Commonwealth v. Read — Trial ArchiveMargaret O'Keefe - Direct
200 linesCOURT CLERK: [oath — largely unintelligible] ...the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
JUDGE CANNONE: Good afternoon, Mrs. O'Keefe. All right, Mr. Brennan, whenever you're ready.
MR. BRENNAN: Thank you, your honor. Good afternoon, Mrs. O'Keefe.
MS. O'KEEFE: Good afternoon, Mr. Brennan.
MR. BRENNAN: Could you kindly introduce yourself to the jury?
MS. O'KEEFE: My name is Margaret O'Keefe. I am John O'Keefe's mother.
MR. BRENNAN: Are you married?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes.
MR. BRENNAN: Who are you married to?
MS. O'KEEFE: John O'Keefe Jr.
MR. BRENNAN: How long have you been married for?
MS. O'KEEFE: Too long. 53 years.
MR. BRENNAN: I'm sorry, ma'am. I didn't hear you.
MS. O'KEEFE: 53. Long enough. Yes.
MR. BRENNAN: How long have you lived in the area?
MS. O'KEEFE: We moved — well, we moved to Canton 3 years ago.
MR. BRENNAN: Before you moved to Canton 3 ...years ago, where did you live?
MS. O'KEEFE: Braintree.
MR. BRENNAN: How long had you lived in Braintree for?
MS. O'KEEFE: 50 years.
MR. BRENNAN: Did you begin your family in Braintree?
MS. O'KEEFE: No, we lived in Mattapan first, and that's where my daughter was born, and then we moved to Braintree.
MR. BRENNAN: Your daughter was born when you were in Mattapan?
MS. O'KEEFE: Mhm.
MR. BRENNAN: Your daughter's name?
MS. O'KEEFE: Kristen.
MR. BRENNAN: How many children did you have?
MS. O'KEEFE: Three.
MR. BRENNAN: You, Kristen, and John — and Paul?
MS. O'KEEFE: And Paul.
MR. BRENNAN: Is Paul the youngest?
MS. O'KEEFE: The baby.
MR. BRENNAN: The baby. How long were you in Mattapan before you moved closer to here?
MS. O'KEEFE: How — I'm sorry. Repeat that.
MR. BRENNAN: How long did you live in Mattapan before you moved closer?
MS. O'KEEFE: Two ...years.
MR. BRENNAN: And then the rest of the time you were in the area. Tell me a little bit about your immediate family.
MS. O'KEEFE: My daughter Kristen had a tumor — a cancerous tumor — that she had for 5 months. She died in November of 2013. She had two children, and then two months after she passed, her husband passed from a heart attack. And then you all know about John. And then my son Paul was over there. That was 2013.
MR. BRENNAN: Ma'am, could I ask you about her children?
MS. O'KEEFE: She had two children. Kaye, who's now 17, and Patrick is 14. He gives me a run for my money.
MR. BRENNAN: Do you remember how old the children were when your daughter passed?
MS. O'KEEFE: Three and six.
MR. BRENNAN: Um, when that happened, was there any plan for the children as far as — well, what was going to happen with the children?
MS. O'KEEFE: When she passed?
MR. BRENNAN: Yes, ma'am. And when he passed?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yeah. Yes, ma'am. Um, we decided — my son decided to be the head guardian, and then we had um — I was the other guardian, and there was um Steve's brother and sister were the other two guardians. There's four of us.
COURT OFFICER: May I approach you to adjust the microphone?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes, please.
COURT OFFICER: Thank you. Talking too soft.
MR. BRENNAN: Okay. Did I understand that there was a decision that John would be the primary guardian? Can you share with us how that decision came about?
MS. O'KEEFE: Well, he was single. Um, the other two guardians were married. They didn't have children, but he decided to do it himself. And then I was the second one in case he needed me. So I was over there most of the time when the kids get home from school, or, you know, take them places, and then have them on weekends so he could have a break. So that's what I did.
