MA - Professor Karen Read, 43, charged with murdering police officer boyfriend John O'Keefe by hitting him with car, Canton, 14 Apr 2023 #12

[JudyBolton]

Good question….. one possible reference point might be, that IIRC a typical fast ball pitch by an MLB pitcher is on the order of ~90 mph or more, near 100 mph. So this test is approximating about a 1/3 of that speed. Offering this only as a comparison and have no idea of particulars in this case. MOO

How fast does an average MLB pitcher throw? - TopVelocity

Learn how fast does an average MLB pitcher throw? Dive into our in-depth article to explore the average pitching speeds in MLB.

www.topvelocity.net

The witness stated that the speed was determined by Dr. Wolfe as the average speed an adult male his size would throw an object. (I had wondered this also, so noticed this point in direct examination by Jackson.)

 

[fluffypaste]

Keep in mind that the damage this witness saw is the shattered taillight. Not the cracked one that witnesses saw before LE took possession.

That's not how I interpreted what he said, but I think you're probably right.

 

[bobbymkii]

No rebuttal then?

Lally seemed so confident that he’d be able to find a dog bite rebuttal witness within a week too!

 

[Maat99]

So if JO would have been unconscious after receiving his head injury (didnt move on his own), and the ground could not have caused the injury (it didn’t happen where he was found), doesn’t that prove his body was moved after he got hit in the head?

 

[JudyBolton]

So if JO would have been unconscious after receiving his head injury, and the ground could not have caused the injury, doesn’t that prove his body was moved after he got hit in the head?

Yes - it also proves he could not have fallen/been knocked down in the street, hit his head and crawled across the lawn to the location where he was found. This was very important evidence in my opinion!

 

[keek]

So if JO would have been unconscious after receiving his head injury (didnt move on his own), and the ground could not have caused the injury (it didn’t happen where he was found), doesn’t that prove his body was moved after he got hit in the head?

Yes seems so! Why I wish my fantasies of the FBI coming into the courtroom after the verdict and announcement of where their coworkers are at that moment heading.

 

[Maat99]

Yes - it also proves he could not have fallen/been knocked down in the street, hit his head and crawled across the lawn to the location where he was found. This was very important evidence in my opinion!

I agree - so even a scenario where KR accidentally hit him and unknowingly injured him is off the table. That must remove a huge emotional weight from KRs shoulders. I hope she is able to get some compensation from LE over this. + Lally had all of the evidence and still proceeded.

 

[ch_13]

I feel the same way...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1805261561910493664

 

[mrjitty]

I find the force/angular momentum part of the expert evidence interesting.

As the witness said, if the arm was out from the body and only the arm hits the taillight - that would impart spin. But if the body is hit more directly, to accelerate the body away to some distance - with my high school level physics, i kind of expect way more evidence of impact - especially would the body, fold around the car at first? Like you'd expect impact on the leg surely? It just seems to me that the human body is quite bendy and surely the arm can't take the whole of such a huge and direct strike

And then because i down in the weeds of speculation, i just don't see how you can convict because the prosecution reconstruction evidence of the accident was so poor. They haven't really countered any of this IMO,

The problem is, if KR is innocent than someone staged the crime scene - which is bonkers. I guess I would just put it all in the too hard basket and vote not guilty

MOO

 

[Warwick7]

It would have probably caused the jury to completely disbelieve everything LE was saying in this case.
I'll leave others to decide whether that reaction would have been warranted.

I agree...
FBI scientists were not paid by the defense or the prosecution. They offered their INDEPENDENT report and findings to both prosecution and defense teams….

Here's the kicker, only the defense chose to publish their findings.
The prosecution made motions to exclude these experts and their results.

 

[Aquarian]

They are back

 

[bobbymkii]

I feel the same way...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1805261561910493664

I really hope Trooper Paul wasn't watching today. Can you imagine how inadequate he would have felt after watching that?

 

[themonk]

The problem is, if KR is innocent than someone staged the crime scene - which is bonkers.

RSBM

Not bonkers at all IMO

 

[turaj]

Jury has to really appreciate the short and laser sharp defense case.

 

[themonk]

I really hope Trooper Paul wasn't watching today. Can you imagine how inadequate he would have felt after watching that?

Not to mention Lally, generally

Every time I think of him I picture Tobias Funke crying in the shower

 

[arielilane]

@TedDanielnews

Court resumes with a sidebar. Karen Read was brought to sidebar and appeared to be sworn in by Judge. If any lawyers want to explain the reason please chime in.

Judge: Prosecution not requesting the option of involuntary manslaughter as a lesser chargeNeither side has requested a lesser and included charge of OUI

 

[nightowl1975]

How will Lally sum up 6 weeks of testimony in an hour?

“Members of the jury, based on some stuff presented, of course you should find her guilty. We did some math and all and the crime scene told us it was her. Who could argue with that? Who else, if anyone, could it be? You must find her guilty.”

That shouldn’t take too long. And it’s all they’ve got.

 

[nodamselindistress]

Maybe I missed it but KR was never asked by the judge if she was going to testify. The defense just rested and Judge said okay that's it for evidence, bye jury.

I normally see the judge question the defendant prior to defense resting. KR just joined in the sidebar so wondering if this was addressed? Would think it would need to be on the record,though.

 

[bobbymkii]

The problem is, if KR is innocent than someone staged the crime scene - which is bonkers. I guess I would just put it all in the too hard basket and vote not guilty

RSBM.

The more I've watched this trial, the more I've realised there is no "occam's razor" and whatever happened it will indeed be bonkers no matter what!

If she didn't do it, then there's the extraordinary situation of the cover up theory.

But if she did do it, that means that LE ran the shoddiest and most incompetent murder investigation I've ever seen in a trial, when you would think they would try extra hard because the victim was one of their fellow police officers!

MOO

 

[kae27]

I hope the jury returns a NG verdict as quickly as quickly as possible.

RSBM

Hos long to get NG verdict?