked as an exhibit. After defense counsel confirmed there was no question the video would come into evidence, the court permitted playback in short portions. The court then directed defense counsel to ask permission each time before displaying exhibits.

Michael Camerano described his friendship with John O’Keefe, their January 28 text exchanges and visit to C.F. McCarthy’s, where Curt Roberts and Karen Read later joined them. The court admitted text-message, garage-video, and bar-surveillance exhibits as Camerano identified people and events shown in them. He testified that after calls the following morning, he went to One Meadows Ave. to pick up O’Keefe’s niece, found a garage door open, and attempted to close and secure it.

Katie Camerano described her family’s close friendship with John O’Keefe and the children in his care. She said Karen Read called her while she was working early on January 29, repeatedly asking where Michael was because O’Keefe had not come home; Camerano also described later calls and texts while Read, Jen McCabe, and Kerry Roberts were searching. Camerano testified that Read texted "He’s dead" at 6:34 a.m. and "He was in the snow" at 6:36 a.m. After a sidebar concerning a phone-extraction report, the court admitted and published Exhibits 51 and 52, documenting calls and text messages between Read and Camerano.

Camerano confirmed that she did not communicate with Ms. Read after their early-morning January 29 text messages, had not reached out by text, and was unaware that Read's phone had been seized shortly afterward. She was then excused.

Curt Roberts described joining John O’Keefe, Michael Camerano, and later Karen Read at C.F. McCarthy’s on January 28, 2022. He identified people in Exhibit 50 video, said the group appeared normal and that he noticed no injuries or dishevelment in O’Keefe’s clothing before leaving around 10 p.m. Roberts also described being awakened the next morning by frantic screaming on his wife Kerry’s phone; he later learned Karen Read was calling, and Kerry left in heavy snow after saying John was missing.

Roberts testified that he did not think Karen Read appeared impaired during their brief interaction at the bar and said he saw no problems between her and John O’Keefe that evening. The court allowed one final question about whether Read appeared caring toward the children, then ended that line of inquiry.

Roberts confirmed that his observations of Ms. Read, Mr. O’Keefe, and the children were limited to what he personally observed and that he did not know what occurred privately in their relationship. The court then excused him.

Rebecca Trayers, a Waterfall bartender, described the bar’s layout, closing practices, cameras, and the January 28, 2022 video shown to the jury. She recalled serving John O’Keefe a beer and said she believed he was standing with the last group near the bar. The court admitted Waterfall surveillance footage as Exhibit 53 and Waterfall receipts dated 1/28/22 as Exhibit 54.

Defense counsel questioned Waterfall bartender Rebecca Trayers about her Canton background and professional familiarity with members of the Albert family, including Caitlin Albert, and separately with Brian Higgins at the Waterfall. Trayers said John O’Keefe appeared in a good mood and that no one in the group seemed highly intoxicated to her. The court overruled one prosecution objection, and the Commonwealth declined redirect.

Nicholas Kolokithas described attending a Canton High basketball game before going to the Waterfall, where he saw John O’Keefe and Karen Read arrive around 11:00 p.m. He said he did not observe arguments between them, could not identify the clear liquid in Read's glass, and described discussion of going to D&E’s or 34 Fairview Road. He testified that he left shortly after midnight as snow had just begun, and he identified people and locations in a portion of Waterfall surveillance video shown as Exhibit 53.

Jackson elicited testimony from Kolokithas that he had observed no tension between Ms. Read and John O’Keefe and that they appeared affectionate at the Waterfall. The court excluded testimony about future vacations as hearsay. When defense counsel played portions of Exhibit 53, Kolokithas identified people in the footage but said he did not remember apparent play fighting; the court restricted him from narrating what the video showed beyond matters on which he could assist the jury.

Kolokithas said he had not discussed John O’Keefe and Ms. Read’s personal relationship with either of them. He did not recall apparent play fighting shown in video and said he appeared to be laughing, though he was unsure what he was watching.

Defense counsel sought to ask a limited recross question about testimony concerning Karen Read and John O'Keefe's relationship. The Commonwealth argued that its questioning addressed relationship status or problems rather than admiration; the court allowed the question, directed counsel to make it without a build-up, and ended further questioning afterward.

Kolokithas confirmed his prior testimony that Karen Read praised John for caring for the children, then was excused.

Karina Kolokithas described joining parents at the Waterfall on January 28, 2022, where she spoke with Jennifer McCabe and Karen Read and saw no unusual interaction between Read and John O’Keefe. She said that, after leaving, she saw Read and O’Keefe walking toward what she believed was Read’s black SUV, with Read going to the driver’s side and O’Keefe to the other side; she did not see what happened afterward. The prosecution played portions of Exhibit 53, and Kolokithas identified people and the Waterfall exit area in the footage.

Defense counsel had Karina Kolokithas confirm her earlier account that Ms. Read spoke admiringly of Mr. O’Keefe, wished they had more time together, and was excited about a planned trip. Kolokithas also agreed that Jennifer McCabe's reported invitation was directed to Ms. Read and estimated that the drive from the Waterfall Bar to 34 Fairview would probably take five to seven minutes.

The prosecution clarified that Kolokithas's account of relationship-related comments at the bar came from the defendant, not from John O’Keefe. Kolokithas said O’Keefe did not share personal matters with her and that she did not know what occurred privately in the couple's home.

Karina Kolokithas confirmed on recross that Karen Read and John O’Keefe appeared “lovey-dovey” that night, then was excused.

The court confirmed that Christopher Albert would be the prosecution's next witness. With no objection from either side, the court ended the day early because it had been a long day for jurors, instructed them not to discuss or research the case, and directed them to return the following morning.