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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Dog bite expert who believes John O'Keefe was attacked returning to stand in Karen Read's retrial
A defense dog bite expert who testified on Monday that she believes a dog attacked John O'Keefe at a home in Canton where he was found dead is expected back on the witness stand Tuesday in Karen Read's murder retrial. WATCH LIVE: Day 26 of witness testimony in Karen Read's retrial begins at 9 a.m. Read, 45, of Mansfield, is accused of striking O'Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend, with her Lexus SUV and leaving him to die alone in a blizzard outside of a house party in Canton at the home of fellow officer Brian Albert on Jan. 29, 2022, following a night of drinking. Russell, an emergency physician and forensic pathologist, spent most of Monday facing questioning, notably telling the court that her opinion is that linear abrasions on O'Keefe's arm were the result of multiple dog bites. When shown an image of the injuries to O'Keefe's arm, 'Those wounds were inflicted as the result of a dog attack,' the Los Angeles-based doctor testified. 'The teeth made these abrasions,' Russell told the court as she examined the photo and cited 'multiple groupings of wounds.' Russell said she observed 'multiple strikes from a dog' on O'Keefe's arm, including 'bites and claw marks.' During Read's first trial, Russell also testified that the holes found in O'Keefe's hoodie and the wounds to his arm were from a dog. She also said her opinion is that O'Keefe's injuries do not appear to have been caused by a vehicle. The prosecution sought to block her testimony ahead of the start of Read's retrial, but Judge Beverly Cannone ruled in favor of the defense. Before Russell took the stand, former Canton Police officer and current member of the Boston Police Department, Kelly Dever, was called on by the defense. She was a reluctant witness. Dever and Read's lawyer Alan Jackson had a contentious back-and-forth in the morning session. 'Did you say, 'I know you're going to tear me a new one?'' Jackson asked. 'That's what you're trying to do,' Dever responded. 'So yes.' 'Actually, what you said was you're going to tear me a new [expletive],' Jackson said. 'I don't recall that,' Dever responded. Dever was a Canton Police officer in 2022 when O'Keefe was killed. Like many others involved with the case, she was questioned by FBI agents. 'Did you tell those law enforcement agents that you saw Brian Higgins and Chief Berkowitz together and alone with the SUV for a wildly long time?' Jackson asked. 'That was my recollection at the time,' Dever responded. Dever now says she got that wrong. She called it a 'distorted' memory. She previously told Read's defense team that by phone. 'How did they respond?' Special Prosecutor Hank Brennan asked on cross-examination. 'They became very aggressive,' Dever said. 'Raising their voices, and the one word that I can very definitely remember is they said that they would charge me with perjury.' Jackson denied Dever's accusation, pointing out that it falls on prosecutors, not defense attorneys, to charge people with crimes. Dever also confirmed that she was called in to speak with the Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox about the Read murder case. Outside of court, Read had her own thoughts about Dever's testimony. 'Are you suggesting that Dever may have been coaxed into changing her testimony?' Boston 25 News Investigative Reporter Ted Daniel asked. 'Yes,' Read responded. 'We subpoenaed her to testify to what she told other authorities and just wanted her to be as honest with us as she was with them. And today, she's now telling us that was a lie.' Read has said she expects her team to present their case in about two weeks. Get caught up with all of the latest in Karen Read's retrial. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
CBS News
21-05-2025
- CBS News
Road rage incident in Canton leads to concealed weapon charge
Charges expected after truck smashes into Pontiac apartment and more top stories Charges expected after truck smashes into Pontiac apartment and more top stories Charges expected after truck smashes into Pontiac apartment and more top stories A road rage incident Monday in Canton, Michigan, has resulted in criminal charges against one of the drivers. The investigation began with a 911 call reporting a road rage incident in the area of Warren and Morton Taylor Roads, according to a press release from the Canton Police Department. "The caller advised that an exchange of words had occurred, threats were made, and a firearm had been brandished," the report said. Officers responded to the area, and found the suspect's vehicle in a nearby neighborhood. Canton officers then obtained a search warrant for a local home and found a firearm that was believed to have been used in the incident. Liam Rentz, 52, of Canton has since been charged by the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office with carrying a concealed weapon, which is a 5-year felony; and brandishing a firearm in public, which is a 90-day misdemeanor. Rentz had an arraignment hearing in 35th District Court, where bond was set at $5,000, 10%. His next court appearance is May 30. "The Canton Police Department reminds the public that acts of violence or threats of violence on our roadways will not be tolerated. We remain committed to investigating these incidents thoroughly while pursuing all appropriate charges," the press release said. If you are faced with a confrontation with an aggressive driver, the police department gave the following suggestions: Avoid engaging or retaliating. Do not make eye contact or respond to insults or gestures. Get to a safe location and call 911 if you feel threatened. Drive to a public area or police station if you believe you're being followed.
