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Fox News
04-04-2025
- Fox News
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. 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. The 5Si report found a number of faults within the department, including: 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. 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. 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." 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. SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER 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.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Yahoo
Police audit finds missteps in handling of Karen Read case, but no conspiracy
An independent audit of the Canton Police Department finds missteps in the handling of the Karen Read investigation, but no evidence to support claims she was framed for the death of her Boston Police Officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe. The audit, conducted by 5 Stones Intelligence, was released on the same day jury selection began in Read's re-trial. It looked back over 10 years of police records and included a review of the Karen Read case. Two jurors chosen on first day of jury selection in retrial of Karen Read Among the findings related to Read's case, auditors say: First responding officers should have photographed O'Keefe at the location where he was found before he was moved from the scene. All interviews of critical witnesses, including Jennifer McCabe and Kerry Roberts, should have been conducted at Canton PD on the day O'Keefe was found. Consensual recorded interviews should have been conducted. MSP and Canton PD should have maintained a police presence at 34 Fairview Road pending the secondary search conducted by MSP crime scene units. All video footage (files) maintained on Canton PD's computer systems of Karen Read's Lexus SUV while it was housed at Canton PD should have been requested and turned over early to lead investigators in the case. However, 'our team has not discovered any information that would indicate that any actions by Canton PD officers or detectives were part of a conspiracy to frame any individual for the murder of Mr. O'Keefe,' the audit says. Read and her legal team have asserted there was a cover-up involving investigators and witnesses. Beyond the Karen Read case, the audit found inconsistencies in how internal affairs cases are handled. The audit team says it found 'no instances where complaints were intentionally ignored, or officer misconduct was arbitrarily excused.' However, it said handling of complaints 'varied greatly,' and that several complaints were handled by the Chief of Police, raising the potential for a conflict of interest. The audit spells out seven recommendations for Canton PD, including: Interviews of witnesses should be conducted at the Canton PD headquarters. Interviews should be recorded and conducted as soon as possible after an event. All sergeant and patrol vehicles should have full crime scene kits, including evidence collection bags, sealing equipment, and digital cameras. Department policies should be re-written to clarify only department-issued phones and equipment can be used to photograph crime scenes. Personal phones should be strictly prohibited. 911 dispatch responsibilities should be given to the Holbrook Dispatch Center, or full-time dispatchers should be hired. The audit found three instances in a six-month period where patrol officers failed to dispatch offers to calls for service. There should be more training for patrol officers, detectives, and sergeants, specifically as it relates to processing crime scenes, interviewing witnesses, and documenting evidence. The Chief of the Investigations Division should review all death investigation police reports to ensure they are complete, accurate, and exhaust all investigative avenues. Auditors referenced the Sandra Birchmore case. A detective originally wrote she died of a suicide, but it was later determined she was killed by strangulation. Provide prompt, proportional, and consistent discipline across the department. 'Town officials and the Police Audit Committee are now carefully reviewing the findings to assess any necessary next steps,' audit committee chair Robert McCarthy shared in a written statement. 'The committee is committed to working with all stakeholders, including the police department, town leadership, and residents to ensure that any recommendations are thoughtfully considered and appropriately implemented.' A spokesperson for the Canton Police Department told Boston 25 News on Tuesday they had yet to review the full 200-page audit. A forum will be held Saturday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Canton High School to review the audit. It will be open to the public and include an opportunity for questions and answers. The full audit can be on the town's website here. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW