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 #36 Retrial

[Leilei]

This may have been discussed before, but…

If you had an attractive and 40 something bachelor friend, and he’d never been married, and he had the responsibility of raising his niece and nephew, wouldn’t you be thrilled for him to be seriously dating a wealthy and well-educated woman from a stable family, and hoping he would marry her?

A 42 year old woman who has bought a nice house and has been able to put $5 million in her retirement account, and seems to love the kids?

Would you prefer for him to pick someone else, maybe the sister of one of his brother officers? I would love for my son (much younger than John) to bring home a woman like that! Even if I didn’t like her immediately, I would learn to love her.

I think there was a ton of jealousy over Karen's relationship with John. Intelligent, successful on her own merits, very pretty, helpful and kind (relationship with the kids and John's dad speak to this). But, she isn't "town". She wasn't a soccer mom type of woman. And certain people, mainly Canton women, did not like that at all.
She was going to be an outcast from the day they started dating.
IMO.

 

[nightowl1975]

In the vicinity of the flagpole. MOO. His phone never moved again at the end of his 36 steps, and was found there, underneath him, near the flagpole.

The defence witness John Tedeman, who measured some of the distances, testified that it was 78'3" from the mailbox to the side garage door, and double that distance to come back to the flagpole.

He also testified it was "well over 80 feet" from the flagpole to the garage door, and therefore the distance would be well over 160 feet there and back.

John's 36 steps measured a total of 82 feet (25 meters) to when his phone stopped moving and its battery temperature started dropping immediately. He was interacting with his phone during those steps, unlocking it, reading Jen's last message 'pull behind me', and then locking it again.

He couldn't have gone to the house and back, without recording additional steps and/or phone movement. IMO

John Tedeman's cross-examination
Starts at 5.58.39

He could’ve walked to the garage and then been carried back to the flagpole. His phone wouldn’t register steps if it was in his pocket while he was being carried. Confirmed this doing a little at-home experiment with multiple iPhones. My kids are convinced I’ve lost my mind with my dedication to my online jury duty, by the way.

 

[ShadyLady]

I think there was a ton of jealousy over Karen's relationship with John. Intelligent, successful on her own merits, very pretty, helpful and kind (relationship with the kids and John's dad speak to this). But, she isn't "town". She wasn't a soccer mom type of woman. And certain people, mainly Canton women, did not like that at all.
She was going to be an outcast from the day they started dating.
IMO.

Yes, Karen's crime seem to be that she bought John's niece an expensive sweater...

Off with her head!

 

[Younger Sister]

IMO…when you do not have the information needed to come to a valid conclusion there is a tendency to let the imagination fill in the blanks. Keep in mind we have seen a mountain of inconsistencies. These inconsistencies have certainly been a challenge to follow and are too numerous to list here. How sad that only a narrow, singularly focused investigation with questionable practices took place. The tail light discrepancies are of concern. We know the Judge disallowed several defense testimonials pre trial and we can only imagine what the Judge disallowed during the multiple side bar interruptions she directed at the defense during their cross examinations. Kari Roberts admitted she lied to the Grand Jury. Officer Deaver unbelievably recanted her FBI testimony and makes the lame excuse her detailed accounting of what took place in the Sally Port was a false memory. Important evidence video footage is conveniently missing. Alesia was not allowed to question Welcher on the Lexus odometer readings. JM google searches Hos long to die in the cold. Brian Higgins and Brian Albert just happen to get rid of their phones just before they were going to need to turn them in. Brennan intentionally kept x-rays from Welcher and misled everyone on the cuts on the back of the sweatshirt. The list of inconsistencies goes on and on. Forget about taxing your brain to try and fill in the blanks with your imagination. Think in terms of Beyond a Reasonable Doubt.
At the end of the day just remember a dog bit JOK’s arm and he was not hit by a car.

 

[HarmonyE.]

He could’ve walked to the garage and then been carried back to the flagpole. His phone wouldn’t register steps if it was in his pocket while he was being carried. Confirmed this doing a little at-home experiment with multiple iPhones. My kids are convinced I’ve lost my mind with my dedication to my online jury duty, by the way.

Some have speculated that Higgins' real reason for going to the Canton PD around 1:30 am was to obtain a Faraday bag to block all signals from John's phone as he was transported to the front yard. We know from the last trial that Higgins knew quite a bit about cell phones and how to use equipment to manipulate data. And we know Lucky was adamant that John's body was not yet on the lawn at around 2:30 am.

 

[geevee]

Or his head was deliberately smashed against something like that which would look to be a similar mechanism of injury to a forensic pathologist.

