VERDICT WATCH MA - Professor Karen Read, 43, charged with murdering police officer boyfriend John O'Keefe by hitting him with car, Canton, 14 Apr 2023 #15

[Misy]

Yes, exactly my thoughts.
It seemed to me that the original Medical Examiner was very careful with her words and vague about many aspects of John O'Keefe's injuries. I felt that she may have been under pressure from Trooper Proctor and Co.
Dr Sheridan's testimony cleared up a lot of questions that I had about the particulars of JOK's injuries, particularly in regard to the possibility that JOK might have stumbled or walked to his final resting place (he couldn't) or whether JOK could have in fact been lying out in the snow for six hours (he couldn't).

JOK is unconscious and immobile after the blow to his head. The blow is so severe that it sends multiple fractures around the skull, and the subsequent swelling of the brain and brain stem leads to downward herniation as the brain is encapsulated by the ridged confines of the skull.
This puts such pressure upon the spinal cord that respiratory failure is imminent.

When he was discovered around 6am, his body temperature was still 80*f.
He died shortly after his injury and he was certainly not lying out in the snow for six hours. One of these two scenarios is likely:

1. If he was injured outside as suggested by the CW, it was after 3am, or
2. His time of death was earlier but he remained indoors in a heated environment and moved outside sometime after 3am.

I should go back to listen to Lucky’s testimony, but … didn’t he say he passed by 34F at least a couple of times? Did not see JOK. But said he saw a Ford Edge parked on the side of the road where JOK was eventually found. He said parking along the side of the roads was “against the law” or words to that effect, in snowy conditions. Asked about why he didn’t report the Ford Edge being there he said basically he was giving the Alberts a break.
Speculation that the A’s (probably BA) moved the Edge from the driveway in order to block activity in the front yard. MOO

 

[Misy]

Recall , Lucky passed at 2.30am and saw the vehicle, possibly parked in that way to block a view of some activity.

Sorry kittythehare! I posted my comment regarding the ford edge before I saw this post from you!

 

[TTF14]

I should go back to listen to Lucky’s testimony, but … didn’t he say he passed by 34F at least a couple of times? Did not see JOK. But said he saw a Ford Edge parked on the side of the road where JOK was eventually found. He said parking along the side of the roads was “against the law” or words to that effect, in snowy conditions. Asked about why he didn’t report the Ford Edge being there he said basically he was giving the Alberts a break.
Speculation that the A’s (probably BA) moved the Edge from the driveway in order to block activity in the front yard. MOO

Lucky was 100% believable. That Ford Edge being there cannot possibly be for any good reason at all as it relates to this case. If a Ford Edge was there, there had to be a driver. If a Ford Edge was there in the middle of the night, that driver would have their headlights on. The driver of the Ford Edge would have seen JOK lying there in the snow if he'd been there. So, at the very LEAST, the driver of the Ford Edge saw JOK lying there and didn't get him help. At worst, the driver of the Ford Edge put him there.

IMIO MOO

 

[kittythehare]

Sorry kittythehare! I posted my comment regarding the ford edge before I saw this post from you!

He passed twice at 2 hrly intervals afaik.. 2.30am and 4.30 am, but double check that, my memory is often wrong..

 

[fcavanaugh]

I have a question for those who think KR is guilty:

Do you think she hit and killed him by accident i.e., due to anger and inebriation, thought vehicle gear was in ‘Drive’ but was actually in/still in ‘Reverse’, gunned the accelerator causing her to hit/kill JO (I would equate this to Negligent Homicide-driving under the influence and causing someone’s death), thought maybe she just hit a curb or something and took off. And once she started sobering up, realized he didn’t come home, remembered something happened/that she hit something and started panicking that it could’ve been JO?

Or, do you think she deliberately killed him with her vehicle, and if so, do you believe she did so in split second/momentary crime of passion, or thought about it/planned it while driving him to the Albert residence and/or prior to that?

