Day 28 - June 6, 2025

Daniel Wolfe, ARCCA's director of accident reconstruction, testified on direct examination by Alan Jackson about extensive testing he conducted to evaluate whether the damage to Karen Read's Lexus tail light was consistent with striking John O'Keefe's arm. Wolfe described his qualifications, his original independent retention by the DOJ/FBI, and his subsequent engagement by the defense to review Dr. Welcher's reports. He presented a PowerPoint walking through six impact tests — two laboratory tests (10 and 17 mph) using a linear impactor, and four full-scale vehicle tests (15, 24, and 29 mph) using suspended ATD arms and a Rescue Randy dummy. In every test, the tail light damage was less severe than the subject vehicle's damage, no hoodie punctures or holes were produced, and internal diffusers remained largely intact. Wolfe criticized Dr. Welcher's work for lacking force calculations, acceleration measurements, speed analysis, or dynamic impact testing beyond a 2 mph paint transfer demonstration. Wolfe concluded to a reasonable degree of scientific certainty that the tail light damage was inconsistent with striking an arm or a pedestrian's center of mass.

ADA Hank Brennan conducted an extensive cross-examination of ARCCA director Daniel Wolfe, attacking both his independence and his testing methodology. Brennan established that Wolfe deleted approximately 100 text messages with defense attorney Jackson after Trial 1, then switched to the encrypted Signal app at Jackson's suggestion — the first time Wolfe had used Signal with any client. Brennan revealed that Wolfe had prepared scripted questions and answers before his Trial 1 testimony, including notes offering to omit information if the defense preferred. On methodology, Brennan focused on Wolfe's use of a 9.38-pound Hybrid III crash test dummy arm when John O'Keefe's estimated arm weight was 11.86 pounds — a 26% difference — and that a closer 12-pound arm was available but not used. Brennan systematically walked through each test, highlighting limitations: dummies restrained by harnesses unlike real pedestrians, no glass in the hand, the arm spinning freely in Test C, the missing video in Test F, and the inability to determine actual collision speed from the vehicle's text stream data. Wolfe ultimately conceded that weight matters, speed changes results, and arm position could affect outcomes.

On redirect, Jackson walked Wolfe back through the Test E video (24 mph reverse impact) to establish that tail light debris could not physically accelerate fast enough to penetrate the sweatshirt — fragments moving at common velocity with the arm cannot catch up and cut through it. Jackson then addressed the Test F sweatshirt damage, eliciting that the full-body road rash and widespread holes from the dummy launch were distinctly different from the nine small puncture holes on O'Keefe's right sleeve. Jackson challenged the arm weight criticism central to Brennan's cross, establishing that O'Keefe's actual arm was never weighed and the 11.86-pound figure was a statistical estimate, and that the 2.5-pound difference was immaterial given that increasing vehicle speed to 29 mph exponentially increased kinetic energy far beyond any mass differential. The court recessed for the weekend with the judge asking jurors to consider staying a full day the following Thursday.