MR. BRENNAN: Did other people help out in addition to you and John?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes. Um, my husband was there, and um Paul and Erin were there, and um the other members of Steve's family.
MR. BRENNAN: I understand at some point John worked in law enforcement.
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes.
MR. BRENNAN: Besides that, could you just share just a little bit about him with us?
MS. O'KEEFE: Uh, he was a police officer at um headquarters, and before — when he first started he was in Hyde Park, and then he moved to Dorchester, and then um into Boston itself, and that's what he did.
MR. BRENNAN: I was hoping if you could tell us a little bit about John besides his work.
MS. O'KEEFE: He was uh enthusiastic with sports. Um, he was um wonderful with the kids. Um, he took care of them and did everything for them. Uh, take them places, on vacations and everything. He was their number one and they called him JJ.
MR. BRENNAN: Would you mind if I showed you a photograph?
MS. O'KEEFE: No.
MR. BRENNAN: May I approach?
JUDGE CANNONE: Yes.
MR. BRENNAN: I'm showing you a photograph. Okay. And can you tell us what you see here?
MS. O'KEEFE: That's my son.
MR. BRENNAN: Thank you. May I introduce this as an exhibit?
JUDGE CANNONE: Yes. Exhibit 16.
MR. BRENNAN: Thank you. With the court's permission, I'd like to publish.
JUDGE CANNONE: Yes.
MR. BRENNAN: And so, [unintelligible], do you know when this picture was taken?
MS. O'KEEFE: Um, I really don't know. It was in the summer of — I don't know what year. I really don't know the year, but it was at one — he probably took them to a fair or an amusement park and he had his picture taken there with them, and then the kids were with him too.
MR. BRENNAN: So, do you know how old he was in that picture?
MS. O'KEEFE: Uh, 43 maybe.
MR. BRENNAN: Okay. What year was John born?
MS. O'KEEFE: '75.
MR. BRENNAN: Miss Gilman, could you take the photo down, please? How old was John when he passed?
MS. O'KEEFE: 45. My mind's not working right now.
MR. BRENNAN: I understand. It's okay. Can I ask you a few more questions?
MS. O'KEEFE: Okay. You let me know.
MR. BRENNAN: I want to go back to the morning of January 29th, 2022. Is that okay?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yeah.
MR. BRENNAN: Were you home?
MS. O'KEEFE: I was home in Braintree.
MR. BRENNAN: In Braintree?
MS. O'KEEFE: Mhm.
MR. BRENNAN: Who were you with?
MS. O'KEEFE: My husband.
MR. BRENNAN: Did you receive a phone call?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes. From Kerry — Kerry Roberts. It was about 6:15, between 6:15 and 6:30 in the morning.
MR. BRENNAN: Did you know Kerry Roberts?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes.
MR. BRENNAN: How did you know her?
MS. O'KEEFE: She lived in [unintelligible] for a while. They — John and her were friends. They went to the junior prom together. And then we found out that she moved. She lived in Canton, and she was around the corner from us, and she helped us out with the kids.
MR. BRENNAN: And when you were helping take care of the kids, would you often see Miss Roberts?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yeah, cuz she'd take Patrick and her son Ryan places, and yeah. So I saw her often. Yeah.
MR. BRENNAN: When she called you that morning, do you remember the conversation?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yeah. She said, um, John was found in a snowbank. And I — I didn't understand — I said, "What do you mean found in a snowbank?" She said, "They found him in the snow. They don't know what happened." She said, "He's brought up to the Good Samaritan Hospital." So she said, "I'm gonna come get you and Papa, cuz I don't want you driving." And I said, "I can — we can drive there. We both have four-wheel drives." And she said, "No, I'm coming." So she came to get us. And it took a while to get there because the snow was bad. And in the meantime, I had called one of my nieces to find out, cuz one of my other nieces worked at Good Samaritan. I just wanted to know if she could find out anything about it. And I just couldn't get a hold of her.
