Latest news with #MiamiNeuroscienceCenter
New York Post
22-05-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Brain surgeon testifies John O'Keefe died from fall on frozen ground in Karen Read trial
John O'Keefe died from falling backwards and hitting his head on frozen ground, according to a Yale-educated brain surgeon who testified Wednesday in the murder trial of Karen Read. Read, 45, is accused of killing her then-boyfriend, the 46-year-old O'Keefe, by hitting him with her 2021 Lexus SUV on Jan. 29, 2022, then leaving him to die on the ground in a blizzard in Canton, Massachusetts, about 20 miles south of Boston. Advertisement The head trauma and skull fractures he sustained, coupled with hypothermia from the cold, would not have killed him immediately, according to Dr. Aizik Wolf, who testified he treated many similar injuries in his career working in Minneapolis. 'The only way he could get this kind of an injury was to fall backwards, hit the back of his head, and then the resulting energy forces going into his brain, into the base of his skull,' he told the jury during questioning from special prosecutor Hank Brennan. O'Keefe suffered 'a classic blunt-trauma injury,' Wolf said. O'Keefe fell backwards and hit his head, Wolf said, and the force of the impact fractured his skull and later resulted in 'raccoon eyes,' which look like black eyes. Advertisement 'This is what happens when soft tissue hits a solid ground,' he testified. Swelling in the victim's brain would have killed him under normal circumstances, usually within 24 to 48 hours, according to Wolf. Some victims have died in as little as one to three. 6 Yale-educated brain surgeon Dr. Aizik Wolf testified that John O'Keefe died from falling backwards and hitting his head on frozen ground. AP In the January nor'easter, O'Keefe's body temperature also tanked. When paramedics found him at 6 a.m., his temperature was just 80 degrees, below the threshold for what medical professionals call 'severe hypothermia.' Advertisement Wolf said he treated many patients with similar injuries early in his career, when he worked in a Minneapolis trauma center. The city can be brutally cold during winter. 6 Dr. Wolf testified that O'Keefe suffered 'a classic blunt-trauma injury.' AP 6 Karen Read covered her mouth as she talked with her lawyer, Elizabeth Little, in the courtroom on Wednesday. AP Advertisement Many of the wounds were fatal. Some were inflicted on drunken patients who slipped on the ice. Others involved people who fell over after suffering a heart attack. 'This testimony from Dr. Wolf sets up the commonwealth's argument for count 2, the involuntary manslaughter charge,' said Grace Edwards, a Massachusetts defense attorney who is following the case. 'The commonwealth will argue to the jury that if they cannot find that Karen Read caused John O'Keefe's death intentionally, counts 1 and 3, then her driving or sideswipe of him and then leaving him injured was the wanton and reckless act, which contributed to his death, then they should find Karen Read guilty of count 2.' According to Wolf's bio at the Miami Neuroscience Center, he is a world-leading authority in his field and the clinic's director. 6 Defense attorney Alan Jackson questioned Massachusetts State Police crime lab technician Christina Hanley on Wednesday about fragments of glass and plastic. AP A short cross-examination by defense attorney Robert Alessi discussed separate injuries that O'Keefe sustained, which were not connected to the head trauma that killed him. 'I thought Attorney Alessi did a good job redirecting Dr. Wolf from the back of the head to the front of the head and eliciting testimony that those injuries were likely not from a fall,' Edwards told Fox News Digital. 'This supports the defense theory that John O'Keefe was not hit by a vehicle and suggests it was something else because of the laceration to his face and the injuries to the arm, and the investigation did not pursue any other leads to determine how John O'Keefe sustained those injuries.' Advertisement Wolf started the day on the stand. After his testimony, Christina Hanley of the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab returned to the witness stand. 6 Read could face life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder. Courtesy of David Yannetti She is an expert on glass and plastic fragments who analyzed the broken cocktail glass found outside 34 Fairview Road and on the back bumper of Read's Lexus SUV, as well as pieces of the broken taillight. Advertisement Her testimony had been interrupted at the early end of the day on Tuesday. She said Wednesday afternoon that some of the plastic debris recovered from O'Keefe's clothing was 'consistent' with the materials used in Read's Lexus but could have come from another source with similar characteristics. 6 O'Keefe died in January 2022. AP During cross-examination, she revealed that none of the broken glass on Read's bumper matched the shattered cocktail glass found in the yard near O'Keefe. Advertisement Defense attorney Alan Jackson had her explain that the only thing any of the bumper glass matched was a glass sample recovered by former Trooper Michael Proctor, who was fired in March after an internal probe into inappropriate text messages he sent during the investigation. Earlier in the trial, the defense played video showing Proctor standing near the rear of the vehicle, out of camera view, while it was at the Canton Police Department headquarters. Proctor, through his family, has maintained that his investigation was in line with the evidence and conducted with integrity. Advertisement Read could face life in prison if convicted of the top charge, second-degree murder. She is also accused of drunken driving, manslaughter and leaving the scene of a deadly accident.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NEW HOPE FOR TREMOR PATIENTS: FOCUSED ULTRASOUND NOW AVAILABLE IN MIAMI
No Surgery. No Scalpels. No Recovery Time. Tremors Gone in Minutes. MIAMI, April 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- For millions living with Essential Tremor (ET), simple tasks like eating, writing, or holding a drink can feel impossible. Now, the Miami Neuroscience Center at Larkin is offering a revolutionary solution: Focused Ultrasound — a non-invasive, FDA-approved treatment delivering immediate relief without surgery or recovery time. Led by internationally renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Aizik Wolf, this state-of-the-art procedure is changing lives in real time. "We're seeing patients walk out of treatment tremor-free within hours," said Dr. Wolf, Medical Director at Miami Neuroscience Center. "The transformation is instant and life-changing." Why This MattersEssential Tremor affects over 10 million Americans. Until now, treatment options included invasive brain surgery or lifelong medications. Focused Ultrasound is a game-changer: No scalpels, cuts, or anesthesia FDA Approved MRI-guided precision Outpatient procedure — patients go home with results the same day Covered by Medicare and most major insurance plans This cutting-edge technology uses targeted sound waves to treat the area of the brain responsible for tremors — with no incisions or implants required. Real People. Real Results."I couldn't hold a cup of coffee without spilling. After the procedure, I signed my name for the first time in 15 years."— Patient testimonial, Miami Neuroscience Center Watch the Transformation Spanish Video Version Before & After View Media AccessInterviews available with: Dr. Aizik Wolf Dr. Jose Valerio Real patients with before-and-after success stories High-res images and video upon request Schedule a Consultation or Learn More: Call: (786) 871-6806 Email: mncinfo@ About Miami Neuroscience Center at LarkinPart of Larkin Health System, the Miami Neuroscience Center is a state-of-the-art facility offering advanced, patient-focused care for neurological conditions including brain tumors, AVMs, herniated discs, migraines, trigeminal neuralgia, and more. Treatments include Focused Ultrasound, Gamma Knife®, Zap-X®, and Airo® technology. Learn more: CONTACT: Frances Rodriguez | Marketing Director | francesr@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Miami Neuroscience Center at Larkin Sign in to access your portfolio
