MA - Professor Karen Read, 43, charged with murdering police officer boyfriend John O'Keefe by hitting him with car, Canton, 14 Apr 2023

[arielilane]

10 minute video

MG: How many drinks did you have?
KR: I had probably about four
MG: Commonwealth said you had nine drinks that night

Accused slain cop's girlfriend maintains innocence | Nightline​

August 22, 2023
Karen Read, the woman charged with killing Officer John O'Keefe in January 2022, speaks with "Nightline" and maintains she had no part in his death.

 

[ch_13]

‘The Karen Read case lit a match and started a wildfire.’ Canton split over high-profile prosecution. - The Boston Globe

The sensational case has divided families and friends and put the town in the spotlight.

www.bostonglobe.com

It's behind a paywall.

For those who can't read it, there's not too much that's new. It's primarily about how the case has split the town of Canton. It did mention that two incumbents on the town board up for reelection on April 2. They are facing off against two pro-Karen Read challengers who have been critical of the actions of the local police department.

 

[housewife]

[Edit -
Here's what the prosecution actually said: “I would say approximately 90% to 95% of the material that we received is consistent with the commonwealth’s theory of the case and the testimony that went into the grand jury of witnesses’ statements.

RSBM
I'm catching up on this case.
I'm currently listening to Candice Delong's opinion on her podcast and she found the bolded quote above amusing.

Has the autopsy been released? Was there more than one?
I'm interested if shards of taillight plastic were embedded in any of his wounds, and what type of laceration was on the back of his head.

 

[louvillian08]

RSBM
I'm catching up on this case.
I'm currently listening to Candice Delong's opinion on her podcast and she found the bolded quote above amusing.

Has the autopsy been released? Was there more than one?
I'm interested if shards of taillight plastic were embedded in any of his wounds, and what type of laceration was on the back of his head.

Struggling to find a good WS approved source to link the few injury photos that have been released but if you google them, you should find them easily. The laceration on his head is a few inches and an almost completely straight, horizonal wound. I'm finding it hard to imagine how he is hit, supposedly while holding a cocktail glass, that ends up with 1) the main wound being a completely straight laceration on the back of his head 2) glass from the cocktail glass embedded in the bumper of the car 3) glass from the cocktail glass around his body 4) his body found 10-12 feet away from the point of impact, in the yard.

 

[cocomod]

Struggling to find a good WS approved source to link the few injury photos that have been released but if you google them, you should find them easily. The laceration on his head is a few inches and an almost completely straight, horizonal wound. I'm finding it hard to imagine how he is hit, supposedly while holding a cocktail glass, that ends up with 1) the main wound being a completely straight laceration on the back of his head 2) glass from the cocktail glass embedded in the bumper of the car 3) glass from the cocktail glass around his body 4) his body found 10-12 feet away from the point of impact, in the yard.

Canton Cover-Up Part 14: State Police, Norfolk County DA's Office Are Intentionally Hiding Library Surveillance Footage Showing Karen Read's Unbroken Tail Light, 3 Point Turn Never Happened - TB Daily News

– See all parts of the Canton Cover-Up Series – Watch the Live Shows and videos The official story from police and the Norfolk County DA’s Office are telling is that Karen Read killed John O’Keefe by intentionally backing into him while doing a three point turn outside of the 34 Fairview Road...

tbdailynews.com

In my opinion, looking at the gash, it is more on the top of his head which is even harder for me to imagine if hit by a car and thrown down.

 

[ch_13]

Just as puzzling as the wounds on JO's head are the lack of injuries to his body or legs.

Polycarbonate is really, really strong. If you punch a taillight you'll break your hand before you before you crack the housing. So I struggle to understand how someone can be hit so hard that the car's taillight shatters but he doesn't suffer so much as a bruise to the lower parts of his body.

This whole case is just baffling.

 

[arielilane]

Ok, we are underway in the Karen Read hearing


Judge Cannone will hear defense motion to dismiss and motion for sanctions. She says she's read all the documents from the federal investigation and sees "how the (federal) investigation began”


Judge Cannone says she will give each side 10 minutes and will start on motion to dismiss. Read's attorney Alan Jackson is up


Jackson telling the Judge he thought he would have more time


Jackson says a Canton Police Sgt Michael Lank had a long standing relationship with Chris Albert and aided Chris Albert in a bar fight in 2002. He says Lank was the first to walk in Brian Albert's house after O'Keefe's body was found.


