Northeast
Karen Read murder trial: Prosecutors face challenge with 'undetermined' cause of death
A forensics expert zeroed in on two pieces of evidence ahead of Karen Read’s murder trial — the autopsy and the way the victim’s clothes were handled — and said he believes the medical examiner’s testimony will be pivotal.
Read allegedly hit her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, with her car and left him to die in the snow, prosecutors said. Read denied the allegations and claimed there was a cover-up to frame her.
O’Keefe’s official cause of death is listed as “undetermined,” which sets up the medical examiner as the “big star” of the trial, forensics expert John Scott Morgan told Fox News Digital.
“I urge everybody that’s following this case to really pay close attention to what the medical examiner says, because they will be asked to explain the logic behind listing this as an undetermined,” Morgan said. “I would expect the defense to particularly focus in on that question, and it will be framed in a manner in which they will say, ‘Well, you know, we’ve got the prosecutor here that is saying that this is, in fact, a murder. What is it, doctor, what is keeping you from ruling this as a homicide?”
KAREN READ MASSACHUSETTS TRIAL: 3 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT WOMAN CHARGED WITH OFFICER BOYFRIEND’S MURDER
Karen Read sits in court during jury selection at Norfolk County Superior Court April 17, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. (David McGlynn/New York Post via AP, Pool)
The case goes back to 2022 in the Boston suburb of Canton, Massachusetts, where O’Keefe was found dead. Both O’Keefe and Read were drunk that night, according to court documents.
The trial started with jury selection last week after nearly two years of divisive rhetoric on both sides and an undercurrent of controversy fueled by a federal probe into the defense’s cover-up allegations.
MASSACHUSETTS SHELLS KAREN READ ACTIVIST ‘TURTLEBOY’ BLOGGER WITH CRIMINAL CHARGES IN FIRST AMENDMENT FIGHT
On Wednesday, a full jury was selected among hundreds of prospective jurists, setting the stage for what’s expected to be a lengthy and tense trial. Read’s supporters and adversaries have been clashing outside the courthouse.
On Thursday, several pretrial motions are expected to be resolved, and opening statements are scheduled to start Monday.
Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe (BPD)
Karen Read departs Norfolk Superior Court after a day of jury selection April 17, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
O’Keefe suffered multiple wounds, including skull fractures consistent with blunt-force trauma that led to bleeding in the brain, swollen black eyes and several lacerations and abrasions to his right arm and hands.
The prosecution alleges the injuries were sustained when Read hit him with her car, while the defense says the injuries were suffered during a fight inside the house and a dog attack.
KAREN READ, CHARGED WITH MURDER IN BOSTON COP BOYFRIEND’S DEATH, LEARNS TRIAL START DATE AFTER HEATED HEARING
“That’s very specific information,” said Morgan, who spent over 20 years in the New Orleans coroner’s office and with the Fulton County Medical Examiner in Atlanta before becoming a professor at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama.
The key is when this information about a possible dog bite was relayed to the medical examiner.
If the medical examiner didn’t know about the dog bite defense during the autopsy, the examiner likely wouldn’t have attempted to get evidence, like dog hair or a saliva swab, to test if there was canine DNA, Morgan said.
Karen Read appears in Norfolk County Superior Court for a pretrial hearing. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
WATCH: Morgan previews potential arguments for O’Keefe’s injuries
‘There’s one issue here that has been particularly troubling to me’
Morgan said how O’Keefe’s clothing was removed during life-saving efforts, how they were preserved and the chain of custody “is very important here.”
If reports about clothing being piled up in the corner of a trauma room are accurate, potential evidence is compromised, he said.
MASSACHUSETTS DA SHREDS ‘CONSPIRACY THEORIES’ IN KAREN READ MURDER CASE OVER BOSTON COP BOYFRIEND’S DEATH
“Are we talking about hours? Days? Weeks? Because the longer you wait to submit this, the less secure it is,” Morgan said, “And if you can’t account for it 24/7, you spoil the chain of custody. And, at that point, there’s little or no accountability. You don’t know who’s come in contact with these items.
“It can be very delicate. And once you have that evidence as a forensic investigator, you need to know how it was packaged and who packaged it.”
Karen A. Read, 42, the girlfriend of late Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, was arraigned in Norfolk Superior Court on charges of second-degree murder in his death in Dedham, Mass., June 10, 2022. A photo of the couple together was presented by the defense to the prosecution. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Karen Read and her lawyer Alan Jackson pass through a gauntlet of supporters outside Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., April 16, 2024. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger)
He used the example of the O.J. Simpson murder case, which included over 100 exhibits of DNA evidence that his lawyers essentially discredited by arguing investigators botched the removal, collection, handling and processing of evidence, including bloody clothes.
