Commonwealth v. Karen Read
Karen Read's retrial on charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene began in April 2025. The jury acquitted her on all three charges and convicted her of the lesser-included offense of OUI.
April 2025
Jurors were sworn, the parties delivered opening statements, and testimony began with firefighter-paramedic Timothy Nuttall and Kerry Roberts.
On cross and recross, Kerry Roberts says she did not hear Read ask McCabe to Google hypothermia and agrees that her grand jury answer was false; Margaret O'Keefe recounts Read telling her, 'I left him there.'
Defense impeaches paramedic Whitley's evolving account of Read's statements in the ambulance, while phone records and surveillance footage establish the digital record of O'Keefe's final evening.
The jury views 34 Fairview Road as the prosecution establishes Karen Read's blood alcohol level and paramedic Jason Becker's account of her demeanor and statements becomes the day's central dispute.
May 2025
Six witnesses testify on Day 9, led by paramedic Katie McLaughlin's account that Karen Read repeatedly said, 'I hit him.' Defense questioning probes documentation and handling of BAC evidence and the Fairview Road evidence collection.
Day 10 concludes Lt. Gallagher's cross-examination and presents testimony on weather, Karen Read's overnight phone activity, and the SERT search. Defense questioning probes investigation and evidence-handling decisions.
Jackson challenged Bukhenik over corrected sallyport video and a camera-feed time jump; redirect covered video inversion and fragment recoveries. On recross, Bukhenik said a Higgins-jealousy aspect was not pursued and had no information on logged phone steps.
Crime scene witnesses described physical-evidence work, while defense questioning probed limits on prearrival access and later participation; Hartnett gave no vehicle-strike conclusion, and Gallerani was not asked to swab three officials.
Hartnett's evidence-handling testimony and a correction request of unknown disposition close out her appearance, then Scordi-Bello faces cross-examination on documented methodology, hypothermia findings, and specific injury observations.
Porto testified that a tail-light swab supported an inclusion of O'Keefe in a three-contributor profile, without dating its deposit; cross addressed comparisons not requested of him. Vallier described debris matches and pre-lab custody limits.
DNA analysts report results consistent with O'Keefe in a tail-light mixture and rear-panel hair, while cross examines errors in Shanon Burgess's credential materials and three chip-capacity calculations.
The Burgess examination ends with a Texas federal CV filing containing an acknowledged educational-line error; Burgess says he did not file or see it. Hanley begins glass testimony, believing six scene pieces fit a drinking cup.
Wolf says O'Keefe's injuries were consistent with a backward fall; on cross, he says direct local force to an eyelid cut was possible but does not answer whether probable. Hanley finds six cup-to-scene matches and no match for two compared bumper pieces.
Accident reconstructionist Judson Welcher testifies for the prosecution on vehicle telematics, tail light damage, and pedestrian biomechanics — but his ultimate collision opinion is stricken by the judge pending a ruling.
Judge Cannone limits Welcher to consistency opinions, barring him from identifying Read's Lexus as the striking vehicle. On cross, Alessi questions his methods and Aperture's contract; Welcher disclaims a legal opinion and knowledge of payments.
Defense expert Matthew DiSogra presents two clock-alignment analyses and is questioned about their source data. A separate hearing concerns disputed Proctor group texts marked for identification; admissibility remains unresolved.
June 2025
The defense completes authentication of Proctor's group texts. Boston Police officer Kelly Dever, formerly with Canton Police, testifies that defense attorneys threatened her with perjury when she said her earlier Sallyport observation was mistaken. Dr. Marie Russell then testifies about her dog-bite opinion before Brennan begins cross-examination.
Russell said she knew of no published organizational standard but used pattern recognition and differential diagnosis. Barros rejected Jackson's Exhibit 13 as unlike what he saw, then separately agreed Brennan's closeup was consistent with his memory.
Canton plow driver Brian Loughran testifies he saw no body on the Albert lawn during multiple well-lit passes between 2:45 and 3:40 a.m., while pharmacist Karina Kolokithas describes an affectionate, sober Karen Read at the Waterfall bar hours before O'Keefe's death.
A sweatshirt-hole dispute prompted a mistrial motion. Dr. Elizabeth Laposata's dog-bite opinions were excluded; she described a backward-fall head-injury pattern and said a small object or fist could account for an eyelid laceration.
Dr. Elizabeth Laposata completed testimony on hypothermia and right-arm injury patterns. Dr. Andrew Rentschler began explaining impact tests and his opinion that a Lexus tail-light strike did not fit O'Keefe's head injury.