Jackson says Lank has a history of "shielding" the Alberts


Jackson now turning to Trooper Michael Proctor and his relationship with the Alberts. 10 days before O'keefe's death he says Proctor texted about having an Albert babysit for his family


3 days after O'Keefe killed. Jackson says Proctor's sister texted Michael Proctor that Julie Albert wanted to give him a thank you gift "after this is over". Proctor responded get it for my wife instead according to Jackson



Proctor allegedly admitted to feds that he socialized with the Alberts and he told his partner that, according to Jackson.


Jackson says Jennifer McCabe's "Hos long to die in cold" search was not presented to the state grand jury that indicted Karen for 2nd degree murder.


Jackson is finished. Prosecutor Adam Lally responding now



Lally says the defense has not met its burden to dismiss the case based on the legal argument they are using. Lally says none of the alleged issues raised by Jackson "occurred in front of this grand jury"


Lally says no one came out of the Albert or any house in the neighborhood, "in the dark, in a blizzard"


Lally equates the defense strategy as a card trick and distraction. "One social interaction equates to a 20 year relationship”


Lally: "The defendant Karen Read killed John O’Keefe"


Lally speaking of the federal investigation: There's no suggestion of a cover-up and 13 witnesses confirmed that O'Keefe never entered the Albert the house. There was no fight and no dog attack.


Lally: Julie Albert provided childcare for Trooper Proctor's sister but never for Proctor.



Lally says one FBI expert found McCabe's search occured at 2;27am but he says others including person who created the Cellebrite software determined it happened after O'Keefe's body was found


Jackson: The Feds hired a FBI ax reconstructionist who found O'Keefe's injuries are not consistent with a vehicle strike. Jackson says this is an independent government witness


Jackson says the integrity of the case was compromised and asks that the court to, "do what the law dictates" and dismiss the case


Read's attorney David Yannetti says he will be filing a further motion to dismiss alleging governmental misconduct based on the findings of the federal investigation


Yannetti speaking about DA Morrissey's video statement where he said the defense strategy was a "desperate attempt to reassign guilt”


Yannetti says he's a former prosecutor working 10 years in Middlesex. "in a million years, I couldnt imagine my former colleagues" making such a statement.



Yannetti references #25Investigates public records request for a letter the DA's office sent to the DOJ asking that the federal investigation be moved to another district.


Yannetti referencing the letter Morrissey sent to DOJ Office of Professional Standards where he said former USA for MA Rachael Rollins did not like him and that was a conflict of interest in the federal probe


Lally responds to Yannetti's argument about DA Morrissey's public statement.
He says defense went on TV and worked with pro-Read blogger Aiden Kearney. He says there were 189 phone calls between Kearney and Read.


Judge Cannone says the trial will be full days M,W,F, half days T,Th. That's it for today! We wait for Cannone to rule on paper.


@TedDanielnews

 

[arielilane]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1767532275917283770

About 40 Karen Reed, supporters in front of the Norfolk County Superior courthouse. This 9am hearing is anticipated to include evidence gathered by Federal investigators. The DA’s office in the last hearing said no real new information is there. The defense implied otherwise.


Karen Read Hearing will start at 9am. Goto: http://CantonCommunitytv.org for links and replays. Updates here as well on today’s hearing.


We are starting with defense attorney Jackson for motion to dismiss. Judge calling it very high bar. She is giving him 10 min. He says 10 is not enough… starting with “distortion of evidence”


Defense in motion to dismiss: Chris Albert’s relationship and Sargent Lank. Mentions bar fight. And State trooper Michael Proctor’s “second family” relationship with Brian Albert.


Motion to dismiss. Read defense: State trooper investigating the Read case Michael Proctor hid the deep relationship with the Alberts to the grand jury.


Motion to dismiss: Kevin Albert is a Canton police officer and coordinates the investigation despite the body being found in his brother’s lawn.


Read defense continues on dismissal: The google search “how long to die in cold” time. The report and FBI confirms it was done 2:27am. No longer open to debate. Distortion is too much to ignore. Law enforcement knew and fooled the grand jury.


Mr. Lally for the prosecution: did the commonwealth knowingly deceive the grand jury? No. Lanks incident is 20 years ago. Brian Albert did not come out of the house but neither did the neighbors. Blizzard. Cold. But there is a ton of evidence that Karen Read killed John O’Keaf.


