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

[arielilane]

The theory of pinning this on KR as part of a cover-up does not make sense. Anxious for trial to start and evidence to unfold. It’s exhausting to see so much focus on KR rather than on the victim Officer John O’Keefe, who was not only a Boston police officer, but raising his niece and nephew.


-- She has lied and changed her story too many times. Admittedly said she hit him, and asked did I hit him - which speaks volumes.

-- Appears she knew she hit him as stated to her friend.

-- Allegedly, she was over-served that night. The snowstorm hindered visibility and on top of that the drinking and it appears arguing (in addition, to disagreements prior to that night) may have contributed to a disaster waiting to happen.

-- Sometimes it does not end well getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while under the influence… That’s why there are laws about drinking and driving.


(Honestly, think it was an accident) Curious why she is not charged with motor vehicle homicide, imo.

All of this is speculation, at this time.

Prosecution reveals alleged timeline in death of police officer

Karen Read, the officer's girlfriend, is accused of hitting him with a car and leaving him to die in a blizzard after a night of drinking in 2022.

www.wcvb.com

5:30 a.m. - Read and the friend arrive at the home of the sister of the Fairview Road resident, where she is described as "hysterical." One of the women drove Read back to O'Keefe's house while the other followed in her own vehicle. During that drive, she told investigators that Read said, "Could I have hit him?" "Did I hit him?" and told her about a cracked taillight on the black SUV.

At O'Keefe's house, Read showed the other women the cracked taillight. All three women then got into the same car and went to look for O'Keefe. The friend who was driving said it was snowing heavily with poor visibility when they arrived but she noted that Read "immediately" said she saw the victim when the other women could not see it lying in the snow.

6:04 a.m. - 911 call from a woman reporting a man, later identified as O'Keefe, was found in the snow. The first Canton police officer to arrive saw three women waving at him from the front yard, near a flagpole and fire hydrant. Two of the women were performing CPR on the victim. The officer observed the victim was cold to the touch and was not breathing. Footage from a camera attached to the officer's cruiser shows dark, blizzard conditions.

A Canton firefighter who responded to the 911 call said she witnessed Read telling her friend repeatedly, "I hit him, I hit him, I hit him."

 

[ch_13]

I'm not necessarily sold on the whole coverup aspect. But all these twists and turns have been so bizarre, I just don't know what to make of this whole thing.

Usually, we see a clear and logical progression as a case unfolds. The various pieces of evidence all line up and tell the same story: the autopsy, forensic reports, camera footage, witness testimony, cell phone data, crime scene photos, and so on.

We don't have that in this case. There are just so many loose ends...The autopsy photos, the snowplow driver, the google search, the taillight pieces, the police conflicts, the missing discovery, the involvement of the Feds.

Maybe this will all get cleared up at trial and the prosecution will be able to put forward a logical and coherent narrative that explains all of the evidence and that proves KR's guilt. Maybe there's a whole lot of evidence out there that's not made it into the public domain as of yet.

All I can say is from the evidence that's been put forward to date, I just don't see how the state intends to prove second-degree murder.

 

[HarmonyE.]

The theory of pinning this on KR as part of a cover-up does not make sense. Anxious for trial to start and evidence to unfold. It’s exhausting to see so much focus on KR rather than on the victim Officer John O’Keefe, who was not only a Boston police officer, but raising his niece and nephew.


-- She has lied and changed her story too many times. Admittedly said she hit him, and asked did I hit him - which speaks volumes.

-- Appears she knew she hit him as stated to her friend.

-- Allegedly, she was over-served that night. The snowstorm hindered visibility and on top of that the drinking and it appears arguing (in addition, to disagreements prior to that night) may have contributed to a disaster waiting to happen.

-- Sometimes it does not end well getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while under the influence… That’s why there are laws about drinking and driving.


(Honestly, think it was an accident) Curious why she is not charged with motor vehicle homicide, imo.

-- She has lied and changed her story too many times. Admittedly said she hit him, and asked did I hit him - which speaks volumes.

