Northeast
Karen Read retrial kicks off with wire-to-wire drama, lawyers brawl in tense hearing after jurors sent home
Karen Read’s retrial in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe kicked off Tuesday with expected fireworks almost immediately – and they continued after Judge Beverly Cannone sent jurors home for the day with a heated hearing on late discovery disclosures.
Both sides painted entirely different versions of events as they delivered their opening statements to the jury, but after the panel left for the day, Cannone called for a new hearing Friday and accused the defense of violating one of her orders on reciprocal discovery.
Defense attorney Alan Jackson opened with a challenge to the heart of the prosecution’s case: that O’Keefe died from injuries sustained when Read’s Lexus SUV allegedly struck him during a nor’easter.
“The evidence in this case will establish, above everything else, three points,” he said. “There was no collision with John O’Keefe. There was no collision. There was no collision.”
KAREN READ DEFENSE FACES ‘HIGH-WIRE’ ACT AS RETRIAL’S OPENING STATEMENTS KICK OFF, EXPERTS SAY
Attorney Alan Jackson gives his opening statement at Karen Read’s second murder trial at Norfolk Superior Court on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 in Dedham, Mass. (Stuart Cahill /The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)
Special prosecutor Hank Brennan told a different story in his own opening statement, minutes earlier, saying to jurors that Read, allegedly drunk and angry, intentionally hit the gas and rammed O’Keefe with the back bumper, then left him on the ground, where he was later found with severe head injuries and hypothermia.
Both cases may hinge on whether a pair of defense experts are allowed to testify about their conclusions.
UNFAZED KAREN READ STARES DOWN LINGERING QUESTIONS ABOUT ‘DOG BITES,’ TEXTS WITH RETRIAL READY FOR KICKOFF
After jurors left, the sides argued in a heated motion hearing about whether expert testimony from the ARCCA crash-reconstruction firm should be allowed.
Judge Beverly J. Cannone addresses potential jurors as jury selection continues for the murder retrial of Karen Read in Norfolk Superior Court, Monday, April 14, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)
Two experts from the firm testified during the first trial, disputing the prosecution’s version of events.
Brennan told the judge that prosecutors have become aware of additional conclusions from the experts – new information that his team would not have time to adequately prepare for because disclosures have not been made.
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Defense attorney Robert Alessi said it was Brennan’s team that caused delays in discovery by revising its own expert disclosures in March, with just weeks to go before Read’s retrial kicked off with jury selection on April 1.
John O’Keefe pictured in an undated photo. O’Keefe died on Jan. 29, 2022. His girlfriend, Karen Read, was charged with hitting him with her Lexus SUV and fleeing the scene. (Courtesy of Karen Read)
“At a prior hearing, I found a violation of the defense’s reciprocal discovery obligations,” Cannone said. “It was clear to me, and I found that it was deliberate. This appears to me contrary to what you’ve argued, Mr. Alessi, that this is another violation of my order and of the reciprocal discovery violations. We need to figure all of this out before you’re allowed to call these witnesses.”
To accomplish that, she ordered a voir dire hearing with the ARCCA experts Friday morning. Jurors will not be present all day.
Grace Edwards, an Essex County trial attorney who has been following the case, said the end-of-day hearing left her floored.
“They still don’t have the sallyport video,” she said, referring to Read’s defense and police surveillance footage from the day her SUV was first impounded. “They played hide the video. This feels harsh.”
Special prosecutor Hank Brennan gives his opening argument with his cell phone at Karen Read’s second murder trial at Norfolk Superior Court on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 in Dedham, Mass. (Stuart Cahill /The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)
Brennan had previously asked Cannone to exclude the ARCCA team, and Edwards predicted that whatever new testimony ARCCA is expected to bring could be problematic for the commonwealth.
“She barely allowed this to begin with. She can’t be happy about this,” said Paul Mauro, a former NYPD inspector who has been following the case. “Very bad news for the defense.”