DA continues: There was no fight. No dog attack. Julie Albert watched Proctors sister’s kids not his. Yes that google search took place at 2 something but we didn’t know that at the time of the grand jury. Our report said it was at 6 something in the morning Ask you deny dismiss


Defense rebuttals: Feds say that John O’Keaf’s injuries are inconsistent with the car damage. 2:27am search and later morning search. Only the late morning search was presented to the grand jury. The integrity is missing.


Karen Read Attorney: Michael Morrissey should not prosecute this case. His video calling Read guilty is misconduct. He’s invested in her guilt. Gag order was used against the defense. Morrissey violated court order and sent out to the media calling the defense theory desperate


Defense: Why did Morrissey do this? Why trample on the presumption of innocence? False notice of discovery regarding federal investigation. There was a group conference call of witnesses before the grand jury hearing took place and they knew it. His interest is not justice.


DA response: That recording by Morrissey was 6 months ago. Rolling rally was calling witnesses murders. Why he had to respond. Defense talked to ABC. Said this was a coverup. Read toured Canton with Tv crew. Kearney seized phone shows Read spoke to Kearney. Phone doesn’t lie.


We are in sidebar for future dates…

 

[ch_13]

Watching the hearing, I think the most interesting revelations by the defense are that:

1. The investigating officer, Michael Proctor, admitted to a federal grand jury that he minimized his past relationship with the Alberts in front of the state grand jury that indicted Karen Read.
2. Proctor was also told that one of the Alberts would give him a thank you gift after the investigation was over and he said to give it to his wife instead, presumably because that would make the relationship more opaque.
3. An FBI expert confirmed the 2:27 AM google search by Jennifer McCabe.
4. A few minutes before the search two of the witnesses in this case (both in law enforcement) were calling each other, despite testifying that they were asleep. Those witnesses later destroyed their phones with the OK of the prosecutors, despite the court's preservation order.
5. A professional accident reconstruction expert hired by the Feds has determined that JO's injuries are inconsistent with being hit by a car, and the damage to the car is inconsistent with hitting a person.
6. The federal investigation is still ongoing.

 

[cocomod]

Watching the hearing, I think the most interesting revelations by the defense are that:

1. The investigating officer, Michael Proctor, admitted to a federal grand jury that he minimized his past relationship with the Alberts in front of the state grand jury that indicted Karen Read.
2. Proctor was also told that one of the Alberts would give him a thank you gift after the investigation was over and he said to give it to his wife instead, presumably because that would make the relationship more opaque.
3. An FBI expert confirmed the 2:27 AM google search by Jennifer McCabe.
4. A few minutes before the search two of the witnesses in this case (both in law enforcement) were calling each other, despite testifying that they were asleep. Those witnesses later destroyed their phones with the OK of the prosecutors, despite the court's preservation order.
5. A professional accident reconstruction expert hired by the Feds has determined that JO's injuries are inconsistent with being hit by a car, and the damage to the car is inconsistent with hitting a person.
6. The federal investigation is still ongoing.

I am surprised the defense didn't bring up the Apple Watch information about him walking up steps... Does that mean this was never confirmed?

 

[ch_13]

I am surprised the defense didn't bring up the Apple Watch information about him walking up steps... Does that mean this was never confirmed?

This was a hearing on the motions to dismiss and sanction because of prosecutorial misconduct. So all the evidence discussed was pertaining to that.

Also, the hearing was very short. For some reason the judge only gave the defense 10 minutes to argue each motion. From what the defense said, it seemed like there may be some additional new evidence from the federal investigation that they didn't get a chance to talk about.

 

[ch_13]

DBM

 

[housewife]

The defense didn't bring up the video evidence of Read breaking her taillight pulling out of her driveway. I guess that's not related to the prosecutorial misconduct.

Why limit it to 10 minutes? As a judge, wouldn't you want to hear what the defense is talking about? Is a 10 minute time-limit typical?

 

[LvsAMystry]

This was a hearing on the motions to dismiss and sanction because of prosecutorial misconduct. So all the evidence discussed was pertaining to that.

Also, the hearing was very short. For some reason the judge only gave the defense 10 minutes to argue each motion. From what the defense said, it seemed like there may be some additional new evidence from the federal investigation that they didn't get a chance to talk about.

