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

[ch_13]

No, I am saying that if it was a cover up, it would have been much easier for the cops to go along with the idea that she had accidentally hit him. She said she saw him going towards the house, they could have said he must have went back for something and she didn't realize it/didn't see him. There wouldn't be charges for a genuine accident, one that is unavoidable. She is walking around wondering if she hit him, several people said she said "I hit him." Accident is an easy out versus planting tail light glass around/on the body and framing an innocent person who is OBVIOUSLY going to fight tooth and nail for their freedom.

If I understand the defense allegations of a coverup, then you have at least three separate groups:

1. The partygoers who killed JO and dumped his body on the lawn.
2. The police who took the statements made by the partygoers at their word (since they were all fellow cops and/or family members with whom they have a personal relationship). They didn't do a proper investigation (search the house / look for cam footage) or talk to other witnesses (the snowplow driver / the people who saw KR drive away). And if they felt the physical evidence was too light, they may have also planted the taillight shards at the crime scene to further implicate KR.
3. The prosecutors, who are the ones that actually upgraded the manslaughter charges to murder based on the cops' investigation. They probably wouldn't have known about any improprieties or coverups, at least until the federal grand jury minutes were released.

Now I'll add that I'm not 100% convinced by the coverup theory, as I think it's not fully consistent with the evidence we know to date. However, neither is the state's case and they're the ones with the burden of proof.

Really, I have the same reaction I did when I started following this case almost one year ago: I still can't get over those autopsy photos. To me they just don't look like the wounds of someone who was hit by a car.

 

[louvillian08]

No, I am saying that if it was a cover up, it would have been much easier for the cops to go along with the idea that she had accidentally hit him. She said she saw him going towards the house, they could have said he must have went back for something and she didn't realize it/didn't see him. There wouldn't be charges for a genuine accident, one that is unavoidable. She is walking around wondering if she hit him, several people said she said "I hit him." Accident is an easy out versus planting tail light glass around/on the body and framing an innocent person who is OBVIOUSLY going to fight tooth and nail for their freedom.

If we're speculating about this under the assumption this was a cover-up: I think going the accident route could leave too much up to chance, and/or I could reasonably see why the perpetrators would think that. I'm not sure if the end goal would even was for KR to be trial for murder, perhaps they just wanted the focus on her for as long as possible so they could tie up any loose ends or distance themselves from that night. Especially with the added drama of it being a cop found on the property of another cop, they probably felt they needed to give a concrete suspect to deflect onto.

 

[arielilane]

@CantonCommunity

Court is done for the day. Trial will start Monday, April 29 at 10 AM.

12:41 PM · Apr 25, 2024

 

[arielilane]

Posts from today's (4.25.2024) hearing:


Motions: not to mention Turtleboy. Agreed. Unless if it comes up by a witness

Continue regarding motions: regarding not to mention FBI investigation is allowed. (Can come up under cross)


Regarding view: defendant will not be present at view of home.


Discussion on media stories as evidence, length etc


Regarding Milton State police barracks video. Aspects are acceptable.


Judge is concerned about discovery. Commonwealth seeks information on expert testimony by defense. Crash experts are mechanical engineers. Is there reports/ clarifications as to what they’ll testify to.


Judge is says material should have been given to the prosecution. Defense says they complied within 24 hours of receiving certificate of discovery compliance.


Judge says defense needs to supply the prosecutors with reports. Defense says they’ll use the same material as the prosecutors crash analysis. Get together and provide needed information. Judge says federal report was vague as to who did what.


Judge want to know what chalks will be put up in openings. 45 minutes for openings. Neither will use chalk.


Prosecutor will object to specific questions.


Objection to “anecdotal experience” of experts isn’t clear what that is to the defense but clear to judge.


Commonwealth introduce evidence witnesses that he intended to end the relationship as well as texts. Children will testify to this. Hears her being asked to leave the house. She refuses. Allowed.


Aruba incident regarding argument is admitted. 2 see in lobby. Children witnessed 20 minute screaming fight. Another on observation on dinner demeanor. O’Keefe statements to this person. Waterfall bar statements. Texts and voicemails after murder. Statement about arguments.


Defense: O’Keefe statements has no objection that it comes in but they may object in style these questions are asked on the stand. Judge will allow this evidence. Understands defense may object to way a question is asked.