TIA

ETA-clarity

 

[BUF]

Lucky was 100% believable. That Ford Edge being there cannot possibly be for any good reason at all as it relates to this case. If a Ford Edge was there, there had to be a driver. If a Ford Edge was there in the middle of the night, that driver would have their headlights on. The driver of the Ford Edge would have seen JOK lying there in the snow if he'd been there. So, at the very LEAST, the driver of the Ford Edge saw JOK lying there and didn't get him help. At worst, the driver of the Ford Edge put him there.

IMIO MOO

Who did that Ford Edge supposedly belong to? Anyone know? Could it have been one of Colin’s friends?

 

[geevee]

BH texted “Where are you” to JO that night.

ATF agent Brian Higgins testifies in Karen Read trial

ATF agent Brian Higgins testified in the Karen Read trial Friday, spending hours on the stand between the prosecution and defense questioning.

www.nbcboston.com

My memory has failed, when the texts between KR and BH were being gone through, did Lally show the text BH sent JOK that night/early morning, and if so, does anyone remember what time it was that BH texted him?

 

[Occam's Zebra]

In this lengthy article it states "I hit him" four times, same as what ADA stated in closing:

Before Roberts, McCabe, and Read found O’Keefe’s body, Roberts told police, Read showed them her cracked right taillight, saying she had no idea how it had happened the night before. When an emergency responder asked Read how O’Keefe had injured his face, the document stated, Read said, “I hit him. I hit him, I hit him, I hit him.”

The Karen Read Canton Case: The Killing That Tore a Town Apart

Inside the simmering tabloid drama dividing this tight-knit Mass. suburb.

www.bostonmagazine.com

This is not a confession.

She could have *thought* she hit him, given the taillight damage and his facial injuries. so the thought process was IMHO "Oh my god, I must have hit him and not realized it" and it came out "I hit him" over and over.

But we heard from independent experts that JO had no injuries consistent with being hit by a car.

His facial injuries were pretty consistent with getting beat up by another person or persons, though....

 

[BrownRice]

Who did that Ford Edge supposedly belong to? Anyone know? Could it have been one of Colin’s friends?

I don’t have a link but I thought it was said that in addition to BH owning an Edge, that BA did as well and maybe another Albert?

 

[Misy]

Who did that Ford Edge supposedly belong to? Anyone know? Could it have been one of Colin’s friends?

Brian Albert’s.

 

[kittythehare]

My memory has failed, when the texts between KR and BH were being gone through, did Lally show the text BH sent JOK that night/early morning, and if so, does anyone remember what time it was that BH texted him?

Karen Read trial: Read kissed Brian Higgins 2 weeks before O’Keefe’s death

In bombshell testimony Friday, special agent Brian Higgins spoke about his romantic relationship with Karen Read in the weeks before her boyfriend's death.

www.masslive.com

 

[CourtandSims4]

If the jury instructions were clear, and the jury takes those instructions to heart, the defense doesn't kind of have to prove it, and the burden of proof remains solely on the prosecution. I don't know how clear or unclear this judge's instructions tend to be.

If that was the case, any defense can win on coming up with the most creative and interesting story alone. If they say that Jen McCabe made a search at 2:27, we are going to prove that to you, that's a promise that they are making to the jury. If they break that promise, the jury doesn't have to consider that in determining Karen's guilt. This is not me saying that the burden of proof is on them to prove her innocent. It's me saying that they need to prove that what they are saying is true or could be true. Otherwise, how does this help their client?

 

[jepop]

something about BH on cross ...his demeanor....this guys knows so much more....so very much.

He's been on my radar as involved and possibly the perpetrator (him or his plow) since I saw his testimony. And besides that, considering when he was said to have left Fairview combined with his connection to KR and JO (the texts that night) goes some way towards suggesting means,motive and opportunity. The circumstances in which JO'sbody was found makes me think BA had at the very least knowledge and ofcourse Choe played a role (inadvertently) merely by being present at the time whatever it was may have gone down. All speculation only.