Fox News
19-05-2025
- Fox News
Karen Read defense faces hurdles as trial moves into fifth week
incoming update… Karen Read arrived at the Norfolk Superior Courthouse alongside her defense team as the fifth week of her murder trial is set to begin Monday. Read is facing the possibility of life in prison for the alleged murder of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe. Testimony is scheduled to resume with the Commonwealth continuing to call witnesses to the stand. A Massachusetts judge has agreed to bar references to an unrelated, botched murder investigation in Karen Read's second trial on murder and other charges in the 2022 death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe. Police in Canton, a suburb about 20 miles south of Boston, inaccurately determined the Feb. 4, 2021 death of Sandra Birchmore, 24, was a suicide before federal investigators said she had been strangled and charged a Stoughton officer with her murder. The FBI arrested former Stoughton Police Officer Matthew Farwell, 38, in August in Birchmore's murder. He is accused of grooming her since she was a teenager, maintaining a sexual relationship for years and then killing her when she told him she'd become pregnant and staging the murder to look like a suicide. Canton Police were also the first to respond after O'Keefe was reported unresponsive outside another Boston Police officer's house Jan. 29, 2022, during a blizzard. "Gov. [Maura] Healey should have ordered the revamping of police training in the state after the debacle in Karen Read 1.0," said Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and criminal justice professor at Penn State Lehigh Valley. "Everything from response to the scene by patrol officers to securing the scene to identifying evidence, the proper collection of evidence, the proper containers for that evidence and so on." Read the full story here. Karen Read's trial is set to enter its fifth week as the prosecution aims to further cement its timeline surrounding the death of Boston police officer John O'Keefe. Read is facing the possibility of life in prison for the alleged murder of O'Keefe, who was found frozen to death in the front yard of 34 Fairview Road in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2022. The prosecution alleges Read struck O'Keefe with her vehicle during a drunken argument, leaving him to die in the middle of a blizzard. Read's defense, however, insists she never hit O'Keefe in a bid to maintain her innocence. Live Coverage begins here
Fox News
15-05-2025
- Fox News
Karen Read defense takes aim at scientist's DNA testing, hair discovery in police investigation
incoming update… On Wednesday, Maureen Hartnett of the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab testified she found broken glass, scratches and at least one dent on the back of Karen Read's vehicle, as well as blood and debris recovered from John O'Keefe's clothes. She also swabbed the evidence that Canton Police collected in red Solo cups, although she testified that it had never been tested. As a result, she couldn't even identify it as blood. Hartnett collected samples for additional testing but testified that she did not perform testing herself. That was someone else's responsibility. She also testified she could not rule out that any of the damage to Read's SUV happened before Jan. 29, 2022, the morning O'Keefe died. The red substance, described as "red-brown" by the time she saw it, was collected by Canton Police from the front lawn at 34 Fairview Road under a dusting of snow at the spot where investigators believed O'Keefe had been found. "I think you test it anyway, even if there is no chain of custody, just to contextualize the case," said Paul Mauro, a retired NYPD investigator who is following the case. "If there was a fight inside the house, presumably O'Keefe would've fought back. If the blood in the snow came back to one of the Alberts or Higgins, if you're the defense, you're doing backflips." Read the full story here. Karen Read's trial is resuming Thursday morning with Massachusetts State Police forensic scientist Maureen Hartnett set to return to the witness stand for cross-examination. Hartnett testified yesterday regarding her testing of DNA evidence from the crime scene at 34 Fairview Road, telling defense attorney Alan Jackson the blood samples collected in red Solo cups were never tested by the police lab. Read is facing murder charges and the possibility of life in prison for the alleged killing of Boston police officer John O'Keefe. The prosecution, led by attorney Hank Brennan, alleges Read struck O'Keefe with her Lexus SUV in a drunken rage and left him to freeze to death in a blizzard. Read's defense claims she never struck O'Keefe on the morning of Jan. 29, 2022. Live Coverage begins here