Not exactly true. She's told two different stories that I've heard about why she didn't join the after-party. One was that she wasn't feeling well (I'm sure!) and the other was that she wasn't sure she was also invited and wanted join to check and text her first. Both can be true. But I question what she actually remembers.

Keep in mind she last saw him leave her car near not far from where she found his body. I think she was very drunk that night. I too would have wondered if I hit him without knowing I did. So "Did I hit him?!" is a perfectly reasonable thing to think/say. If she did say it. I don't think I ever would have thought "Damn it! Those creeps beat him up and left him on the lawn to die!"

-- Appears she knew she hit him as stated to her friend.

Same as above. I think she thought she may hit him unknowingly when she found him. She said as much to her attorney early on. As far as I've seen she has never said she remembered hitting him. And this utterance alone doesn't prove how he died.

-- Allegedly, she was over-served that night. The snowstorm hindered visibility and on top of that the drinking and it appears arguing (in addition, to disagreements prior to that night) may have contributed to a disaster waiting to happen.

If you watch the videos available it appears she did drink a lot that night. I think they were all drunk. And she and John argued a lot, but there is no indication of any physical violence between the two in the past, and they were seen hugging each other in those same videos within an hour or two of him being dropped off.

-- Sometimes it does not end well getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while under the influence… That’s why there are laws about drinking and driving.

True. But this is just a statement and is not any sort of proof that she hit him.

(Honestly, think it was an accident) Curious why she is not charged with motor vehicle homicide.

She is charged with second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter, and leaving the scene of a collision causing death. (Methinks the state was hoping for a manslaughter plea from her.)

You've basically outlined the state's entire case. More and more I see no chance of a conviction here. And I'm beginning to believe the CW is rushing this to trial in the hopes that once she's found not guilty the story will die down. No one will be found responsible for the death of a Boston cop and that's okay with them. As a Norfolk County resident it pains me to believe this but I don't see any other reason for what's going on.

No one in the house or the neighborhood heard anything. None of the coming and going vehicles - and there were many, including a plow that went by twice - saw his body on the lawn. His injuries - a small, deep wound in the back of his head with related skull fracture, lacerations up and down his right arm, bilaterally bruised fists - could have been caused by a slow moving vehicle. No crush injuries, no internal injuries, no damage to his mid-section or ribs.

And one of the biggest problems for the state is the fact that the lead state trooper, the guy who "found" the taillight evidence that the original cops on the scene never saw (not a single one of those 37 pieces. And this was before the blizzard began) apparently lied to the state grand jury about his prior and ongoing relationship with the homeowners and is now under internal investigation. He'll be destroyed on the stand, assuming he's even able to testify. This must really worry the state because he's worked on a number of high profile cases and this may jeopardize other convictions.

Norfolk jurors tend to be well-educated and thoughtful. My guess is they'll stay in the jury room long enough to finish their free lunches. But this won't solve this case.

 

[Charlot123]

The theory of pinning this on KR as part of a cover-up does not make sense. Anxious for trial to start and evidence to unfold. It’s exhausting to see so much focus on KR rather than on the victim Officer John O’Keefe, who was not only a Boston police officer, but raising his niece and nephew.


-- She has lied and changed her story too many times. Admittedly said she hit him, and asked did I hit him - which speaks volumes.

-- Appears she knew she hit him as stated to her friend.

-- Allegedly, she was over-served that night. The snowstorm hindered visibility and on top of that the drinking and it appears arguing (in addition, to disagreements prior to that night) may have contributed to a disaster waiting to happen.

-- Sometimes it does not end well getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while under the influence… That’s why there are laws about drinking and driving.


(Honestly, think it was an accident) Curious why she is not charged with motor vehicle homicide, imo.

All of this is speculation, at this time.

