Commonwealth v. Read — Trial Archive
Trial 1 Transcript Michael Camerano
Trial 1 / Day 7 / May 8, 2024
8 pages · 7 witnesses · 3,534 lines
Witnesses described the Waterfall gathering, admitted videos and phone records, and limited observations as Read and O’Keefe left.
← Day 6
Day 8 →
Cross

Michael Camerano — Cross

Alan Jackson Michael Camerano
126 lines
Michael Camerano Cross-Examination on O’Keefe and Read’s Relationship
Cross Michael Camerano Alan Jackson
1

CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR. JACKSON:

2 1:58:14

MR. JACKSON: Mr. Camerano, just a few questions. You and your wife did spend a lot of time with John O’Keefe and Karen Read as a couple; correct?

3 1:58:24

MR. CAMERANO: Decent amount, yes.

4 1:58:26

MR. JACKSON: Would you consider John one of your best friends?

5 1:58:28

MR. CAMERANO: A good friend.

6 1:58:30

MR. JACKSON: In fact, you were close enough that your children spent a lot of time with John O’Keefe and Karen Read as a couple and their kids; correct?

7 1:58:40

MR. CAMERANO: Correct.

8 1:58:41

MR. JACKSON: In fact, isn’t it true that sometimes they would even vacation together with Mr. O’Keefe and Ms. Read?

9 1:58:48

MR. CAMERANO: Correct.

10 1:58:48

MR. JACKSON: It was a trusting relationship that you had with both Mr. O’Keefe and Ms. Read, to put your kids in their care?

11 1:58:56

MR. CAMERANO: Correct.

12 1:58:58

MR. JACKSON: You mentioned this wonderful news about your kids, your daughter getting into this great school. I think it was called Bishop?

13 1:59:07

MR. CAMERANO: Bishop Feehan, yes.

14 1:59:10

MR. JACKSON: Okay. Before the acceptance there was actually sort of a process, like an open house that you needed to take the kids to; correct?

15 1:59:17

MR. CAMERANO: Yes.

16 1:59:17

MR. JACKSON: You took your daughter; right?

17 1:59:19

MR. CAMERANO: I don’t recall.

18 1:59:20

MR. JACKSON: Do you remember being at an open house, a tour of Bishop, with Karen Read and John O’Keefe and John’s niece?

19 1:59:29

MR. CAMERANO: I do recall being in an auditorium, I do.

20 1:59:33

MR. JACKSON: Yeah, a big auditorium, big tour of the school?

21 1:59:37

MR. CAMERANO: Yes.

22 1:59:37

MR. JACKSON: In hopes of all the kids getting in?

23 1:59:41

MR. CAMERANO: Yes.

24 1:59:41

MR. JACKSON: Okay. To make sure it’s the right fit for the kids?

25 1:59:46

MR. CAMERANO: Correct.

26 1:59:46

MR. JACKSON: And Karen was there sort of as a --

27 1:59:50

MR. CAMERANO: She was.

28 1:59:51

MR. JACKSON: -- matriarch for John’s niece?

29 1:59:52

MR. CAMERANO: Yes.

30 1:59:53

MR. JACKSON: Okay. Your daughter spent a lot of time just with Karen, Ms. Read?

31 1:59:57

MR. CAMERANO: Correct.

32 1:59:58

MR. JACKSON: Running errands, going to Ms. Read’s house, having Ms. Read care for her?

33 2:00:03

MR. CAMERANO: Correct.

34 2:00:04

MR. JACKSON: And you had no issues with that?

35 2:00:05

MR. CAMERANO: No.

36 2:00:06

MR. JACKSON: Because you liked Karen? You liked Ms. Read?

37 2:00:14

MR. CAMERANO: Correct.

38 2:00:17

MR. JACKSON: It was probably, did you say, once a week that you would hang out with and socialize with Ms. Read and Mr. O’Keefe?

39 2:00:25

MR. CAMERANO: Yes.

40 2:00:27

MR. JACKSON: So you got to know them not just individually but as a couple together; correct?

