Friday marks Day 25 of witness testimony in the murder trial of Karen Read , the woman accused of backing over John O’Keefe, Boston Police Officer boyfriend, and leaving him for dead in the snow in Canton in January 2022.
‘I’m disgusted’: Trooper’s ‘terrible’ behavior in Read case harms law enforcement, Gov. Healey says
PLAY-BY-PLAY FROM DAY 25 OF TESTIMONY:
10:05 a.m.
- The juror who first went to sidebar this morning has returned and is back at sidebar.
10:00 a.m.
- After that juror walks out, a 4th is brought to sidebar.
9:55 a.m.
- A 3rd juror is brought to sidebar. These conversations are private so we don’t know what the issue is.
9:50 a.m.
- Court Clerk just confirmed for me we can record and live-stream the audio from the source being provided.
9:45 a.m
- We are back. Another juror is brought to the sidebar. The clerk says an audio feed is allowed. We are working to get that streamed because it’s from a different source than the pool camera.
9:30 a.m.
- Court clerk tells Boston 25 that the judge has ordered the camera off for at least the rest of the morning because it caught a juror. The photographer had a wide shot at the time and I didn’t see the photographer get notice that a juror was coming in.
9:25 a.m.
- The judge calls a recess and goes to her chambers. We have been given no indication of what the juror issue is. KR and her team are huddled together.
9:20 a.m.
- The judge announces that the “camera is to be shut off.”
9:15 a.m.
- We begin with a sidebar involving one juror who is speaking with the Judge, prosecution, and defense attorneys.
PREVIOUS STORY:
Prosecutors on Thursday called three DNA experts that the defense chose not to cross-examine, as well as a state police detective and a Needham Police Sergeant.
The defense resumed their cross-examination of Lt. Brian Tully, the unit commander of State Police detectives for Norfolk County. He reported Trooper Michael Proctor’s vulgar texts about Karen Read “up his chain of command.” He was questioned about the murder investigation, including what he thought caused O’Keefe’s injuries, the plastic taillight pieces, and statements made by a Canton plow driver.
Read’s defense attorney Alan Jackson asked Tully what, if any, evidence he had that O’Keefe entered the home at 34 Fairview Road on January 29, to which he replied, “I don’t on the contrary. I have evidence that he was outside.”
Through cell phone pings and surveillance video, Tully suggested Read returned to 34 Fairview sometime after 5:18 a.m. and then left again, while O’Keefe’s body was on the front lawn.
Jackson questioned why Tully never searched inside the home.
Next on the stand was Needham Police Sgt. Brian Gallerani who was quickly called to say he took Proctor and Bukhenik’s DNA. The defense did not have any questions for him.
Nicholas Bradford, a forensic DNA analyst at Bode Technology, and his colleague, Tess Chart, were both brought to the stand. They had both testified that John O’Keefe’s DNA was found on taillight pieces found outside 34 Fairview Avenue in Canton that matched Read’s SUV.
“The hair sample was consistent with the mitochondrial DNA profile obtained from John O’Keefe,” Chart said.
Andre Porto, a forensic scientist at the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab, testified that a DNA profile found on a drinking glass at the scene matched O’Keefe’s.
“The DNA profile from this item is at least 510 nonillion times more likely if it originated from John O’Keefe,” Porto said.
Jackson argues the hair was planted and as for the other items — no big deal.
He says Read did not return to 34 Fairview as the prosecution suggests.
After court, Jackson told reporters Read was traveling to Jennifer McCabe’s home in a snowstorm – and it took her extra time to find it because she’d never been there before.
Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator in the murder case, took the stand and read “unprofessional and regrettable” text messages he sent about Read after O’Keefe was found dead.
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