KAREN READ DEFENSE FACES ‘HIGH-WIRE’ ACT AS RETRIAL’S OPENING STATEMENTS KICK OFF, EXPERTS SAY
Read appeared to disagree, smiling when she met reporters outside on courthouse steps.
“I feel great,” she said. “Today went well. We prepped hard, and I’m just proud of my team.”
Karen Read returns to court following the lunch break with her defense attorney Robert Alessi at her trial at Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
When asked why Jackson didn’t start his opening statement like fellow defense counsel David Yannetti did last year, telling jurors she had been “framed,” she replied, “We don’t like reruns.”
First to take the stand was Commonwealth’s witness Timothy Nuttall, a paramedic who checked O’Keefe when an ambulance arrived at the scene around 6 a.m on Jan. 29, 2022.
He testified that while first responders were attempting to give O’Keefe CPR, Read said, “I hit him. I hit him. I hit him.”
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But on cross-examination, Jackson was quick to call Nuttall’s memory into question, noting that during Read’s first trial last year, he testified that Read said the phrase only twice.
He also confronted Nuttall with his own testimony about what O’Keefe was wearing – which turned out to be wrong when he testified about it last year. Then he replayed dashcam video of paramedics on the scene, asking him to walk through it and pointing out where his testimony did not line up with what was on the screen.
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Nuttall appeared uncomfortable at times, as Jackson questioned his memory, his prior testimony, and his timeline of events repeatedly. But he insisted that he heard Read say “I hit him,” repeatedly.
Canton Fire Department paramedic Timothy Nuttall shows how to do a Carotid Pulse at Karen Read’s second murder trial at Norfolk Superior Court on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 in Dedham, Mass. (Stuart Cahill/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)
The second witness was Kerry Roberts, a friend of O’Keefe’s whose son was the same age as his adopted nephew. Although she grew up with the victim, she said they became closer after he adopted his sister’s orphaned children following a family tragedy.
Roberts was one of the people Read called on the morning of O’Keefe’s death.
She said she was driving Read and Jennifer McCabe as they looked for him that morning. After first searching his house and coming up empty, they went to the Albert home – where McCabe and other friends and acquaintances had gone for an after-party the night before.
KAREN READ AND JOHN O’KEEFE: INSIDE EVOLUTION OF BOSTON MURDER MYSTERY SINCE JULY MISTRIAL
Karen Read pictured in a booking photo after her arrest in connection with her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, in 2022. (Massachusetts State Police)
“As we approached the house, Karen from the back seat is now screaming, ‘There he is! There he is! Let me the F out of this car,’ kicking the back door to get out,” Roberts testified.
Visibility was poor, she said, and she couldn’t see O’Keefe until Read went up to a body-sized “mound” on the front lawn.
Judge Cannone sent jurors home for the day after that testimony. Roberts is expected to return to the stand Wednesday morning.
Authorities discovered John O’Keefe outside a Canton, Massachusetts, home on the morning on Jan. 29, 2021. (Boston Police Department)
The trial is expected to last six to eight weeks after taking more than two weeks to seat a jury.
Read could face a maximum of life in prison if convicted of the top charge, second-degree murder.
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New Hampshire
Man From Weare Arrested On Stalking Charge After Gas Station Incident: Concord Police Log
CONCORD, NH — Kyle G. Sanders, born in 1988, of Manchester, was arrested at 11:03 a.m. on May 27 on a warrant. He was arrested at police headquarters.
Sean P. Lambert, born in 1992, of Concord, was arrested at 2:13 a.m. on May 25 on a bench warrant following an investigation or incident at the Durgin Block Garage at 17 School St.
Matthew C. Milne, born in 1980, of Concord, was arrested at 7:44 p.m. on May 24 on theft by unauthorized taking a felony due to two prior convictions, and willful concealment following an investigation or incident at the Speedway at 175 N. Main St.