Is the defense objecting to a demonstration. The defense objects but are not digging in. Judge allows it but would like to see it.


Prosecution: Trooper Proctor and Officer Lank. “Civil case is not usable.”Judge wonders if this event shows if there is bias for the Alberts. Defense: Lank is the first responder. Enters home. Long standing relationship. Chris Albert is not tangential. Done via cross. No action.


Prosecutor Lally: Doesn’t want Proctor investigation brought up. The investigation may lead to nothing. May not even pertain to this case. Defense: There is mandatory discovery. Proctor is being questioned about this case. IA knows he needs to testify a certain way for his career


Judge will consider Lank and Proctor issues and how that might come in.


Defense: objects to conclusions via bold draw. Was not done in an accredited manner so extrapolation is poor. (Alcohol in blood) Prosecution: Agrees with judge it’s done all the time. Defense: 124% swing. Defense: It’s inherently untrustworthy and prejudicial. Judge may allow.


ADA Lally: Seeks areas they can testify to regarding DA Morrissey and a victim advocate. If can be gotten elsewhere it should be. Judge talks again about how the victim advocate may talk with those who experienced witness intimidation.


Defense: The advocate may have information regarding the disposal of phones. Judge will look at Mr. Higgins testimony.


Defense on DA Morrissey: Goes to the integrity of the investigation. Conflict of interest regarding the Canton Police department and his video. Ken Berkowitz called DA Morrissey at 8 am. Canton Conflicted out. Knew that was violated. Video Statements that proctor never was there



Defense: The DA injected himself in this case. Only he knows where he got the idea that proctor wasn’t there is disingenuous. ADA Lally: not close to valid. Judge is not convinced these witnesses need to testify but will look at it.


Defense regarding media A/V assistant: For seamlessly going to photos, audio etc. Prosecutors say they have people here for that. Judge says she doesn’t have the time for this. Defense: cannot prepare media timing with Commonwealth. Expert will set up appropriately for the room.


Judge will see if media experts in court will go over this. Now at side bar in jury issue.


Court is done for the day. Trial will start Monday, April 29 at 10 AM.

@CantonCommunity

 

[arielilane]

@JHall7news

The opening statements in the #KarenRead trial will be Monday morning at 10. Each side will have 45 minutes.


12:40 PM · Apr 25, 2024 from Dedham, MA

 

[ch_13]

Here's the courtroom that they will move to for the trial. It's much smaller than the one they've been using. In realtor parlance, I would call it cozy, aka tiny.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1783151253523939543

 

[HarmonyE.]

No, I am saying that if it was a cover up, it would have been much easier for the cops to go along with the idea that she had accidentally hit him. She said she saw him going towards the house, they could have said he must have went back for something and she didn't realize it/didn't see him. There wouldn't be charges for a genuine accident, one that is unavoidable. She is walking around wondering if she hit him, several people said she said "I hit him." Accident is an easy out versus planting tail light glass around/on the body and framing an innocent person who is OBVIOUSLY going to fight tooth and nail for their freedom.

It's not the call of the cops how anyone gets ultimately charged by the prosecution. She was originally charged with manslaughter (drunk driving accident) and five months later a second degree murder charge was added. This is often done by the prosecution when they are hopeful a defendant will plead guilty to a lesser charge, thereby avoiding a trial altogether. However, unlike many defendants who are stuck with public defenders, Read apparently had sufficient means to hire top notch attorneys, giving her the opportunity to fully defend herself.

 

[Pyrite]

I would take the plea deal if all the evidence points towards me. Manslaughter is a lighter sentence than 2nd-degree murder. It's what you can prove in a court of law and if a jury believes the accident theory. Vehicular manslaughter is a method commonly used by female perpetrators specifically in DV cases.

Even if you knew you didn’t do it? That would mean letting the real killers walk free forever.

 

[HarmonyE.]

Even if you knew you didn’t do it? That would mean letting the real killers walk free forever.

Happens all day, every day. Most people charged with crimes don't have the means to fight the state which pretty much has unlimited resources.
As far as this case goes, even if/when Read is found not guilty, it's still likely the real killers will walk free forever.

