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Mother of slain Boston police officer sends wordless message to Karen Read in courtroom showdown
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John O’Keefe’s mother sent a solemn message to Karen Read, his suspected killer, in court last week during her trial on murder and other charges, according to a body language expert.
Read, 45, is accused of slamming into O’Keefe with her 2021 Lexus SUV and leaving him to die on the ground in a blizzard on Jan. 29, 2022.
Her attorneys deny that a collision happened and assert that something else killed O’Keefe, a 46-year-old Boston police officer.
EXPERT WITNESS IN KAREN READ MURDER TRIAL CAUGHT WITH ‘ERRORS’ INFLATING HIS CREDENTIALS
Defendant Karen Read talks with her attorneys during her murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts, on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Mark Chavous/Enterprise News via AP, Pool)
Throughout the bitter court battle of her second trial, the sides have been called to sidebar repeatedly as lawyers on both sides object to one another’s questioning.
As Read walked to the bench with her legal team, Peggy O’Keefe, seated every day front and center, gave the defendant a grim look, video shows.
WATCH: The prosecution team in Karen Read’s trial shares 2024 TV interview
“It was so overt that she didn’t even hide it, because the mom shows every expression on her face throughout this trial,” Susan Constantine, the expert, told Fox News Digital. “There’s no love lost there. She does not like Karen Read, doesn’t trust her, doesn’t believe her, thinks she’s killed her son.”
WATCH: Peggy O’Keefe glares at Karen Read during murder trial
She called the look “stalker eyes” – like a lioness – and was a way of speaking to Read without saying a word, she said.
“She was following her as if she was sending the message, ‘I’m watching you, I see you, I’m following you,’” Constantine said. “She’s doing what she normally would do as a protective mother.”
KAREN READ DEFENSE GRILLS CRASH EXPERT OVER $400K PRICE TAG AND EXPERIMENTATION METHODS
Officer John O’Keefe poses for his official headshot. O’Keefe’s girlfriend, Karen Reed, is on trial for murder after he was found dead outside of a Massachusetts home in January 2022. (Boston Police Department)
O’Keefe could not immediately be reached for comment. She was back in the front row, observing the proceedings, the next day.
“She’s the mother,” Constantine said. “She has every right to believe what she believes.”
WHO TO WATCH AS KAREN READ’S DEFENSE STEPS UP TO PLATE – AND IT’S NOT SLUGGER ALAN JACKSON
Peggy O’Keefe, mother of John O’Keefe, during Karen Read’s trial at Norfolk Superior Court, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Mark Chavous/Enterprise News via AP, Pool)
The relationship between O’Keefe and Read had been deteriorating in the weeks before his death, his niece, a juvenile, testified earlier.
Texts between Read and a potential romantic rival, Brian Higgins, showed she complained about having to deal with O’Keefe’s adopted children.
He was caring for his young niece and nephew after their mother and father died within months of each other.
KAREN READ’S SUV REACHED ‘74% THROTTLE’ MOMENTS BEFORE JOHN O’KEEFE’S FINAL MOVEMENTS, CRASH EXPERT TESTIFIES
Bill Read and his wife Jenny walk with their daughter Karen Read into Norfolk County Superior Court, Monday, May 19, 2025, in Dedham. (Hans Pennink for Fox News Digital)
Similar to O’Keefe, Karen Read’s father, William Read, has been in court every day as both parents look to cement a sense of solidarity with their children.
“The jury misses nothing about family and friend activity in the audience area,” retired Massachusetts Superior Court Judge and Boston College law professor Jack Lu told Fox News Digital.
But in a stark contrast, Read’s father has been mingling with her fans and chatting with the press in an apparent bid to win public sentiment over to his daughter. On Friday, he was seen shaking hands and posing for photos with her supporters shortly before arriving for the first day of the defense team’s testimony.
“I’m always the oldest one in these shots,” he told the group as he smiled for the camera. “I guess it’s better than the alternative, huh?”
WATCH: Karen Read’s father greets supporters outside daughter’s trial
Read’s father’s demeanor directly conflicts with the behavior of O’Keefe, with experts pointing to key differences between the parents.