It’s surprising that Judge Cannone doesn’t do much to quell the conjecture that she is biased in this particular case. I’m not saying she is, just that she doesn’t appear to be extra careful to assuage the conjecture that stems from the fact her family has a long history with parties in the case aka the Alberts. Her brother represented Chris Albert in his DUI homicide case 25 plus years ago.

The worst part of all this is that all these things could be nothing but eyebrow raising circumstance (except the deliberate withholding of relationships to the GJ that’s inexcusable imo), but combined with questionable evidence, a seeming shoddy investigation by error or design, it’s all enough to create doubt and in the end there’s still a man dead with probably little chance of factual answers and justice for his death.

 

[housewife]

It’s surprising that Judge Cannone doesn’t do much to quell the conjecture that she is biased in this particular case. I’m not saying she is, just that she doesn’t appear to be extra careful to assuage the conjecture that stems from the fact her family has a long history with parties in the case aka the Alberts. Her brother represented Chris Albert in his DUI homicide case 25 plus years ago.

The worst part of all this is that all these things could be nothing but eyebrow raising circumstance (except the deliberate withholding of relationships to the GJ that’s inexcusable imo), but combined with questionable evidence, a seeming shoddy investigation by error or design, it’s all enough to create doubt and in the end there’s still a man dead with probably little chance of factual answers and justice for his death.

Right, IMO the judge just wants to hurry this case along and get it over with.
And the federal investigation is still ongoing? This is nuts.

 

[KMouse]

Just as puzzling as the wounds on JO's head are the lack of injuries to his body or legs.

Polycarbonate is really, really strong. If you punch a taillight you'll break your hand before you before you crack the housing. So I struggle to understand how someone can be hit so hard that the car's taillight shatters but he doesn't suffer so much as a bruise to the lower parts of his body.

This whole case is just baffling.

What was the temperature at the time? I live in a colder climate and I have cracked a bumper just tapping a snow bank.

 

[ch_13]

It’s surprising that Judge Cannone doesn’t do much to quell the conjecture that she is biased in this particular case. I’m not saying she is, just that she doesn’t appear to be extra careful to assuage the conjecture that stems from the fact her family has a long history with parties in the case aka the Alberts. Her brother represented Chris Albert in his DUI homicide case 25 plus years ago.

The worst part of all this is that all these things could be nothing but eyebrow raising circumstance (except the deliberate withholding of relationships to the GJ that’s inexcusable imo), but combined with questionable evidence, a seeming shoddy investigation by error or design, it’s all enough to create doubt and in the end there’s still a man dead with probably little chance of factual answers and justice for his death.

The judge has made some decisions which to me, as a non-lawyer, seem questionable. She allowed the prosecution to drag their feet on turning over evidence to the defense, in some cases for over two years. And now she seems to be setting an extremely aggressive schedule, barely allowing the defense time to file their motions and make their pre-trial arguments.

I definitely get the impression she doesn't like the defense team much. Perhaps because they filed a motion for her recusal (which she denied). In particular Alan Jackson seems to really get under her skin.

 

[ch_13]

What was the temperature at the time? I live in a colder climate and I have cracked a bumper just tapping a snow bank.

Good question. It was snowing and close to midnight, so probably below freezing.

However, I should add that bumpers, which are made to absorb an impact, are different than the taillight housing. My understanding is that other than the broken taillight, there was no other damage to the car except for some scratches. Also, I'm not saying that you can't crack a taillight in a hit-and-run, just that I think it would leave a mark on the body.

 

[KMouse]

Good question. It was snowing and close to midnight, so probably below freezing.

However, I should add that bumpers, which are made to absorb an impact, are different than the taillight housing. My understanding is that other than the broken taillight, there was no other damage to the car except for some scratches. Also, I'm not saying that you can't crack a taillight in a hit-and-run, just that I think it would leave a mark on the body.

Is there a reasonable explanation for the cracked tail light? Could the tail light already been cracked and a subsequent impact broke it into pieces? I am not too familiar with the case but feel that there was a lot of alcohol, emotions and lies going on.

 

[ch_13]

Is there a reasonable explanation for the cracked tail light? Could the tail light already been cracked and a subsequent impact broke it into pieces? I am not too familiar with the case but feel that there was a lot of alcohol, emotions and lies going on.

The defense has an alternate theory that the taillight cracked the next morning when Karen went looking for John. It's explained in this CourtTV clip at 8:36:

My own personal opinion is that neither the prosecution nor the defense theories match up perfectly with the evidence that's been released to date. But only one side has to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.