Kristen L. Macrae, born in 1991, of Pittsfield, was arrested at 8:23 p.m. on May 23 on three warrants. She was arrested following an investigation or incident on Ferry Street.
Jeremiah J. Martel, born in 1978, of Weare, was arrested on a stalking charge at 7:01 p.m. on May 22 following an investigation or incident at the Shell gas station at 333 Loudon Road.
Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Concord Police Department and does not indicate a conviction. This link explains how to request the removal of a name from New Hampshire Patch police reports.
Mark D. Yeskis, born in 1972, of Concord, was arrested at 7:52 p.m. on May 12 on criminal trespass and breach of bail charges. He was arrested following an investigation or incident at the Speedway gas station at 175 N. Main St.
Dakota Austin Marsh, born in 1994, of Concord, was arrested at 10:01 a.m. on May 12 on camping restricted and generic city ordinance violations following an investigation or incident on Pleasant Street Extension.
Dylan Joshua Lawler, born in 2001, of Deering, received a summons at 9:13 a.m. on May 12 on a conduct after an accident charge following an investigation or incident on Washington Street.
Dain Austin Blackadar Jr., born in 1990, of Concord, was arrested at 1:54 a.m. on May 12 on a bench warrant and two warrants. Also arrested was John L. Taylor, born in 1992, of Concord, on a warrant. They were both arrested following an investigation or incident on Ferry Street.
Matthew P. Lyons, born in 1969, of Concord, was arrested at 12:42 a.m. on May 12 on simple assault, domestic violence-simple assault, and criminal mischief charges. He was arrested following an investigation or incident on Alton Woods Drive.
Do you have a news tip? Email it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella’s YouTube or Rumble channels. Patch in New Hampshire is now in 217 communities — and expanding every day. Also, follow Patch on Google Discover.
New Jersey
Severe thunderstorms possible in North Jersey Saturday
This is NJ’s chance at seeing a hurricane in the 2026 season
As the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season approaches, weather experts from various outlets have begun to release their seasonal outlooks.
Severe thunderstorms are possible across North Jersey on June 6, with damaging winds, hail and heavy rain all in the forecast as a cold front moves through the region, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters said another hot afternoon is expected before storms develop late Saturday and continue into Saturday night. Temperatures are expected to climb well into the 80s across much of the area, with lower 90s possible in the urban Northeast New Jersey corridor.
The main threat window is expected to run from about 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., according to a Saturday morning briefing from the NWS office in New York.
The strongest storms could bring wind gusts above 58 mph, enough to damage trees and power lines and cause scattered outages. Large hail around an inch is also possible, along with heavy downpours that could lead to localized flooding in urban areas, poor drainage spots and along quick-responding streams and creeks.
The Storm Prediction Center placed most of the region under a slight risk for severe weather, a level two out of five. The highest chance for severe storms is expected to be north and west of the I-95 corridor, though forecasters said storms could affect a broader area depending on how the system develops.
The NWS said there is still some uncertainty in the forecast, including how much storm activity develops during the afternoon and whether the timing limits the severity of storms later in the day.
The storms are expected to move through as a cold front sweeps across the area. Conditions are expected to turn mainly dry Sunday and into the middle of next week, with temperatures gradually warming again.
For those heading to the Shore, forecasters also warned of a high risk of rip currents at Atlantic-facing beaches Saturday. Rip currents can sweep even strong swimmers away from shore, and the NWS said anyone visiting the beaches should stay out of the surf. Water temperatures below 60 degrees could also quickly cause hypothermia.
Officials advise residents to monitor the forecast, make sure they can receive weather alerts and move indoors if thunder is heard. During severe thunderstorms, people should stay away from windows and avoid driving through flooded roads.
Pennsylvania
Upside Down Trapezoid House Built by Renowned Loft Architect and His Students Hits the Market in Pennsylvania for $625K
A stunning four-bedroom work of art designed by late Italian architect and loft pioneer Giuseppe “Beppe” Zambonini has just hit the market in Pennsylvania for $625,000—listing for the first time in more than two decades.
