Commonwealth v. Read — Trial ArchiveDay 10 - May 6, 2025
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.
Full day summary
Key Moments
- Jackson questions evidence handling: Gallagher says Read's SUV remained in the accessible sallyport for about two and a half to three days, while the unsealed blood cups in an unsealed grocery bag were photographed near its right rear during the February 1 transfer. Gallagher says the discussed sealing protocols were not used and qualifies his knowledge of earlier handling.
- Gallagher says he did not seek footage from Deputy Chief Kelleher's Arlo camera, explaining that he expected it to capture the doorstep and part of the front lawn; when asked whether it was gone, he said he assumed so because he did not know Arlo's retention period.
- Guarino testifies that Read's phone auto-connected to O'Keefe's PatsFan123 Wi-Fi at 12:36 a.m. He gives generic band-dependent ranges of 150 feet indoors or up to 300 feet outdoors, without establishing the connection's band or the phone's exact distance from the residence.
- O'Hara testified that SERT's marked-grid line search recovered six or seven taillight pieces and that the team warned it might not have found all evidence and offered to return. On cross, he said there was no police presence when SERT arrived, but he did not know how long that condition had lasted; he requested a photograph after the first piece or two, and Tully said he had none and the vehicle was being towed. O'Hara said he knew other pieces were later located but did not know their number, timing, or recovery.
- The Commonwealth played a clip from Karen Read's recorded interview in which Read said she did not think she hit anything and wondered whether she could have knocked O'Keefe out; the preceding Craig wording in the transcript was uncertain.
Notable Quotes
Alan Jackson
“There's a dead guy on the lawn that looked like he potentially could have been in a physical altercation. How about that? Might that be of some concern — to go inside the house and see if there was a struggle that started in the house?”
Jackson uses O'Keefe's condition to argue that investigators should have sought entry to the Albert home; Gallagher responds that there was still no evidence to enter.
Kevin O'Hara
“Uh, there was no police presence on scene, sir.”
O'Hara says no police were present and he saw no tape or barricade when SERT arrived; when Jackson characterizes the scene as left unsecured, O'Hara says he does not know for how long.
Paul Gallagher
“Correct. None of that was done with what we just saw.”
Gallagher agrees that the sealing protocols discussed were not used in the photographed transfer, while explaining that trained criminalists handled the cups and qualifying his knowledge of earlier handling.
6h 40m