Yes, we saw him 20 minutes before at the Waterfall and he wasn't weaving or off-balance, he actually did a little jog in place when BH was gesturing at him. If he fell back and hit his head on a step, he was forcefully helped to do so, imo.

 

[HarmonyE.]

Yes, we saw him 20 minutes before at the Waterfall and he wasn't weaving or off-balance, he actually did a little jog in place when BH was gesturing at him. If he fell back and hit his head on a step, he was forcefully helped to do so, imo.

While it's possible to die from a slip and fall injury, it's very rare. Even a six footer isn't falling very far, so not much opportunity for momentum to cause such a relatively small but quite deep wound. If he fell during a scuffle with a human or canine, one has to wonder if his head was then forceably banged into a ridged surface/object by said human.

 

[shotgun09]

I have been lurking on this board for a year, intensely so since April. I have benefited from so many good minds and smart hearts here as I followed T2. Thinking of the coming days, it’s time for me to stop lurking for a minute, and share my most recurring thoughts. I've been away from here since Friday, and this is my first Websleuths post ever.

IMO Karen Read has had awesome advocates, in court and out. I think she had a better than average shot at this jury. If it seemed at times the judge was in the tank for the prosecution, well that is to be expected, in my experience and perspective on criminal justice. Now I worry that if she is found guilty on even the least of the charges, what vengeance will rain down on her at sentencing. Forcing trials to happen, instead of negotiating a plea, is usually treated as akin to a separate offense. IMO

For a long time, I was skeptical of her guilt, and now I am persuaded Karen Read did not hit John O’Keefe with her car. My reasons track closely with those of many other posters with whom I’ve shared a thumbs up. Missing pieces of the puzzle, gaps in the narrative, the overcharging, the disinterest in determining what really happened. IMO the fix was in from early on, and it did not take a vast conspiracy. Police and police-adjacent people – including media with access to power -- know what to do in certain situations. It’s not uncommon. Just my opinion, and I’m not going to respond if I am poked for more specificity.

IMO it is unconscionable to hold someone accountable for something when there is no real consensus on what that something is, in this case how a dead person came to be dead. Except here, IMO, it was unconscionable from the beginning to even try. The O’Keefe family and his friends deserved more, even if they don’t see it that way. IMO. I wish for Karen Read to be acquitted and have the quality and length of life she needs to heal.

Welcome again to WS! And might I add a brilliant first post!

On the topic of evidence gathering, and the tainted, sloppy and lazy purposeful 'methods'...

EVERY piece of evidence gathered should have been thrown out of court, IMO. Starting from the evidence collected by Gallagher and co...with the leaf blower??!!! ....which totally CONTAMINATED THE CRIME SCENE !!! IMO

 

[TDoc72]

In the vicinity of the flagpole. MOO. His phone never moved again at the end of his 36 steps, and was found there, underneath him, near the flagpole.

The defence witness John Tedeman, who measured some of the distances, testified that it was 78'3" from the mailbox to the side garage door, and double that distance to come back to the flagpole.

He also testified it was "well over 80 feet" from the flagpole to the garage door, and therefore the distance would be well over 160 feet there and back.

John's 36 steps measured a total of 82 feet (25 meters) to when his phone stopped moving and its battery temperature started dropping immediately. He was interacting with his phone during those steps, unlocking it, reading Jen's last message 'pull behind me', and then locking it again.

He couldn't have gone to the house and back, without recording additional steps and/or phone movement. IMO

John Tedeman's cross-examination
Starts at 5.58.39

He had to have walked somewhere. He didn’t get out and walk in a circle for 36 steps/80ish feet. So I agree with you that he didn’t to and fro the house. I do think he walked TO the house/garage/backyard.

He could’ve walked to the garage and then been carried back to the flagpole. His phone wouldn’t register steps if it was in his pocket while he was being carried. Confirmed this doing a little at-home experiment with multiple iPhones. My kids are convinced I’ve lost my mind with my dedication to my online jury duty, by the way.

Yes, agree that he could’ve been carried. See above.

 

[Sarg]

What was JMc's reason for not going to the house and checking on her sister (and getting help)? I mean the reason she told the court?

 

[Deleted member 358516]

He could’ve walked to the garage and then been carried back to the flagpole. His phone wouldn’t register steps if it was in his pocket while he was being carried. Confirmed this doing a little at-home experiment with multiple iPhones. My kids are convinced I’ve lost my mind with my dedication to my online jury duty, by the way.