MS. O'KEEFE: So when we got up there, um, they told us to um sit in this room and they would bring us down shortly. So um finally they said, uh, okay, you can go down. So we started walking down the corridor and as I'm walking down, I hear Karen Read yell, "Peg, is he dead? Is he dead? Peg! Peg, is he dead?" And I just kept walking and then I asked — I don't know who it was, a nurse or a worker at the hospital — and I said, "What is she doing here?" And she said, "Oh, she's being psych evaluated." So then they brought us down to the room where my son was. He's bruised up. His eyes were closed. It's just not a good scene.
MR. BRENNAN: Okay. I'd like to go back if I may.
MS. O'KEEFE: Okay.
MR. BRENNAN: May I?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yeah.
MR. BRENNAN: When Kerry Roberts picked you up in the car, did anybody go with you and Miss Roberts on the drive from your home in Braintree to Good Samaritan Hospital?
MS. O'KEEFE: No, we were the only three in the car. Uh,
MR. BRENNAN: Who was the third person?
MS. O'KEEFE: My husband.
MR. BRENNAN: During the drive to Good Samaritan Hospital that morning?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yep.
MR. BRENNAN: Did you ever have a chance while you were in the car to speak to the defendant?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes.
MR. BRENNAN: Please tell the jury about that conversation.
MS. O'KEEFE: She um — I asked her what happened and she said, "We went to a party. I left him there." I said, "You just left him there?" She said, "Yes, I just left him there."
MR. BRENNAN: Did she say whether she left him inside or outside?
MS. O'KEEFE: No, she just said, "I left him there."
MR. BRENNAN: Did she tell you whether or not she left him in the driveway or the street?
MS. O'KEEFE: She just said, "No, I just — I just left him there."
MR. BRENNAN: You told us that when you got into Good Samaritan Hospital, you were walking down the hallway and you had another interaction with the defendant.
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes.
MR. BRENNAN: And you told us that she was asking if he was dead.
MS. O'KEEFE: Mhm.
MR. BRENNAN: Um, can you describe a little bit where in the hospital you had this interaction with her?
MS. O'KEEFE: When they took us down to the emergency room, the doors open and there was a cart to go down to the other rooms, and she was on the left-hand side, and that's when she saw me come in and that's when she started yelling, "Is he dead, Peg? Is he dead, Peg?"
MR. BRENNAN: So, when she was yelling, could you describe her mood or demeanor? Was she animated?
MS. O'KEEFE: She was just loud, and I don't know. I don't — she was just loud as she was saying it.
MR. BRENNAN: And when she was asking you, "Is he dead? Is he dead?" did you again ask her a question?
MS. O'KEEFE: I just asked the nurse, "What is she doing here?"
MR. BRENNAN: Okay. And did you speak to Miss Read herself?
MS. O'KEEFE: No. No.
MR. BRENNAN: Um, at some point, you and your husband got to see John.
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes.
MR. BRENNAN: And were you with Kerry at some point?
MS. O'KEEFE: Kerry was there and then my son Paul was there.
MR. BRENNAN: How did you get home?
MS. O'KEEFE: I think I went home with Paul and I think my husband went home with Kerry. We went back to Canton at the time.
MR. BRENNAN: Do you remember generally the time frame? Was it morning, afternoon, evening?
MS. O'KEEFE: No, it was morning.
MR. BRENNAN: Um, do you remember getting home that day?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yeah, it was snowy, icy.
MR. BRENNAN: Was anybody home when you got back?
MS. O'KEEFE: No, it was just us. And then the kids started coming home and that's when I was trying to, you know, take care of them. And then there was a knock at the door. And it was uh Karen, her father, and her brother, asked if they could come in. And I was just trying to calm the kids, cuz Patrick was just out of control yelling. And then they came in and then he said, "Do you mind if we go upstairs and get a couple of her things?" — and I never should have let them go up there, but at the time — I just couldn't think straight and I really didn't have anybody else to help me keep them down in the kitchen. So I don't know what they got up there, what they did up there.