“Reflect back to the O.J. Simpson case, where one of the detectives had been mentioned of riding around with blood samples in their car before they were ever submitted into evidence,” Morgan said. “All kinds of things can happen, particularly with blood evidence like that, because it is fragile.”
Read’s arrest and how a blogger fueled the fire
Read was arrested Feb. 2, 2022, and charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene of an accident, causing injury and death. She pleaded not guilty to all charges.
“I did not kill John O’Keefe. I have never harmed a hair on John O’Keefe’s head,” Read told ABC News in August.
MASSACHUSETTS PROFESSOR CHARGED IN COP BOYFRIEND’S KILLING CALLS IT A ‘COVER-UP’
The case split the otherwise quiet suburban town, and a local blogger, Aiden Kearney, who goes by the nickname “Turtleboy,” riled up the “Free Karen” side of the debate.
He is often seen with a cellphone camera and bullhorn leading demonstrations and trumpeting Read’s law enforcement cover-up defense.
Massachusetts blogger “Turtleboy” Aiden Kearney was charged with witness intimidation for allegedly threatening witnesses in a murder case in Massachusetts. (Aidan Kearney(@DoctorTurleboy)/X)
The Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office alleged he crossed a line by intimidating witnesses, and he was arrested in October, enraging his loyal followers.
The prosecutor alleged Kearney “showed up” at sporting events of witnesses’ children and “made scenes,” harassed and photographed witnesses at their homes and jobs and instructed followers of his blog to do the same.
GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB
Kearney’s lawyer told the judge his client “vehemently denies” the accusations when Kearney pleaded not guilty, saying his client’s opinions are protected by the First Amendment.
Kearney was indicted on over a dozen felonies involving witness intimidation. He also served 60 days in jail for violating a protective order, but he has since been freed and is waiting for his own trial.
“The influence of media, social media, the sidebars with the turtle blogger. All the information that’s been going back and forth from the DA’s office and the defense team. I think it’s going to be a long road to pick an impartial jury,” Suffolk University Law Professor Christopher Dearborn told CBS News.
Fox News Digital’s Mitch Picasso contributed to this report.
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Afloat is an ideal option if you’ve ever had dreams of owning your own boat but have been told that boat ownership requires endless reserves of cash. Or if you’ve ever wanted to experience a houseboat, although I’d describe my houseboat as more of a floating hotel room.
I’ve made no secret of my dislike of the word “staycation,” but I’ll admit that booking at Afloat is as close as you can get to a staycation in Boston. Depending on your sea legs and your tolerance of motion, of course.
This is also one of the best lodging deals in Boston. My petite houseboat with a queen bed (although it looked more like a double) was $260 a night; two-bedroom yachts were $350. Moored at Constitution Marina in Charlestown, with views of the Zakim Bridge, the only way to get better water views would be to jump into the harbor.
There were some downsides to my houseboat, named Casita, which I believe translates into “little house with a touch of saltwater corrosion that bobs gently in a marina.” The interior was small, as in, I wouldn’t recommend this houseboat for anyone over 230 pounds or over 6 feet 2 inches, give or take. If you’re a hotel snob, it might not be a fit for your high-falutin’ tastes. The room is spartan, but it had everything I needed. There was a full bathroom, a coffee maker, a refrigerator, a hair dryer, an iron, Wi-Fi, air conditioning, heat, and a television.
Wait, but there’s more! There are plenty of moored boats and houseboats that you can rent on Airbnb or VRBO, but how many of them include a pool where you can splash your cares away? Or communal barbecues where you can BYOB (that’s bring your own beef) and grill your dinner? These are marina extras included in my stay that I was not expecting. I spent time by the pool with a soccer-crazed family from Norway. I tried to change the topic from soccer to my favorite Norwegian pop stars. The family hastily grabbed their towels and left the pool area.
There are people to escort you to your boat and carry your luggage. They also explained the room’s features. I assume if I were staying on a yacht, the orientation would be more detailed, including “do not untie this boat and start sailing to Bermuda.” There was a paper bag on the bed of my room filled with houseboat essentials: lip balm, a tin of mints, a blueberry Nutri-Grain bar, a bag of mini rice cakes, and a postcard of the marina.