Prosecution reveals alleged timeline in death of police officer

Karen Read, the officer's girlfriend, is accused of hitting him with a car and leaving him to die in a blizzard after a night of drinking in 2022.

www.wcvb.com

5:30 a.m. - Read and the friend arrive at the home of the sister of the Fairview Road resident, where she is described as "hysterical." One of the women drove Read back to O'Keefe's house while the other followed in her own vehicle. During that drive, she told investigators that Read said, "Could I have hit him?" "Did I hit him?" and told her about a cracked taillight on the black SUV.

At O'Keefe's house, Read showed the other women the cracked taillight. All three women then got into the same car and went to look for O'Keefe. The friend who was driving said it was snowing heavily with poor visibility when they arrived but she noted that Read "immediately" said she saw the victim when the other women could not see it lying in the snow.

6:04 a.m. - 911 call from a woman reporting a man, later identified as O'Keefe, was found in the snow. The first Canton police officer to arrive saw three women waving at him from the front yard, near a flagpole and fire hydrant. Two of the women were performing CPR on the victim. The officer observed the victim was cold to the touch and was not breathing. Footage from a camera attached to the officer's cruiser shows dark, blizzard conditions.

A Canton firefighter who responded to the 911 call said she witnessed Read telling her friend repeatedly, "I hit him, I hit him, I hit him."

I am asking myself if the case ever took such a turn were it not for the Turtleboy, a now-disgraced blogger. But now that we know that KR communicated with the Turtleboy, it is raising questions. I understand, it is normal for a person unjustly accused to raise awareness about the case by appealing to journalists, mass media and now, bloggers. But Turtleboy has been arrested on conspiracy and other charges, so, not the nicest person to say the least. 'Turtleboy' to face additional conspiracy charges, prosecutor indicates

I had certain doubts about the validity of the coverup theory to start with, and after AK's arrest it suddenly stopped makes any sense. (KR has a good, aggressive, resourceful lawyer, indeed. This is all takehome message so far.) MOO.

'Turtleboy' to face additional conspiracy charges, prosecutor indicates

"There will also be further charges of conspiracy filed," special prosecutor Kenneth Mello told a judge.

www.wcvb.com

 

[HarmonyE.]

I am asking myself if the case ever took such a turn were it not for the Turtleboy, a now-disgraced blogger. But now that we know that KR communicated with the Turtleboy, it is raising questions. I understand, it is normal for a person unjustly accused to raise awareness about the case by appealing to journalists, mass media and now, bloggers. But Turtleboy has been arrested on conspiracy and other charges, so, not the nicest person to say the least.

Turtleboy is (what he calls) an independent journalist. He was fairly well known in Massachusetts even before this and his tactics have always been overly aggressive and controversial. And the opposite of nice. He gets sued a lot and recently spent a couple of months in the county lockup for getting involved in a domestic event while out on bail for witness intimidation related to the Read case. IMO, he is a , but that doesn't mean Read killed O'Keefe.

But it's important to know how he got involved. The FBI was investigating the investigation by the State Police in the Read case before Turtleboy even knew who Karen Read was. And that investigation is still ongoing, to the point that the Feds can only release a small portion of their findings, ostensibly to assist Karen Read's defense. No one knows exactly what they are working on, but the Karen Read investigation is definitely a part of it.

It's murky, but someone - probably Read's counsel - alerted the Feds that something wasn't right here. You have friends investigating friends and an unbelievably shoddy investigation into the death of a Boston cop. Karen Read, on the advice of a friend or possibly her brother, then contacted TB (again, a journalist. Of sorts) and he began interviewing her about what she was learning from her attorneys who were getting information from the FBI.

Turtleboy and Read are now fully estranged as he admits she's unhappy about his behavior in recent months. He has other sources, of course, but he's not getting anything else from her. Karen Read has not been charged with conspiracy and I believe she's well within her rights to tell what she knows, even if it is very unusual for this to happen.

So while he's responsible for the hysteria we see in front of the courthouse every session, Turtleboy did not uncover information that led to the FBI investigation. It's the other way around.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

In court documents previously obtained by PEOPLE, the defense claimed "photographs of O'Keefe suggest that he was beaten severely and left for dead, having sustained blunt force injuries to both sides of his face as well as to the back of his head."

