Crime
On Monday, jurors heard the 911 call announcing that John O’Keefe had been found unconscious in the snow.
Stream live via NBC10 Boston.
On the support:
- Sgt. Sean Goode, Canton Police Department
The Karen Read murder trial returns to court Tuesday after a long day of testimony from Canton police officers who responded to the scene at 34 Fairview Road the morning John O’Keefe was found unconscious in the snow.
Read, 44, is accused of crashing her SUV into O’Keefe — her Boston police officer boyfriend — in January 2022. Prosecutors allege she drunkenly hit O’Keefe as she dropped off at the home of another Boston police officer in Canton after a night out. However, lawyers for the Mansfield woman claim that O’Keefe was actually beaten inside the home, arguing that Read was framed as part of an elaborate cover-up involving witnesses and law enforcement. ‘order.
Canton Police Lt. Paul Gallagher said Monday that investigators borrowed Solo cups from another Canton lieutenant who lived across the street from the crime scene, then used the cups to collect several blood samples from the area where O’Keefe’s body was found.
The second week of Karen Read’s trial began with testimony from two other township officers.
The first week of Karen Read’s murder trial ended Friday. Here is what happened.
Gallagher’s description of the improvised evidence collection protocol was met with skepticism from defense attorney Alan Jackson, who questioned whether the cups were sterile and sealed against possible cross-contamination. To illustrate his point, Jackson showed jurors a photo of the cups discovered in a brown Stop & Shop paper bag on the floor of a police station garage.
“Do you think it is common practice for a police department to borrow red Solo cups from a neighbor to collect evidence?” » asked Jackson.
“Of course not,” Gallagher replied. “Nothing about the scene was standard.”
Also Monday, defense attorney David Yannetti asked Judge Beverly Cannone to reverse her earlier ruling regarding photos showing Canton firefighter Katie McLaughlin socializing with Caitlin Albert, whose family owned the home where the body of O’Keefe was found.
The Albert family came under increased scrutiny as attorneys for both sides debated whether jurors should hear about a 2002 incident in which Canton police Sgt. Michael Lank allegedly intervened in a fight on behalf of owner Brian Albert’s brother, Chris. Cannone has yet to take a position on either of these issues.
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