Afloat has another advantage that I hadn’t anticipated. It gave me entrance to the rarified world of marina life. At one point or another, we’ve all walked by a marina and looked down as sun-kissed boat owners sipped beer on the decks of their yachts or hosed down their sailboats after a day at sea. We walk by, green in the gills with envy, trying to justify our feelings by saying that buying a boat is about as solid an investment as encasing cash in concrete and throwing it to the bottom of the ocean. But really, we want to be a part of it.
Finally, I had an entree into the marina universe. I walked around and checked out the other boats, my bare feet on the warm wooden planks. I casually waved or said, “How’s it going?” in a tone that indicated that I was also a part of marina culture, my imaginary yacht sitting nearby. I’m sure my jaunty nautical ensembles helped solidify my place there.
I generally avoid bed-and-breakfasts in the same way I avoid smiling folks on the sidewalk holding a clipboard who say, “Excuse me, sir, do you have a minute…” But Afloat is a different kind of B&B. I didn’t have to talk to other guests or sit awkwardly at a table with strangers in the morning. There’s also no hard and fast rule that breakfast ends at 9 a.m., which, coincidentally, is the time I normally wake up.
Instead, when you check in, you’re given $10 vouchers for Emmi Bakery & Cafe, which is a fish’s throw from the marina. Here, I could get whatever I liked, whenever I liked (the cafe closes at 4 p.m.), without feeling obligated to make small talk with strangers. The advantage of staying in a houseboat over a yacht is that it has a small, private deck adjacent to it, surrounded by herbs and flowers. I invited friends over, some of whom did not appreciate the charms of Casita as much as I did.
My husband was the first visitor. He entered with a look of horror and declared, “This place is terrible. I thought you only stayed at nice hotels.” Within five minutes, he grew seasick and quickly exited, never to return.
“I’m going to call you in the morning to make sure you haven’t floated out to sea,” he said as I rolled my eyes.
Other friends were kinder, but not much. I broke out a bottle of wine on the deck at sunset while my friends popped open the Dramamine. I barely noticed the sway, but the more delicate among you might blanch quickly.
Being at Constitution Marina gave me an excuse to explore Charlestown, a part of the city that I rarely see. Not because I don’t like it, but because parking can be a bear. I had dinner outside at Monument Restaurant and Tavern, looked around at Boston National Historic Park, and took the MBTA ferry from Charlestown to Long Wharf. For $3.75, I had a quick scenic spin in the harbor.
I’ll give the houseboat at Bed and Breakfast Afloat Boston a rating of four anchors out of five. I think much of my good vibes had to do with the perfect weather and the views, but I also loved the feeling of adventure and the way the water rocked me to sleep. That’s a feature you can’t find at any other B&B in the city.
28 Constitution Road, www.bedandbreakfastafloat.com. 617-241-9640.
Christopher Muther can be reached at christopher.muther@globe.com. Follow him @Chris_Muther and Instagram @chris_muther.
Pittsburg, PA
Analysis: Here’s why the Pittsburgh Symphony’s budget just jumped by $7 million to $42 million
Connecticut is taking a step to make sure workers are paid fairly.
On June 30, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed Public Act 26-17, which enables the State Comptroller to issue a stop work order and withhold state funds to contractors that are not properly paying their employees.
The bill was signed on the construction site for Greeneville Elementary School, which is one of the four new elementary schools being built in Norwich. The State of Connecticut is reimbursing the city for 80% of the project, and the law applies to “any place where the state is making a payment,” Lamont said.
Wage theft can take many forms
It matters because wage theft can take many forms, from money taken from base pay, to money not given in benefits, Kimberly Glassman, director of compliance and government affairs for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 478, said.
Local 478 also has a presence in the Norwich school building project, with 10 to 20 union members working at each site daily, Glassman said.
What do state leaders think of the Greeneville site’s progress?
Lamont is impressed with how quickly the work is going.
“They told me that the walls went up in the last two weeks, so a lot of progress is happening,” he said.
During the bill signing, Norwich Mayor Swarnjit Singh touted the importance of using union labor and the value of project labor agreements.
“We are on time and on budget,” he said.
After the bill signing, Singh said its possible the Greeneville School building could be complete as soon as the first quarter of 2027, he said.
“They’re not wasting any time,” Singh said.
State Rep. Derrel Wilson attended the original Greeneville School as a kid, and still lives in Greeneville. He was credited as being one of the driving forces for getting the workers bill passed.
“It’s exciting seeing this revitalization for our neighborhood, seeing active construction and watching individuals rebuild our community,” Wilson said.
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