A Mass. Woman Is Accused of Fatally Running Over Cop Boyfriend — Her Lawyers Say She Was Framed in Cover-Up

Karen Read is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, who prosecutors allege she drunkenly ran over in 2022. However, her defense attorneys say evidence shows he was killed at a friend's house, then left in the snow to die.

people.com

 

[themonk]

(snip

And one of the biggest problems for the state is the fact that the lead state trooper, the guy who "found" the taillight evidence that the original cops on the scene never saw (not a single one of those 37 pieces. And this was before the blizzard began) apparently lied to the state grand jury about his prior and ongoing relationship with the homeowners and is now under internal investigation. He'll be destroyed on the stand, assuming he's even able to testify. This must really worry the state because he's worked on a number of high profile cases and this may jeopardize other convictions.

(snip)

This right here is all I need to know. This is all a cover-up. Zero reason to lie to the grand jury. People need to lose their jobs and more for this behavior.

 

[ch_13]

Judge reportedly denies motion to disqualify DA in Karen Read case

Karen Read‘s motion to disqualify the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office from prosecuting her upcoming murder trial has reportedly been denied. The Boston Globe reported Friday that Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone announced the office of District Attorney Michael Morrissey...

www.nbcboston.com

"Though certain comments by DA Morrissey crossed the line of permissible extrajudicial statements by a prosecutor, they are not egregious misconduct that is reasonably or substantially likely to materially prejudice or interfere with a fair trial," Cannone wrote in her ruling, the Globe reported.

 

[HarmonyE.]

Judge reportedly denies motion to disqualify DA in Karen Read case

Karen Read‘s motion to disqualify the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office from prosecuting her upcoming murder trial has reportedly been denied. The Boston Globe reported Friday that Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone announced the office of District Attorney Michael Morrissey...

www.nbcboston.com

"Though certain comments by DA Morrissey crossed the line of permissible extrajudicial statements by a prosecutor, they are not egregious misconduct that is reasonably or substantially likely to materially prejudice or interfere with a fair trial," Cannone wrote in her ruling, the Globe reported.

Hard to puzzle that thinking out. He's not just a prosecutor. He is THE prosecutor for the county. And she next went on to "but the defense does it too!" as if the two things were equal. They aren't. The prosecution is held to a higher standard and Karen Read is innocent right now. Crossing the line shouldn't be allowed to happen.

I keep trying to give this judge the benefit of the doubt because I know a couple of attorneys who have tried cases in front of her and say she's very fair and reasonable. But the way she's allowed the prosecution to drag their feet on so many of her orders coupled with this decision make me think she has some bias here. Not only did Morrissey claim Read's defense had no merit, he falsely claimed in his public statement that the lead state trooper now under investigation not only didn't know the people in the house, but he was never even on the scene the next morning. Both things are false.

 

[arielilane]

DEDHAM – The judge in Karen Read's second-degree murder case agreed there should be a "buffer zone" pushing protesters back from the courthouse during the upcoming trial. Judge Beverly Cannone has ordered protesters to stay 200 feet away from the courthouse.

If interested, more at link...

Karen Read trial protesters will have "buffer zone" outside courthouse

Protesters will be pushed back from the courthouse during Karen Read's high-profile Massachusetts trial.

www.cbsnews.com

Updated on: April 4, 2024 / 8:55 PM EDT / CBS Boston

 

[waldojabba]

The theory of pinning this on KR as part of a cover-up does not make sense. Anxious for trial to start and evidence to unfold. It’s exhausting to see so much focus on KR rather than on the victim Officer John O’Keefe, who was not only a Boston police officer, but raising his niece and nephew.


-- She has lied and changed her story too many times. Admittedly said she hit him, and asked did I hit him - which speaks volumes.

-- Appears she knew she hit him as stated to her friend.

