Karen Read trial testimony on day 18 focuses on Lexus SUV data
As the Karen Read trial entered a fifth week on Monday, a forensic analyst for the prosecution testified about the movements of Read's Lexus SUV on the night in question.
Prosecutors accuse Read of hitting and killing Boston police officer John O'Keefe, who she was dating, and leaving him to die in the snow in Canton during a blizzard in January 2022. Read's defense attorneys say O'Keefe was killed during a fight inside Brian Albert's home at 34 Fairview Road and his body was dragged outside and left in the lawn.
Read has pleaded not guilty in the case. Her first trial in 2024 ended with a mistrial due to a hung jury.
Special prosecutor Hank Brennan has largely been handling direct questioning.
Alan Jackson, Bob Alessi and David Yannetti have shared the majority of cross-examination duties during Read's retrial.
Karen Read Lexus data
Shanon Burgess, a forensic analyst from Aperture LLC, took the stand Monday morning. He analyzed data from Read's Lexus SUV the night of O'Keefe's death.
A report from Burgess was the subject of a hearing without the jury present last week when the defense accused the prosecution of an "ambush." Alessi said Brennan provided him a new report from Burgess that changed the time of recorded movements by Read's SUV.
Alessi argued the difference changed the entire case because the time is the centerpiece of the accusations against Read – when the prosecution alleges she hit O'Keefe with her SUV. Brennan said the prosecution discovered the difference while preparing its case.
Brennan said he asked Burgess to look into a report by a defense expert, and when he did, Burgess found a difference of 20-30 seconds between the clock in Read's Lexus and the clock on O'Keefe's cellphone.
"There was a claim of trying to synchronize those two clocks which I believed was potentially misleading," Burgess testified Monday.
On Friday, Judge Beverly Cannone ruled she would not hold a separate hearing on the timing issue, but opened the door to the defense potentially recalling Jennifer McCabe and other witnesses for more questions about the timeline on the night in question.
Burgess went through a timeline of various instances of Read's SUV powering on and off throughout January 29, 2022. He explained how he used various surveillance videos from the case to verify the time frames of various power on events on the day O'Keefe's body was found.
Burgess testified that Read's Lexus made a three-point turn between 12:23:59 a.m. and 12:24:07 a.m., then drove in reverse between 12:32:04 a.m. and 12:32:12 a.m. A prosecution witness previously testified that O'Keefe's phone stopped moving at 12:32 a.m.
Cross-examination of Shanon Burgess
During cross-examination, defense lawyer Alessi first challenged Burgess' professional credentials, saying that Aperture's website lists him as having a bachelor's degree in mathematics and business administration even though he hasn't completed the program yet.
"And you do not have a bachelor of science in mathematics and business administration, do you?" Alessi asked.
"No I do not," Burgess said.
Burgess said a bachelor's degree is something he's "currently pursuing." Upon further questioning from the defense, he said he started studying for that degree in 2008.
"So you started a pursuing a bachelor of science for the first time in 2008?" Alessi asked.
"Correct," Burgess said.
Hair on Karen Read's SUV
Karl Miyasako with Bode Technologies testified about the DNA profile of a hair found on the back of Read's SUV. During testimony last week, defense attorneys attempted to portray the hair as a planted piece of evidence.
Miyasako said that 99.85% of the population can be excluded as the hair sample, but O'Keefe could not.
On cross-examination, Jackson attempted to show that Miyasako was not saying the hair belonged to O'Keefe, and that it could have also belonged to another family member. He also tried to show that Miyasako could not show when the hair became attached to Read's SUV.
DNA in Karen Read trial
Earlier, Nick Bradford, also with Bode Technologies, was the first witness called as he was questioned by Adam Lally, the lead prosecutor from Read's first trial. Bradford tested the taillight of Read's Lexus SUV for DNA and said O'Keefe could not be excluded as a potential contributor to the profile found on the taillight. He said there is strong support for O'Keefe's inclusion.
DNA also was compared to profiles for Yuri Bukhenik and Michael Proctor, two of the lead investigators in the case. Bradford said there was strong statistical support for exclusion of Proctor's DNA on the taillight.
On cross-examination, Jackson highlighted that Bradford is not saying that Proctor's DNA was not on the taillight, just that it is not statistically likely.
He also pointed out that DNA samples of Brian Higgins, Brian Albert, Kevin Albert, and former Canton Police Chief Ken Berkowitz were not compared to the three profiles found on the taillight. The defense argues that Higgins and Brian Albert are two of the men who killed O'Keefe, while they allege Kevin Albert and Berkowitz, who has since died, could have helped cover for them.
Karen Read trial latest
Friday was a half day of testimony in the trial, with a focus on DNA evidence.
Cannone warned jurors that they need to refrain from commenting or making faces during testimony.
"Don't talk, don't make any facial expressions. No muttering under your breath, no audible noises because people need to hear what's going on and to understand everything," Cannone said.
Karen Read trial schedule
Full days of testimony are schedule for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week. There will be a half day on Thursday and no court on Friday.
Read, 45, had pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of personal injury and death.