Re BH testimony. He admitted to destroying phone in very suss circumstances. Drives pissed to work at 1am, spends all the next day there and more dodgy inexplicable stuff. All that could be evidence of someone behaving very oddly after the fact and the answers he gave as to why, his rationales etc were not convincing in and of themselves.jmo

But odd thing was I found myself believing his explanations and even feeling sorry for him. He was believable to me. But the second time I watched him an hour or so later I got a sense of discordancy between his strange incomplete explanations and his demeanour. Like his sorrowful, battered look was part of an habitual poor me attitude. Began to seem like some kind of distraction (conscious or not) to take attention and focus off of himself.jmo

I think BH might be quite skilled at distracting, and lying either by word or omission without it being that obvious moo

 

[geevee]

Karen Read trial: Read kissed Brian Higgins 2 weeks before O’Keefe’s death

In bombshell testimony Friday, special agent Brian Higgins spoke about his romantic relationship with Karen Read in the weeks before her boyfriend's death.

www.masslive.com

Thanks but it doesn't give a time when BH texted JOK, just 'that night' and that BH said he left the Albert's between 12:30 - 1:00. I really don't want to have to go through the testimony and see if I can spot the text time, mostly was just curious when he actually texted JOK. Appreciate the link and refresher on his testimony.

 

[TIGER0822]

Never say never.

It depends. If the judge rules without prejudice, she can be retried. If the judge rules with prejudice she cannot be retried. There is no way IMO judge Bev will rule dismissed with prejudice.

 

[TIGER0822]

For fellow WSers who believe KR is guilty, is it because:
1) The CW proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Or
2) You do not believe the alternative “conspiracy theory” so that leaves no other choice.

For those that select #1, what SPECIFIC evidence proves to you that KR killed JOK with her SUV?
ETA I am genuinely interested in the response to this. The SODDI defenses are often brought forth because there is good evidence that a crime was committed by someone other than the defendant. But sometimes, an alternative scenario is presented to a jury to try and get them to think outside the box. The defense attorneys’ “conspiracy theory” was, for the most part, their merely pointing out during cross examination, glaring instances of lies, poor investigative work, and police misconduct by the prosecution witnesses. Did that hurt the defense?

Agreed: Jackson did not do a terrific closing. Entertaining yes. Substance no.

 

[TIGER0822]

Dbm

 

[jepop]

This is not a confession.

She could have *thought* she hit him, given the taillight damage and his facial injuries. so the thought process was IMHO "Oh my god, I must have hit him and not realized it" and it came out "I hit him" over and over.

But we heard from independent experts that JO had no injuries consistent with being hit by a car.

His facial injuries were pretty consistent with getting beat up by another person or persons, though....

Agree totally with first three paras but if by actual injuries you mean the black swollen eyes they were due to blood pooling behind sockets from internal bleeding caused by back of the head wound per medical testimony. IIRC he had an abrasion on an eyebrow which could be consistent with a physical strike or at least not inconsistent. Can't recall if he had any other abrasions on face but don't believe there was much there in the way of bruising and Sheridan testified to no evidence of skull fractures received from blunt force from the front. moo

 

[themonk]

Who did that Ford Edge supposedly belong to? Anyone know? Could it have been one of Colin’s friends?

Should be easy enough to determine. As I recall a deputy chief across the street had a ring camera or such.

*checks notes*

Well, it seems the deputy chief across the street determined there was nothing of value on his footage and no additional effort was made to confirm this.

Ah, that's a shame but what can you do.

 

[LaineyJ]

It depends. If the judge rules without prejudice, she can be retried. If the judge rules with prejudice she cannot be retried. There is no way IMO judge Bev will rule dismissed with prejudice.

Totally agree. I think there’s way too much pressure on her