-- Allegedly, she was over-served that night. The snowstorm hindered visibility and on top of that the drinking and it appears arguing (in addition, to disagreements prior to that night) may have contributed to a disaster waiting to happen.

-- Sometimes it does not end well getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while under the influence… That’s why there are laws about drinking and driving.


(Honestly, think it was an accident) Curious why she is not charged with motor vehicle homicide, imo.

All of this is speculation, at this time.

Prosecution reveals alleged timeline in death of police officer

Karen Read, the officer's girlfriend, is accused of hitting him with a car and leaving him to die in a blizzard after a night of drinking in 2022.

www.wcvb.com

5:30 a.m. - Read and the friend arrive at the home of the sister of the Fairview Road resident, where she is described as "hysterical." One of the women drove Read back to O'Keefe's house while the other followed in her own vehicle. During that drive, she told investigators that Read said, "Could I have hit him?" "Did I hit him?" and told her about a cracked taillight on the black SUV.

At O'Keefe's house, Read showed the other women the cracked taillight. All three women then got into the same car and went to look for O'Keefe. The friend who was driving said it was snowing heavily with poor visibility when they arrived but she noted that Read "immediately" said she saw the victim when the other women could not see it lying in the snow.

6:04 a.m. - 911 call from a woman reporting a man, later identified as O'Keefe, was found in the snow. The first Canton police officer to arrive saw three women waving at him from the front yard, near a flagpole and fire hydrant. Two of the women were performing CPR on the victim. The officer observed the victim was cold to the touch and was not breathing. Footage from a camera attached to the officer's cruiser shows dark, blizzard conditions.

A Canton firefighter who responded to the 911 call said she witnessed Read telling her friend repeatedly, "I hit him, I hit him, I hit him."

From what I can tell, and I obvi was not there, there was not a member of this entire entourage that went from the bar to the after party that was not "over served". IMO I might use the word "black out drunk" for Karen Read and John Okeefe and probably others.
If you are walking out of the second bar with your drink in hand and headed to an after party - you are probably hammered.
I don't argue that Karen Read changed her story - I am not even sure she has any memory of the incident. She's kind of an emotional mess. My best guess is that she absolutely has no idea what happened and no memory of that evening after a certain point. So to me for her to say "I hit him" at the scene the next day is just an emotional blurt out - akin to OMG did I hit him?
Black out drunk has happened to the best of us, mostly when young and experimenting. Most of us grow out of that behavior as an adult or go on to develop problems.
Where I stand on it all - I don't see any evidence that cannot be refuted that supports her car hitting John.
We may never know what happened to John Okeefe, although there may be people in that house that who know the details. IMO for sure the" re homed" dog knows. ALL just IMO
I have never seen a case bungled so badly. LE has failed the memory of John Okeefe IMO. Utter chaos. Heads should roll . All IMO
Just my viewpont

 

[Charlot123]

From what I can tell, and I obvi was not there, there was not a member of this entire entourage that went from the bar to the after party that was not "over served". IMO I might use the word "black out drunk" for Karen Read and John Okeefe and probably others.
If you are walking out of the second bar with your drink in hand and headed to an after party - you are probably hammered.
I don't argue that Karen Read changed her story - I am not even sure she has any memory of the incident. She's kind of an emotional mess. My best guess is that she absolutely has no idea what happened and no memory of that evening after a certain point. So to me for her to say "I hit him" at the scene the next day is just an emotional blurt out - akin to OMG did I hit him?
Black out drunk has happened to the best of us, mostly when young and experimenting. Most of us grow out of that behavior as an adult or go on to develop problems.
Where I stand on it all - I don't see any evidence that cannot be refuted that supports her car hitting John.
We may never know what happened to John Okeefe, although there may be people in that house that who know the details. IMO for sure the" re homed" dog knows. ALL just IMO
I have never seen a case bungled so badly. LE has failed the memory of John Okeefe IMO. Utter chaos. Heads should roll . All IMO
Just my viewpont

One word: dysfunctional. Is it possible that everyone inside the house was so drunk that they never noticed O’Keefe not showing up? And keeping drinking through the night until they got plastered and had blackouts in the morning?
Same applies to KR.