The upside-down 1987 trapezoid-style dwelling in Dingmans Ferry boasts a barrel vaulted ceiling supported by eight interior columns and is surrounded by expansive windows and decks to soak in the tranquil views of nature.
Each of the rooms was designed, not as a traditional rectangle, but as a trapezoid, a technique that was meant to maximize the amount of natural light inside the home, ensuring that each window has ample opportunity to let the sun shine through.
It was a design method that Beppe came up with while working in New York City, where he was renowned for his work creating stunning loft spaces with “theater set” walls. He then brought that technique to Pennsylvania, where he sought to design his own weekend retreat, using the hallmarks that had turned him into a legend of Big Apple architecture.
The result is a home that appears, from the outside, almost like a stack of unevenly placed shipping containers—but on the inside is a stunning, light-filled dwelling, with enormous windows that offer beautiful views of the surrounding area from every room.
“There are numerous instances in the construction where hallways, rooms, and decks are not perfectly rectangular but rather are all trapezoid in shape,” says listing agent Shaun Burger of Keller Williams Real Estate Milford.
Beppe purchased the 2.44-acre land on which the home now sits in the 1980s, before crafting a home that would be used full time by his wife and their daughter—but was close enough to New York City that he could join them on weekends.
The idyllic parcel is perched above Nyce Lake in a development that would later become known as Traces of Lattimore.
“It is only 90 minutes away from Manhattan but is a world away in terms of peacefulness and nature,” Burger noted. “There are a lot of properties here being used as second homes, but it could also be used as a primary residence.”
The unique home—which was constructed by Beppe and a team of his best students from his design school, Open Atelier of Design—drew immediate attention from design aficionados, even featuring in a play entitled “The Upside Down House” in New York and a feature film called “A Picture of You.”
In a nod to this heritage, the garage door features a design by one of Beppe’s students resembling a theater curtain that a local artist created using shades of Chinese red, gray, and white.
Burger says that with so much cultural and architectural history, the property feels as much like a piece of art as it does a residential dwelling, one that the current owner has taken great care to preserve and maintain.
“The seller is very much into the arts and feels more of a custodian of the home,” Burger shares. “He is looking to pass it along to the next steward.”
What makes the dwelling so unique is that only one column is exposed on each floor, which is highlighted by a different color in each room. In the home office, the column is red while the primary bedroom features a blue support, and a yellow column can be found in the dining room.
A third-floor loft boasts Zambonini’s signature theater set walls.
“The home itself is so unique, which is what originally attracted the seller,” he added. “There are so many Colonials, ranches, and cookie-cutter homes in the area, so it is infrequent to find a home like this where there has been so much thought put into it.”
In the 40 years since the property was built, it has changed hands on only one occasion, in 2005—when it was sold by Beppe’s wife, Claudia, to the man who owns it now for $396,000.
“I scrupulously maintained the original colors of the house, inside and out, and kept the kitchen and bathrooms as I found them,” the seller writes in the listing. “After 21 years, it is time for a new custodian to live in this significant work of art.”
According to Burger, the property would be the perfect retreat for someone who likes their privacy but also enjoys entertaining guests, offering ample room across its 2,850-square-foot design.
“It has four bedrooms and four bathrooms so it would be a nice home for someone who loves to entertain,” Burger adds. “There is plenty of space for guests.”
What’s more, the property offers the best of both worlds—surrounded by nature, but with all the convenience of proximity to nearby cities and towns.
“There are a lot of windows and sitting areas, so when you are inside, you feel like you are outside,” the listing agent says. “Dingmans Ferry is very quaint and has lots of lakes, waterfalls, hiking trails, and skiing. It’s a naturally beautiful area.
“I envision the next buyer to be an artist who will totally appreciate this work of art. The area has highly rated public schools for someone who has children. I think it will be someone who will want a getaway where they can reconnect and recharge with nature and will not want to change or renovate the home.”
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