“He’s very cordial,” Constantine told Fox News Digital. “There’s a stark contrast from the opposing side and [O’Keefe’s] mom. [She] is distressed, angry and disgusted. The sneering and all that, we don’t see in Karen Read’s father at all. I mean he is certainly a trooper, standing in the gap for his daughter and he’s standing strong.”
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William Read has frequently stopped to speak to reporters on the steps of the courthouse as his daughter’s entourage is leaving for the day, and previously said he would like to be called as a witness in her trial.
William Read kisses his daughter, Karen, before the start of her murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, May 9, 2025. (Mark Stockwell/The Sun Chronicle via AP, Pool)
“What this state is doing is a persecution of Karen Read,” her father said on the courthouse steps earlier this month. “And this collection of actors [and] witnesses is disgraceful.”
Constantine points to his confidence as another indicator of how the family feels about Read’s case.
“I think that he feels that he’s got a great case,” Constantine said. “They’ve obviously had great counsel, and you could tell that he feels very confident having his daughter being represented by this team. I think he feels that she’s fairly represented.”
Hours after her father made his appearance with supporters outside the courthouse, Read spent Friday’s lunch recess shaking hands and thanking those who came to show solidarity – a move that mirrors her own father.
“You can see a lot of Karen in her father,” Constantine said. “You could see that they were waving at everybody. I saw a picture of Karen [and] she’s waving at everybody as the car’s pulling up. It reminded me of Michael Jackson – he did the same thing in his case. But [William Read] was resting his arm out, and he’s waving at everybody as if they’re a celebrity. I don’t think he is doing it in a showy way or in a narcissistic way at all. I see him as being very, very supportive and cordial with everyone, trying to connect with other people out there and Karen’s supporters, and I think he’s very appreciative of it.”
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Rainbow flags are flying in the South End as the neighborhood prepares to celebrate Boston’s LGBTQ community at Saturday’s Pride for the People Parade.
Three hundred different organizations with about 12,000 people are expected to participate in what will be the city’s nearly 60th Pride parade.
”There are still things that we are fighting for today, and so we want to remember those that fought before us,” said Adrianna Boulin, of Boston Pride for the People.
The Pride for the People Parade and Festival is happening Saturday in Boston, among other events across New England.
This year’s theme is Pride as Protest – 1776, and organizers say Pride will always be a protest.
“The fact that we are here, the fact that in the midst of what is really an attack LGBTQ people’s rights by legislatures across the country, by our own federal government — we’re here to protest and say we’re not going anywhere,” said Gary Daffin of Boston Pride for the People.
The parade is nearly 2 miles. It starts in Copley Square and works its way through a number of streets in the South End and the Back Bay before ending on Charles Street between the Public Garden and the Common.
Not going to the parade? Watch NBC10 Boston’s coverage wherever you get your news, starting at 11 a.m. Saturday.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates are producing at the plate and its something they’ve done throughout this season.
The Pirates continued that in their most recent series vs. the Houston Astros at Daikin Park, scoring 24 total runs and winning two of three games in their first series of the month.
Pittsburgh won 10-6 in the series opener on June 2, fell 11-9 on June 3 and then won 5-1 in the series finale on June 4.
The Pirates put up good enough performances to win all three games from the plate and it’s the main reason they’ve had so much success this season.
Pirates Offense Takes Liftoff in Houston
The Pirates swept the Minnesota Twins at PNC Park, May 29-31, prior to this series and scored 25 total runs, marking 49 over the past six games, good for more than eight runs per contest.
Pittsburgh has shown their power this season and they hit six home runs vs. the Astros to keep it going.
Catcher Endy Rodríguez hit a two-run home run to tie the game up 2-2 in the second inning of the series opener, center fielder Oneil Cruz hit a three-run home run to give the Pirates a 5-4 lead in the sixth inning and then second baseman Brandon Lowe sealed the win with a three-run home run in the eighth inning to make it 9-4.