 

[waldojabba]

There are multiple counts against Read, including manslaughter and second degree murder. If you are suggesting she should be offered a plea on the manslaughter only, she'd be pleading guilty to a felony and probably still do some prison time, although not nearly as much if she was found guilty of murder. If you were innocent and had already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on your defense, would you take that deal? Sincere question.

I thought the orig poster was talking about whoever beat JO up in that house.
Why cover up? Bc all the adults and LE were all “ likkered” up and not thinking straight. They could not let the “kids” ruin the lives ahead of them.
The adults were going to “fix” the situation. So many situations fixed so many times no big deal.
Except they pinned it on the wrong person.

JMO.

 

[waldojabba]

If I understand the defense allegations of a coverup, then you have at least three separate groups:

1. The partygoers who killed JO and dumped his body on the lawn.
2. The police who took the statements made by the partygoers at their word (since they were all fellow cops and/or family members with whom they have a personal relationship). They didn't do a proper investigation (search the house / look for cam footage) or talk to other witnesses (the snowplow driver / the people who saw KR drive away). And if they felt the physical evidence was too light, they may have also planted the taillight shards at the crime scene to further implicate KR.
3. The prosecutors, who are the ones that actually upgraded the manslaughter charges to murder based on the cops' investigation. They probably wouldn't have known about any improprieties or coverups, at least until the federal grand jury minutes were released.

Now I'll add that I'm not 100% convinced by the coverup theory, as I think it's not fully consistent with the evidence we know to date. However, neither is the state's case and they're the ones with the burden of proof.

Really, I have the same reaction I did when I started following this case almost one year ago: I still can't get over those autopsy photos. To me they just don't look like the wounds of someone who was hit by a car.

One hundred percent - bingo. Those wounds do not appear to be from any auto, let alone Karen’s. JMO

 

[arielilane]

@danielcoates_25

Karen Read’s father said these months have been agonizing — and his daughter is the victim in the trial beginning Monday.


12:55 PM · Apr 25, 2024

 

[arielilane]

Posted on 4.24.2024

#KarenRead Here is the other courtroom where the judge is considering holding the trial. It contains about 1/4 the number of seats.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1783151253523939543

 

[arielilane]

"We're all in on the same joke, right?" Police bodycam appears to show Karen Read not believing she was just indicted on a murder charge for the death of Boston police officer John O'Keefe.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1783601518249406832

 

[translator]

I’m not caught up so just wondering; did we ever get an explanation for the “how long does it take to die in the cold” searches on McCabe’s phone? I recall prosecution and defence are saying the searches occurred at different times (after O’Keefe found vs. before O’Keefe found).

Honestly though, all things considered… I would hate to be on this jury.

 

[Charlot123]

Happens all day, every day. Most people charged with crimes don't have the means to fight the state which pretty much has unlimited resources.
As far as this case goes, even if/when Read is found not guilty, it's still likely the real killers will walk free forever.

“When”.

While I still have personal concerns about Read, it is clearly not a “beyond reasonable doubt” case. How long will it last, and how much will it cost to the State of Massachusetts?

 

[louvillian08]

I’m not caught up so just wondering; did we ever get an explanation for the “how long does it take to die in the cold” searches on McCabe’s phone? I recall prosecution and defence are saying the searches occurred at different times (after O’Keefe found vs. before O’Keefe found).

Honestly though, all things considered… I would hate to be on this jury.

I guess no? The prosecution and defense have both written filings detailing their expert's opinions on why it occurred at whichever time but it hasn't been settled yet. I found the defense's evidence more compelling but I am by no means an expert on this stuff.

 

[arielilane]

#WATCH: The stage is set for the long-awaited opening statements Monday at Norfolk Superior Court.Karen Read’s team tells me they feel “great” heading into the highly-anticipated trial. Several motions today could play a key role in the coming weeks.

https://twitter.com/danielcoates_25

 

[louvillian08]

Has anyone managed to find detailed information about the dimensions of KR’s car? All I could find is the height of a 2021 Lexus LX 570 is 6’1”. But I’m curious the height of the taillights. I’m not really a car person but they seem much higher than I was envisioning this whole time, and substantially higher than the bumper.

My perspective might be off so anyone please correct me. But if O’Keefe was crouching down, it seems even less likely that the taillight would be the point of contact.

 

[beachhut]

The homeowner/party host/LEO had security cameras that weren't working? Seriously? How convenient.