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Karen Read trial: Crime lab expert testifies blood evidence was never tested
A forensic scientist from the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab revealed during Karen Read's murder trial that evidence collected in red Solo cups was never tested in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe. Testimony Wednesday came from O'Keefe's niece, whom he was caring for after her parents died within months of one another, as well as forensic experts involved in the search for Read's Lexus SUV and crime lab testing. Maureen Hartnett of the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab testified she found broken glass, scratches and at least one dent on the back of Read's vehicle, as well as blood and debris recovered from O'Keefe's clothes. She also swabbed the evidence that Canton Police collected in red Solo cups, although she testified that it had never been tested. As a result, she couldn't even identify it as blood. Karen Read's Defense Opens Door For Special Prosecutor To Bring In New Evidence: Court Docs She collected samples for additional testing but testified that she did not perform testing herself. That was someone else's responsibility. Read On The Fox News App She also testified she could not rule out that any of the damage to Read's SUV happened before Jan. 29, 2022, the morning O'Keefe died. Karen Read Defense Floats Theory That 'Jealous' Brian Higgins Fought John O'keefe Before Death The red substance, described as "red-brown" by the time she saw it, was collected by Canton Police from the front lawn at 34 Fairview Road under a dusting of snow at the spot where investigators believed O'Keefe had been found. "I think you test it anyway, even if there is no chain of custody, just to contextualize the case," said Paul Mauro, a retired NYPD investigator who is following the case. "If there was a fight inside the house, presumably O'Keefe would've fought back. If the blood in the snow came back to one of the Alberts or Higgins, if you're the defense, you're doing backflips." If the swabs still exist, however, the defense could ask for them to be tested today, he said. Karen Read's Google Timeline Derailed Again As 2Nd Expert Disputes Defense Claims But police could also have done a better job collecting and documenting evidence, especially after a series of instances when officers had to defend making unusual decisions, including having someone else fill out the level of an evidence bag, using a grocery bag instead of an evidence bag and sending someone home to grab a leaf blower without sending anyone to the police station to get proper evidence-gathering containers. Other awkward moments included an evidence bag with the wrong number of broken taillight shards and a brief delay after a state police sergeant was asked to open a mislabeled evidence bag with one of the victim's sneakers inside. "You don't have to be doing homicide investigations daily to know that if you gathered a bunch of stuff from a crime scene, preserve it and make sure it's logged into evidence so you can retrieve it later since you don't know where this is going," Mauro said. "If they knew enough and cared enough to take samples from the scene, however imperfect they did it … and they put each cup in a separate Stop and Shop bag, initialed it, closed it as good as they could in a blizzard. It is unorthodox. Not perfect, but defensible." GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub Defense attorney Robert Alessi also asked Hartnett about two photos purported to show the same lone hair sample recovered from the back of the SUV. "You could argue that the snow sealed it in there," Mauro said. Read faces charges of second-degree murder, drunk driving manslaughter and fleeing a deadly accident in O'Keefe's death. Prosecutors allege she reversed her Lexus SUV into O'Keefe and left him to die on the ground during a blizzard. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and her lawyers say she never hit O'Keefe. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X SIGN UP TO GET True Crime Newsletter While prosecutors have shown photos of her broken taillight, and investigators have testified that it played a role in their allegations against Read, her lawyers played a close-up video of her appearing to back into O'Keefe's parked car before she and two other women found O'Keefe on the ground outside the Fairview Road house. A group of people had been there the night before for an after-party following a night out drinking. Read, speaking with reporters outside the courthouse, claimed she saw O'Keefe leave the party before she left. Other witnesses, testifying under oath, told jurors that he did not go article source: Karen Read trial: Crime lab expert testifies blood evidence was never tested