Fellow catcher Henry Davis hit the first grand slam of his career in the second game of the series to give the Pirates a 4-2 lead int he fourth inning and second baseman Nick Gonzales hit a two-run home run, his second of the season, extending the Pirates’ lead to 7-3 in the seventh inning.
Right fielder Ryan O’Hearn hit the sole home run in the series finale, a two-run home run to make it 4-0 in the sixth inning, and finished with three RBI in the victory.
Cruz had a great series in Houston, with six hits and four walks, while Gonzales also tied him with six hits and three RBI.
Outfielder Jake Mangum had four hits and two stolen bases in the series opener and played some solid defense in the series finale too.
Pirates Hitters vs. Astros
|
Player |
Hits/At-Bats |
Walks |
RBI |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Oneil Cruz |
6-for-14 |
4 |
3 |
|
Nick Gonzales |
6-for-13 |
1 |
3 |
|
Jake Mangum |
5-for-9 |
0 |
0 |
|
Ryan O’Hearn |
3-for-10 |
1 |
3 |
|
Brandon Lowe |
3-for-14 |
1 |
3 |
|
Bryan Reynolds |
2-for-12 |
2 |
1 |
|
Endy Rodríguez |
2-for-9 |
1 |
3 |
|
Jared Triolo |
1-for-9 |
4 |
1 |
The Pirates haven’t had to rely on just one person this season, as they’ve gotten contributions from almost everyone in the lineup on a consistent basis.
Pittsburgh saw that happen against Houston, with different players stepping up in different games to come through and provide runs and hits.
How Pirates Offense Stacks Up to Rest of MLB
The Pirates rank statistially amongst the best teams in baseball and are in the top five/top 10 teams in most categories.
Pirates 2026 Stats and NL/MLB ranking
|
Stat (Total) |
NL/MLB Ranking |
|---|---|
|
Hits (560) |
1st/1st |
|
OBP (.339) |
2nd/2nd |
|
Stolen Bases (62)/Batting Average (.256) |
3rd/3rd |
|
OPS (.744) |
3rd/4th) |
|
Walks (251)/Slugging % (.405) |
(3rd/5th) |
|
RBI (310)/Runs (325) |
4th/4th |
|
Home Runs (74) |
6th/10th |
It’s a dramatic change from last season, where they were arguably the worst hitting team in baseball, ranking dead-last or close to the bottom of most of these same statistical categories.
The offseason additions of O’Hearn and Lowe have been massive for the Pirates, both of whom have brought veteran leadership, but also great production at the plate.
O’Hearn has slashed .295/.371/.486 for an OPS of .857 in 48 games, with 51 hits, six doubles, nine home runs, 33 RBI and 20 walks to 39 strikeouts.
Lowe leads the Pirates and ranks 4th in the National League/11th in baseball with 15 home runs, eighth in the NL/16th in MLB with 40 RBI, seventh in NL/13th in MLB with a .532 slugging percentage and 10th in NL/20th in MLB with a .873 OPS.
Cruz is having a big rebound season and is slashing .269/.349/.482 for an OPS of .831 in 61 games, with 45 runs scored, 66 hits, 10 doubles, 14 home runs, 44 RBI and 20 stolen bases.
He is second in baseball with stolen bases, ranks tied for third in NL/tied for sixth in MLB in runs scored, tied for fifth in NL/tied for sixth in MLB in RBI, tied for 8th in NL/tied for 14th in MLB in hits, tied for seventh in NL/tied for 16th in MLB in home runs, while ranking 21st in baseball in slugging percentage and 25th in OPS.
Bryan Reynolds has also been excellent with his plate discipline, tied for the sixth-most walks in baseball (44) and has the ninth-best on-base percentage (.397), while Spencer Horwitz isn’t too far behind with the a .386 on-base percentage, 17th-best in baseball.
Gonzales has been one of the best hitters in baseball, with his .313 batting average eighth-best in MLB.
Rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin had a solid May and if the likes of Mangum, Rodríguez, Davis, fellow rookie Jhostynxon Garcia can join in more consistently, this Pirates lineup will continue playing a big role in a lot of wins the rest of the season.
Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates!
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