Northeast
Probe of town police in Karen Read case finds no sign of 'conspiracy to frame' slain officer's girlfriend
An independent agency found no evidence of a cover-up by the police department in Canton, Massachusetts, in the death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe as part of an audit into the department ordered last year.
Town residents demanded an outside review in November 2024 to probe the police department’s response to O’Keefe’s death. Officials chose a firm called 5 Stones intelligence (5Si) to conduct it between Nov. 18, 2024, and March 30 this year.
The 206-page report was unveiled Tuesday, the same day as the start of jury selection for the second trial of Karen Read, O’Keefe’s girlfriend who is accused of killing him in a drunken hit-and-run after an argument.
KAREN READ AND JOHN O’KEEFE: INSIDE EVOLUTION OF BOSTON MURDER MYSTERY SINCE JULY MISTRIAL
Karen Read exits Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (Dario Alequin for Fox News Digital)
Read’s first trial ended in a mistrial after her defense alleged bias against her from the lead investigator, missteps at the crime scene and a potential cover-up.
The auditors addressed allegations of a cover-up specific to Canton police – but members of several different law enforcement agencies were involved in the investigation or as witnesses who were with O’Keefe that evening.
“Our team has not discovered any information that would indicate that any actions by Canton PD officers or detectives were a part of a conspiracy to frame any individual for the murder of Mr. O’Keefe,” 5Si found.
GO HERE FOR FULL COVERAGE OF THE 2ND KAREN READ TRIAL
Karen Read and John O’Keefe (Courtesy of Karen Read)
KAREN READ JURY SELECTION: DOZENS IN POOL ALREADY HAVE AN OPINION ON THE CASE
The 5Si report found a number of faults within the department, including:
- The first officers on scene should have photographed O’Keefe’s body before he was placed in an ambulance and rushed to the hospital.
- Witness interviews should have been conducted at the Canton police headquarters.
- Police should have secured the crime scene outside the home of Boston Police Officer Brian Albert.
- Canton police have an “inconsistent” internal affairs process.
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They recommended that Canton detectives undergo “advanced training” on crime scene investigations and that all patrol vehicles should be equipped with crime scene kits and evidence collection bags. They called for an increase in the police department’s budget.
John O’Keefe (Boston Police Department)
They also found that department-issued radios don’t have full coverage of the community and that officers are not given work cellphones. They recommended giving all officers work phones and rewriting department policy to have them use their work phones to take crime scene photographs, never their personal phones.
Aidan Kearney, the blogger known as Turtleboy, walks toward court prior to jury selection for the trial of Karen Read outside Norfolk County Superior Court, April 1, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (Charles Krupa/AP)
Auditors also referenced the Sandra Birchmore case, recommending that supervisors review all death cases for accuracy.
“A Canton PD detective wrote that Sandra Birchmore died of a suicide in the initial report,” auditors wrote. “It was later determined that she had been killed by strangulation.”
Ex-Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell is charged in Sandra Birchmore’s murder. (AP | IMAGN)
A suspect in that case was indicted in August, and he was a police officer in the nearby town of Stoughton, another Boston suburb. Matthew Farwell, 38, is accused of strangling her after she told him she had become pregnant with his child and then staging the scene to make it look like she had killed herself. He has pleaded not guilty.
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Read’s retrial began with jury selection this week after the first fell apart, arguably due to the defense’s ability to attack investigators and the way they handled the investigation, experts say.
“Sloppy investigation [or] a rush to judgment argument is defense lawyer 101,” said Neama Rahmani, a Los Angeles-based trial attorney and former federal prosecutor who is following the case. “They use it in almost every murder case where they don’t argue accident or self-defense.”
In Read’s case, the lead investigator had a tough time on the witness stand as jurors were seen shaking their heads during a reading of his text messages in which he joked about searching her phone for nudes and called her a “c—.” State police fired him last month after a months-long review of his conduct.
“The investigation was botched beyond belief; evidence, witnesses and the entire crime scene was mishandled,” Rahmani told Fox News Digital. “Throw in Michael Proctor, the worst law enforcement witness I’ve seen since Mark Fuhrman in O.J., the defense is having a field day with this case.”
Read the full report:
As of Thursday afternoon, eight jurors had been empaneled, according to WCVB-TV, a local station. There will be 12 sitting jurors and four alternates selected before opening statements kick off.
Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
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The Boston Red Sox are currently resisting becoming significant sellers in the trade market. At the moment, Boston sits last in the American League East at eight games under .500. Despite entering 2026 with high hopes, the club has struggled mightily during the first half of the season. Because of this, many believe that the Red Sox will make some significant moves this summer.