MR. BRENNAN: How long were they — when you say upstairs, do you know what room they went to?
MS. O'KEEFE: I assume the bedroom.
JUDGE CANNONE: So I'm going to strike that. Mrs. O'Keefe, so if you could just tell us what you actually know. Okay. And Mr. Brennan can ask a better question. Thank you.
MR. BRENNAN: Could I lead a bit?
JUDGE CANNONE: Yes.
MR. BRENNAN: Ma'am, how many rooms are upstairs in John's home?
MS. O'KEEFE: One, two, three, four bedrooms and an office. And off the master bedroom, there's a bathroom and then there's a closet. It's a big house.
MR. BRENNAN: Did you see the defendant and her father go upstairs?
MS. O'KEEFE: I didn't really see them go up, but I knew they were up there cuz I could hear them.
MR. BRENNAN: You didn't follow them up or go to look?
MS. O'KEEFE: No.
MR. BRENNAN: You didn't know which room or rooms they were in?
MS. O'KEEFE: No, I'm assuming the bathroom and the master bedroom.
MR. BRENNAN: My question was poor. Um, you didn't see which room they actually went in?
MS. O'KEEFE: No.
MR. BRENNAN: How long was the defendant upstairs in John's home with her father?
MS. O'KEEFE: I don't know, maybe 10, 15 minutes.
MR. BRENNAN: Did you see them come back down?
MS. O'KEEFE: No, I did not.
MR. BRENNAN: When they were upstairs, what were you doing?
MS. O'KEEFE: I was trying to calm the kids.
MR. BRENNAN: Both of them?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yeah. Well, mainly Patrick.
MR. BRENNAN: How was Patrick reacting?
MS. O'KEEFE: He was very upset once we told him, cuz he slept over at a friend's house the night before, and he just said, "I'll never see him again."
MR. BRENNAN: I'm sorry. Would you like a moment?
JUDGE CANNONE: Mrs. O'Keefe, would you like to take a short break?
MS. O'KEEFE: No, this is fine. Thank you.
JUDGE CANNONE: You can just let me know when you're ready. Take your time.
MS. O'KEEFE: Okay. Go ahead.
MR. BRENNAN: You ready? Go ahead.
MS. O'KEEFE: Okay.
MR. BRENNAN: Um, that morning — when the defendant and her father came into your home, did you personally interact with the defendant?
MS. O'KEEFE: Nope.
MR. BRENNAN: Was there any hugs, condolences?
MS. O'KEEFE: No.
MR. BRENNAN: Did you ever confront the defendant with any accusations when she was in your home that morning?
MS. O'KEEFE: I don't even remember her being in the house. When she went upstairs, that's the last I saw of her.
MR. BRENNAN: Did you ever lean over a kitchen island? Do you have a kitchen island in your house?
MS. O'KEEFE: No.
MR. BRENNAN: Did you ever lean over the kitchen island and say, "I think he looks like he got hit by a car."
MS. O'KEEFE: No, I don't remember talking to her that morning.
MR. BRENNAN: Did you see when she left?
MS. O'KEEFE: Nope.
MR. BRENNAN: Did you ever see her Lexus in the driveway?
MS. O'KEEFE: No.
MR. BRENNAN: The children, who's their guardian and custodian now?
MS. O'KEEFE: Well, there's still four of us. Four of us.
MR. BRENNAN: Where do they live?
MS. O'KEEFE: One in Boston, one in Stoughton, and Paul's in Bridgewater, and me.
MR. BRENNAN: Where do the children live?
MS. O'KEEFE: With me in Canton.
MR. BRENNAN: They live with you full-time.
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes.
MR. BRENNAN: You're their primary caretaker?
MS. O'KEEFE: Yes.
MR. BRENNAN: Thank you.
MS. O'KEEFE: You're welcome.
MR. JACKSON: Mrs. O'Keefe, I'm very, very sorry for your loss. I have no questions for you.
JUDGE CANNONE: All right, Mrs. O'Keefe, you're all set.