Karen Read trial judge tells jury not to make faces, "no muttering under your breath"
The Karen Read trial continued today with a 17th day of witness testimony from two Massachusetts State Police crime lab analysts, and a message from the judge to jurors about how they conduct themselves in court.
There was only a half day of testimony on Friday, with court wrapping up at 12:30 p.m. Medical examiner Dr. Irini Scordi-Bello finished testifying Thursday after several hours on the stand, during which graphic photos from John O'Keefe's autopsy were shown to the jury.
Read is accused of hitting and killing O'Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend, with her SUV and leaving him to die in the snow in Canton in January 2022. The defense alleges there was a fight inside Brian Albert's home at 34 Fairview Road, and that O'Keefe was dragged outside and left in the yard.
Read's supporters are allowed to be closer to the courthouse on Friday after a federal appeals court ruled that a new buffer zone for the trial keeping them farther back violated their First Amendment rights. But there are conditions with the move - they have to remain quiet and can't interfere with the court's work.
Judge tells Karen Read jury "no muttering under your breath"
Before testimony started on Friday, Judge Beverly Cannone said she had an "important instruction" for the jury.
"I just want to be very clear that it's important that people do not comment on the evidence or make any comments," Cannone said, telling jurors to "just listen."
"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. "Out of respect for your fellow jurors, I would ask that you be very careful to make sure you don't do that, and out of respect to the lawyers who've worked so hard to get this case before you."
Crime lab scientists testify at Karen Read trial
Just before witnesses took the stand, prosecutors played a clip of an April 2024 documentary interview with Read in which she describes finding O'Keefe in the snow.
"He had a piece of glass, like perched on his nose, just wedged like a splinter would be," Read said. "I pulled it and as soon as I pulled it, it gushed blood down his face."
The first witness to testify was forensic expert Andre Porto with the crime lab. The focus of his testimony was DNA found on John O'Keefe's clothes, sneakers, a drinking class and taillight fragments found at the scene in Canton. Porto testified that O'Keefe's DNA is a likely match to DNA found on the broken taillight pieces.
In the first trial, the defense did not cross-examine Porto. But this time, attorney David Yannetti asked Porto if the DNA of two men the defense has pointed to as possible third-party culprits were found on O'Keefe's clothing.
"Were you ever asked to compare the DNA profile of DNA profiles of either Brian Higgins or Brian Albert?" Yannetti asked.
"I was not," Porto said.
The next crime lab witness to testify was Ashley Vallier, who took photos of evidence found near O'Keefe's body. Vallier showed how pieces of broken taillight discovered at the scene fit together.
On cross-examination, Vallier said O'Keefe's clothing was submitted to the lab six weeks later by former Trooper Michael Proctor, who was later fired by State Police for his actions in the investigation.
"Do you know where Michael Proctor stored that clothing during that six-week period?" Yannetti asked.
"No," Vallier said.
Karen Read's lawyers say prosecutors broke rules
After the jury left on Thursday, Read's lawyers accused the prosecution of an "ambush" and sought to keep the commonwealth's crash reconstruction expert's opinion out of trial.
The defense says a new report shared by prosecutors changes the time that Read allegedly hit O'Keefe with her Lexus by 33 seconds.
"They're trying now to put on a defense against my defense," Read told reporters outside court on Thursday.
Special prosecutor Hank Brennan says new information was discovered while working on the case relating to a difference in the clocks on O'Keefe's phone compared to Read's SUV. He said the new information does not change anything.
The back-and-forth continued on Friday.
"Our timeline has been the same since we have turned it over from the beginning," Brennan said. "They're just saying things without a good-faith basis."
Judge Cannone ruled that she would not hold a separate hearing about the timing issue. But she opened the door to the defense potentially recalling Jennifer McCabe and other witnesses to the stand for additional questions about the timeline of that night.
Medical examiner testifies in Karen Read trial
Most of Thursday's testimony came from Dr. Scordi-Bello. While she was on the stand, the jury saw photos of bruises on O'Keefe's hand, abrasions on his arm and injuries to his face. The judge allowed the jurors to take a break when a picture of the inside of O'Keefe's stomach was displayed on screen.
Scordi-Bello testified that blunt injuries to the head caused O'Keefe's death, and she said that could have come from him falling backward onto frozen ground. But the medical examiner could not determine how O'Keefe died.
"Were you able to reach a conclusion as to the manner of Mr. O'Keefe's death to a reasonable degree of medical certainty?" Brennan asked.
"No I was not," Scordi-Bello responded.
The defense seized on the fact that experts couldn't choose between accident or homicide. Attorney Robert Alessi asked Scordi-Bello if the condition of O'Keefe's legs suggests he could have been hit by a car.
"So I did examine his legs and I did not see any impact of an impact site," Scordi-Bello said.
The defense also pressed the medical examiner on their theory that O'Keefe could have been beaten inside the home at 34 Fairview Road.
"Is that injury consistent or inconsistent with a punch?" Alessi asked.
"Could be consistent," Scordi-Bello said.
Karen Read trial latest
Earlier this week, the jury heard from a Massachusetts State Police forensic scientist who examined Read's Lexus, and O'Keefe's teenage niece who testified about Read and O'Keefe's deteriorating relationship in the months before his death.
Attorneys on both sides are prevented from talking to the media, but there are signs that the prosecution is wrapping its case even though key witnesses like Brian Higgins, Michael Proctor and Brian Albert have not testified. Legal analysts say it appears the commonwealth still plans to call crash reconstruction and DNA experts, but the defense expects to be starting its case relatively soon.
There will be a half day of court next Thursday, and a day off on Friday.
Read, 45, is charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of personal injury and death. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