Nevertheless, WEEI’s Rob Bradford is now reporting that Boston officials are rebuffing outside interest in three key relief pitchers. According to Bradford, teams asking about the possible availability of Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock, and Justin Slaten are being turned away. The reporter, however, specifically claims that the club is rejecting potential offers as of right now.
The situation regarding the trio could certainly change in the near future. Assuming the Red Sox continue to falter, team officials may eventually opt to offload the standout relievers. So far this season, Chapman, Whitlock, and Slaten have been three of the team’s top pitchers in their bullpen. Chapman has allowed one earned run all season, while Whitlock and Slaten have provided stability working ahead of the closer.
Whitlock has been out of action since landing on the injured list on May 28 with knee inflammation. The reliever is expected to return to Boston’s bullpen in the coming days, though. Chapman is also dealing with an injury issue. Red Sox manager Chad Tracy confirmed on June 5 that the closer is enduring a “minor hamstring” problem. So far, Chapman has avoided the IL.
Boston Red Sox Eyeing Other Deals as Chapman, Whitlock, and Slaten are Off Limits
GettyAroldis Chapman would receive plenty of interest if the Boston Red Sox opt to trade him.
While the Boston Red Sox are holding on to their top relievers for now, they are willing to offload Connor Wong. According to The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey, team officials are gauging interest in the backup catcher. The veteran backstop is available for trade because Boston has three catchers on the roster. Along with Wong, the Red Sox also have Carlos Narvaez and Mickey Gasper at the position. McCaffrey believes that Boston prefers to keep Gasper over Wong.
The Red Sox, however, are also being linked with making a key addition to the roster. ESPN’s Buster Olney recently claimed that Boston is specifically looking to acquire a right-handed hitter. With Trevor Story and Caleb Durbin struggling, Willson Contreras and Ceddanne Rafaela are currently the club’s two most prominent righties in the lineup. Not only are the Red Sox eyeing a new bat, but they are willing to spend significant money to do so.
Boston Likely to Become Sellers if Struggles Continue
Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has admitted that the club is being patient in the trade market. According to Breslow, it is just too early in the season to really commit to being a buyer or seller. The exec also claimed that while he is having “a lot of conversations” with other teams, he still believes that his current roster can turn things around.
Nevertheless, the situation can change fairly rapidly if Boston does not start to improve quickly. The Red Sox are already 11 games back in the division and have to jump six other teams to be in a wild card place. Boston will try to get a win streak going when they face the New York Yankees on Saturday, June 6.
Christopher Moore Christopher Moore has been a Heavy.com contributor since 2025. With over a decade of experience in the industry, he has published thousands of articles reporting on multiple professional sports. He was previously a sports writer for World Soccer Talk, the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and the Maryland Sports Blog. More about Christopher Moore
PITTSBURGH (WKBN) – Morgan Wallen has canceled his concert that was set to happen Saturday night in Pittsburgh.
According to Ticketmaster, Wallen canceled the show at Acrisure Stadium for Saturday, June 6.
Wallen wrote on his Instragram account that the show was canceled due to the threat of severe weather.
Ticketmaster says if you bought a ticket, you don’t have to do anything — they will issue you a refund to your original method of payment and the money should appear on your account within 14-21 days.
If tickets were transferred to you, the refund will go to the fan who originally purchased the tickets from Ticketmaster.
The show was part of Wallen’s “Still the Problem” tour.
Two people have been arrested in connection to a shooting at an event hall in Waterbury last weekend.
Officers received information about a shooting at So Blu’Niq on Wolcott Street on Sunday around 5 a.m. It was also reported that a victim from the incident had admitted themselves to the hospital for treatment of gunshot wounds.
Police said they made contact with the 27-year-old victim at the hospital. According to investigators, she had a gunshot wound to her abdomen and her arm. She is reportedly still admitted and receiving treatment, but is considered to be in stable condition.
Investigators responded to So Blu’Niq and found a crime scene. Authorities said they determined there was an isolated disturbance that happened inside the business that escalated to a firearm being discharged and the woman being hit by a projectile.
While investigating, authorities said they also determined that at the time of the incident, liquor and alcoholic beverages were illegally being sold without a permit or license.
Warrants were secured for a 50-year-old woman from Waterbury and a 29-year-old man from Waterbury.
The woman was taken into custody on Friday and is being charged with illegal sale of alcohol. She is set to appear in court on June 10.
The man was taken into custody on Wednesday and is facing charges including assault, criminal possession of a firearm, criminal possession of a pistol/revolver by a convicted felon, illegal discharge of a firearm, reckless endangerment and carrying a pistol without a permit. He appeared in court on Thursday on a $1.5 millon bond.
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