A courthouse circus surrounds his alleged killer. But John O’Keefe’s loved ones are focused on remembering a ‘good man.’ - The Boston Globe

O’Keefe’s friends and family members told the Globe the spectacle surrounding the Karen Read case has detracted from what should be the focus: that a loving uncle, a generous friend, a police officer dedicated to serving Boston’s communities, lost his life.

www.bostonglobe.com

Just the situation when the whole PD, a policeman and his GF got so plastered during a blizzard night that it is impossible to reconstruct the picture?
Too bad that Canton PD has alcohol use problem, too bad that a college professor KR had the same issue, at least that night, too bad that the children of O’Keefe’s sister now have to grow up without the guardian. JMO - I do feel that maybe words were exchanged during the quarrel between the couple that had precipitated something, and I do have the feeling that KR’s actions are suspicious, but it is possible that this case has to be dropped. It doesn’t mean that KR is innocent, it just means that no sober head was available that night that can now offer collateral information.

RIP, John O’Keefe. My condolences to his family.

 

[arielilane]

FINAL PRETRIAL HEARING: Boyfriend Cop Murder Trial –
MA v. #KarenRead https://youtube.com/live/kNSahoyaXkQ?si=dN7G-oV3hYJrzoJI via @YouTube

https://twitter.com/x/status/1778771282072686951

 

[arielilane]

I'd like to get a paragraph, please.
https://twitter.com/TedDanielnews
@TedDanielnews

Good morning from Norfolk Superior. Pretrial motion hearing in the case against Karen Read. Lots to get through today...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1778774510314860610

 

[arielilane]

Judge asking Read's defense team if they are pursuing a 3rd party culprit defense because she says defense hasn't filed a motion to admit 3rd party evidence. David Yannetti says yes and he will file paper on it if needed.


Defense now arguing their request to exclude the results of a DNA test of a hair prosecution says was found on Read's Lexus. Defense says they have received no lab reports on it.


Prosecutor Lally says he doesn't plan to introduce hair evidence in the first week or "month" of the trial and he says defense should have time to prepare if its admitted


Defense agrees to have a view at 34 Fairview Rd in Canton, where John O'Keefe was found dead in Jan, 2022


Defense atty Little requesting Judge block prosecution from talking about a verbal argument Karen Read got in to Aruba in 2021, where she told a women who hugged O'Keefe to F-off, according to witnesses who testified at the state grand jury
@TedDanielnews

 

[arielilane]

Prosecutor Lally says the Aruba argument goes to motive and he says O'Keefe tried to break up with Read after it. He says Read texted Higgins about it.


Prosecutor Lally said the Aruba argument continued until the murder of John O'Keefe

@TedDanielnews

 

[arielilane]

WATCH LIVE: Karen Read case back in court Friday for final pre-trial hearing

The Karen Read murder case will return to court Friday for a final hearing ahead of the start of next week’s trial.

www.boston25news.com

 

[arielilane]

@TedDanielnews

Defense now arguing to keep Read's Blood alcohol content out of the trial and their analysis of what Read's BAC would have been hours before she was tested."Defendant 's Motion in limine to Exclude Serum/Plasma Ethanol Concentration, Blood Ethanol Concentration Conversion, and Corresponding Retrograde Extrapolation Analysis with Certificate of Service"


9:53 AM · Apr 12, 2024

 

[arielilane]

@TedDanielnews

Prosecution now arguing to keep manner of death on death certificate out of the trial. JO's says it could not be determined.


10:01 AM · Apr 12, 2024

 

[arielilane]

Prosecutor Lally now asking to run criminal background checks or CORI's on seated jurors. Defense objecting saying criminal history is self reported on the jury questionnaire.

Judge allows motion to CORI seated jurors


Judge Cannone is ruling on some items but taking most under advisement meaning she'll rule later - as soon as later today.


@TedDanielnews