But there were never any footprints to or from the flagpole. From everything i've seen, heard and read, he seemed to have flown in the air and landed with no snow around him disturbed. Am I correct on that? or did they mention snow disturbance?

 

[MerlinFalcon]

What was JMc's reason for not going to the house and checking on her sister (and getting help)? I mean the reason she told the court?

She knew they were ok. She just knew.

 

[MerlinFalcon]

But there were never any footprints to or from the flagpole. From everything i've seen, heard and read, he seemed to have flown in the air and landed with no snow around him disturbed. Am I correct on that? or did they mention snow disturbance?

They never checked for any footprints or anything else for that matter.

 

[mzmarymac]

But there were never any footprints to or from the flagpole. From everything i've seen, heard and read, he seemed to have flown in the air and landed with no snow around him disturbed. Am I correct on that? or did they mention snow disturbance?

There wouldn't be footprints in the snow after several hours, whether there at 12:30 am or 3:30 am. He wasn't found until 6 am.

 

[shotgun09]

But there were never any footprints to or from the flagpole. From everything i've seen, heard and read, he seemed to have flown in the air and landed with no snow around him disturbed. Am I correct on that? or did they mention snow disturbance?

Is a leaf blower considered snow disturbance? Geez...

 

[nightowl1975]

But there were never any footprints to or from the flagpole. From everything i've seen, heard and read, he seemed to have flown in the air and landed with no snow around him disturbed. Am I correct on that? or did they mention snow disturbance?

There were enough steps after he got out of the vehicle to get him from the vehicle to the garage door. There are no footsteps recorded to get him back to the flagpole. Of course, IMO, he wasn’t walking back to the flagpole, so there’s that. And if someone was carrying him with his phone in his pocket, no steps would show up.

 

[nightowl1975]

Welcome again to WS! And might I add a brilliant first post!

On the topic of evidence gathering, and the tainted, sloppy and lazy purposeful 'methods'...

EVERY piece of evidence gathered should have been thrown out of court, IMO. Starting from the evidence collected by Gallagher and co...with the leaf blower??!!! ....which totally CONTAMINATED THE CRIME SCENE !!! IMO

It still blows my mind (no pun intended) that evidence with no chain of custody or KNOWN problems (like being carried around for MONTHS by MP) was allowed into evidence. But ohhhhh nooooo, we definitely can’t say FBI out loud or introduce their whole 3000 pages of findings. Wild.

 

[lonetraveler]

What one voice might that be??? IMO, the posts and opinions have been evenly divided but what has been frustrating to me is not that someone disagrees with my opinion. It has been the obvious 'rage-baiting' I guess it's called, I didn't know that was common and didn't pick up on that. I've followed many cases on WS and never saw that like I saw it here.

The authors IMO, cared less about this case. They 'tag-teamed' to keep the pages going with just random off the cuff babble. It was obvious that's all that they were here for.

I've posted for over 2 years. I watched both trials. I didn't care one way or another except that I wanted justice for JOK. I knew nothing prior to the first trial and watched like everyone else as the trials unfolded. It became apparent to me early on that there was a faction or agenda to convict KR no matter what it took to do so. Add to that the bias from the bench to confuse the first jury.

In the first trial the CW led by Lally threw everything out there to the jury and in the end the jury hung, aided IMO by the judge's rush to call a mistrial before anyone could see why the jury hung.

This trial was streamlined by both sides with less testimony and less evidence. The CW had very little to work with and with inadequate experts using smoke and mirrors dispite the help from the bench and the cherry picking of statutes, laws, etc, IMO, still presented a pathetic case costing MA taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The defense, even with their hands tied, rancor from the bench and on their own dime with the help of the public who also saw the injustice, put together a reasonable, realistic and factual case.

It's now in the hands of the jury but not without the bench pulling out whatever last minute stops possible. I hope KR is found NG. No one deserves to be railroaded like this. She is representative of john q public, and what has happened to her could happen to anyone. I certainly hope there is further investigation so that JOK gets justice.

Very well stated.

 

[lonetraveler]

But there were never any footprints to or from the flagpole. From everything i've seen, heard and read, he seemed to have flown in the air and landed with no snow around him disturbed. Am I correct on that? or did they mention snow disturbance?

But, didn't the Le who were at the house use the snow blower? They could have done that to erase their own footprints, right?

 

[JasmineD]

But there were never any footprints to or from the flagpole. From everything i've seen, heard and read, he seemed to have flown in the air and landed with no snow around him disturbed. Am I correct on that? or did they mention snow disturbance?

It was snowing. And if they used the Ford Edge to transport him the tracks would be minimal tracks to cover.