41 2:00:33

MR. CAMERANO: Yes.

42 2:00:34

MR. JACKSON: You saw them on most Friday nights; right?

43 2:00:36

MR. CAMERANO: Correct.

44 2:00:37

MR. JACKSON: You never saw them argue or fight?

45 2:00:41

MR. CAMERANO: Argue.

46 2:00:42

MR. JACKSON: As a matter of fact, one time you were asked about this in front of a grand jury and you said, “I wouldn’t even call it bickering. They would just banter together.”

47 2:00:51

MR. CAMERANO: I guess so, yes.

48 2:00:53

MR. JACKSON: You never heard Mr. O’Keefe complain about Ms. Read or vice versa?

49 2:00:59

MR. CAMERANO: No. I did hear him complain about, like, when he would -- when Karen would buy like very nice things for the kids. Like, he wouldn’t like that, stuff like that, or take the kids to get their nails done, or something like that.

50 2:01:15

MR. JACKSON: So maybe spoiling the children a little bit?

51 2:01:18

MR. CAMERANO: Yes. Yes.

52 2:01:19

MR. JACKSON: Certainly nothing to suggest that there was any abuse or anything like that. It was just, as a matter of fact, the opposite?

53 2:01:27

MR. CAMERANO: Correct.

54 2:01:28

MR. JACKSON: Mr. O’Keefe had an idea about how to raise children that was maybe a little bit more modest than Ms. Read did?

55 2:01:34

MR. CAMERANO: Correct.

56 2:01:35

MR. JACKSON: So you described earlier at another hearing, you described a situation in which Ms. Read got a very expensive sweater for Mr. O’Keefe’s niece?

57 2:01:45

MR. CAMERANO: Correct.

58 2:01:45

MR. JACKSON: And Mr. O’Keefe’s response was, well, I wish she hadn’t done that, that’s spoiling that little girl?

59 2:01:51

MR. CAMERANO: Yes.

60 2:01:51

MR. JACKSON: All right. You would agree there are worse things in the world than spoiling a child?

61 2:01:55

MR. CAMERANO: Correct.

62 2:01:56

MR. LALLY: Objection.

63 2:01:57

JUDGE CANNONE: I’ll let it stand.

64

BY MR. JACKSON:

65 2:02:02

MR. JACKSON: You never heard Mr. O’Keefe even hint at the idea of breaking up with Ms. Read?

66 2:02:09

MR. CAMERANO: Not that I can recall.

67 2:02:15

MR. JACKSON: I want to turn your attention to January 28th, if I could. We saw a video, and you explained what was happening in the video, where some cars were being jostled around. That was Mr. O’Keefe actually moving his car to facilitate Ms. Read bringing her car over to his house, to put it in the garage; correct?

68 2:02:40

MR. CAMERANO: Yes.

69 2:02:40

MR. JACKSON: Kind of a chivalrous thing to do for your loved one?

70 2:02:43

MR. CAMERANO: Yes.

71 2:02:44

MR. JACKSON: Didn’t want her to be out in the snow if it was going to be a heavy snow; is that right?

72 2:02:47

MR. CAMERANO: Correct.

73 2:02:48

MR. JACKSON: And the idea was that even that weekend he intended that Ms. Read would likely be with him and the family for the entirety of the weekend during that blizzard?

74 2:02:57

MR. CAMERANO: Correct.

75 2:02:59

MR. JACKSON: So she’d have a nice warm place and a dry place to put her car?

76 2:03:02

MR. CAMERANO: Yes.

77 2:03:12

MR. JACKSON: Okay. You saw a video that Mr. Lally played for you of the moment -- there were several videos, but I want to direct your attention, your memory to the video of when Ms. Read actually made her way into McCarthy’s.

78 2:03:24

MR. CAMERANO: Yes.

79 2:03:26

MR. JACKSON: You have that scene in your mind?

80 2:03:29

MR. CAMERANO: Yes.

81 2:03:29

MR. JACKSON: You saw in the video when Ms. Read actually walked into the location how Ms. Read and Mr. O’Keefe greeted each other --

82 2:03:38

MR. LALLY: Objection.

83 2:03:39

JUDGE CANNONE: I’ll allow it.

84

BY MR. JACKSON:

85 2:03:40

MR. JACKSON: -- correct?

86 2:03:41

MR. CAMERANO: Yes.

87 2:03:44

MR. JACKSON: It appeared that that was quite an affectionate greeting; would you agree?

88 2:03:48

MR. LALLY: Objection.

89 2:03:49

JUDGE CANNONE: Do you agree with that?

90 2:03:52

MR. CAMERANO: They kissed, yeah.

91 2:03:55

MR. JACKSON: Would you consider a kiss affectionate?

92 2:03:57

MR. CAMERANO: Yes.

93 2:03:58

MR. JACKSON: They hugged each other; correct?

94 2:04:03

MR. CAMERANO: I don’t recall.

95 2:04:04

MR. JACKSON: Mr. O’Keefe put his right arm out and Ms. Read sort of nestled into his embrace?

96 2:04:09

MR. CAMERANO: Okay.

97 2:04:09

MR. JACKSON: And that’s when he kissed her?

98 2:04:11

MR. CAMERANO: Yes.

99 2:04:11

MR. JACKSON: Okay. They seemed happy to see each other?

100 2:04:14

MR. CAMERANO: Yes.

101 2:04:21

MR. JACKSON: You didn’t observe while you were at C.F. McCarthy’s with them, you didn’t observe any arguing or bickering between the two of them?

102 2:04:27

MR. CAMERANO: No.

103 2:04:28

MR. JACKSON: As a matter of fact, they were sort of the normal, affectionate, laughing, happy couple that you were used to seeing; correct?

104 2:04:36

MR. CAMERANO: Yes.

105 2:04:38

MR. JACKSON: There didn’t seem to be any tension between them at C.F. McCarthy’s; is that right?

106 2:04:42

MR. CAMERANO: Not that I recall.

107 2:04:43

MR. JACKSON: All right. I’m going to just ask a couple of more questions. During the span of time that you knew them to be together, would you describe their relationship as being normal and caring?

108 2:04:56

MR. LALLY: Objection.

109 2:04:57

JUDGE CANNONE: I’ll sustain that.

110

BY MR. JACKSON:

111 2:04:59

MR. JACKSON: I want to just draw your attention to the month before Mr. O’Keefe’s passing. Would you describe their relationship to be normal as far as you knew it to be?

112 2:05:09

MR. CAMERANO: Yes.

113 2:05:10

MR. JACKSON: And on the day before Mr. O’Keefe’s passing would you describe their interactions to be normal and caring and affectionate?

114 2:05:20

MR. CAMERANO: Yes.

115 2:05:21

MR. JACKSON: That’s all I have, Your Honor. Thank you.

116 2:05:22

JUDGE CANNONE: Okay. Anything, Mr. Lally?

117 2:05:24

MR. LALLY: No redirect, Your Honor.

118 2:05:25

JUDGE CANNONE: All right. Mr. Camerano, thank you very much. You are all set, sir.

119

(Whereupon, the witness is excused.)

120 2:05:30

JUDGE CANNONE: Jurors, why don’t we take our morning recess. We’ll take 15-20 minutes.

121

(Whereupon, the jury was escorted from the courtroom.)

122

(Whereupon, the defendant was escorted from the courtroom and a recess was taken at 10:52 a.m.)

123

(Court resumes at 11:18 a.m.)

124

(Defendant present. Jury present.)

125 2:32:22

JUDGE CANNONE: Your next witness, please, Mr. Lally.

126 2:32:25

MR. LALLY: Yes, Your Honor. The Commonwealth would call Ms. Katherine Camerano.

Continue to next page Katie Camerano — Direct/Cross
← Day 6
Day 8 →
← Michael Camerano — Direct 3 of 8 Katie Camerano — Direct/Cross →