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Yahoo
3 days ago
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- Yahoo
Kelly Dever denies seeing key figures near Karen Read's vehicle in 'disaster' testimony: expert
Karen Read's defense team put a hostile witness on the stand Monday in the form of a Boston police officer who was working for the Canton Police Department the morning Karen Read and two friends discovered John O'Keefe dead under a pile of snow. Kelly Dever, who was on duty that morning but did not play any role in the investigation, previously told the FBI that she saw two key figures in the case standing near Read's SUV in the sallyport at Canton's police headquarters for "a wildly long time." They were ATF Agent Brian Higgins — who was carrying on a flirtatious relationship with Read behind O'Keefe's back — and then-Canton Police Chief Kenneth Berkowitz. They would have been placed next to the vehicle before other investigators found fragments that matched Read's taillight at the crime scene. Lead Detective's Text Messages Cast Shadow Over Karen Read Murder Trial Dever testified that she retracted that statement immediately because the FBI agents showed her a timeline that indicated she left work well before Read's Lexus arrived. Then she accused Read's defense team of trying to coerce her into lying about it on the stand. "You threatened to charge me with perjury during our phone call prior to the first trial if I didn't lie on the stand right now," she told defense attorney Alan Jackson, from the witness stand. "I'm telling you, I did not see anything. Factually, I've been provided evidence by a timeline that it is not correct." Read On The Fox News App Karen Read Sells Home And Taps Retirement Fund To Pay Mounting Legal Bills In Murder Retrial WATCH: Karen Read challenges officer's testimony in tense murder trial Read denied that her team pressured Dever in remarks to reporters outside the courthouse Monday afternoon. "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," she said. "And today she's now telling us that was a lie." She later claimed that Dever seems like "a compromised person." Dever was visibly frustrated at times, huffing on the stand and at one point snapping at Jackson for mispronouncing her name. Mother Of Slain Boston Police Officer Wends Wordless Message To Karen Read In Courtroom Showdown "Like you can't remember my name, I don't remember," she said. The defense is trying to show jurors that there is reasonable doubt in the investigation's findings — noting that the lead detective was fired for sending inappropriate texts and that Canton police made a series of sloppy missteps early in the investigation, before state police arrived. Their position is that her SUV never struck O'Keefe, and something or someone else caused his fatal injuries. In her first trial, they also alleged that police framed Read. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub "[Dever] illustrated perfectly the defense theory — that sketchy cops are lying to help the prosecution," said Mark Bederow, a New York City-based criminal defense lawyer who is following the case. He called her testimony "a disaster" and questioned whether she had been pressured by colleagues in law enforcement into recanting her story, rather than the defense. "It was a risky move to call her, but her demeanor was so awful that combined with what she admitted telling the feds, it likely helped the defense," Bederow told Fox News Digital. Karen Read Judge Blocks Sandra Birchmore Mentions; Expert Says Cases Should Be Wake-up Call For Police Retired Massachusetts Superior Court Judge and Boston College professor Jack Lu called Dever "a profile in courage" and that putting her on the stand suggests desperation from the defense. "She's out of central casting, says that she has confirmed her prior memory is factually, irrefutably wrong," he told Fox News Digital. "If they say she has damaged her future ability to testify that is laughable." She's also facing blowback. Lu pointed to a Facebook group called Free Karen Read with more than 40,000 members, where a user urged others to call the police commissioner's office if they "believe Kelly Dever should be given the axe." Dever could not immediately be reached for comment. It's up to the jurors to decide whether she was truthful on the stand or when she first made her statements to the article source: Kelly Dever denies seeing key figures near Karen Read's vehicle in 'disaster' testimony: expert
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Expert witness in Karen Read murder trial caught with 'errors' inflating his credentials
Massachusetts murder suspect Karen Read returned to court Monday for her trial in the death of her former boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, as DNA experts and a digital forensic scientist testified for the prosecution, linking the victim to a lone hair sample found on Read's SUV and tightening up a timeline surrounding the final moments of his life. But under cross-examination, a witness with key new evidence for the state revealed what appears to be an exaggerated resume. O'Keefe, 46, was found dead on Jan. 29, 2022. His then-girlfriend, the now-45-year-old Read, is accused of slamming into him with her 2021 Lexus SUV and leaving him to die on the ground in a blizzard in Canton, a suburb about 20 miles south of Boston. Karen Read Murder Trial: Niece Reveals 'Frantic' Behavior On Morning Boston Officer Was Found Dead Karl Miyasako, a DNA analyst with Bode Technologies in Virginia, testified that mitochondrial DNA testing connected a hair found on the back of Read's vehicle to O'Keefe. However, he testified, the hair is a match to anyone connected to Read's mother's matriarchal line, meaning his niece and nephew could have also been the source. The sample was too small to be tested for autosomal DNA, which could have provided a link to a specific individual with certainty, he said. Read On The Fox News App But the case took an unexpected turn when Shanon Burgess, a Texas-based expert on digital forensics for smartphones and vehicles, admitted that his credentials don't line up with those on his resume. He was on the stand to explain the process and analysis of "black box" data extracted from Read's car. Key information had been missed during the first case, he said, and he found it on a micro SD card and was able to extract it, answering questions left unanswered by an earlier analysis from another expert. Karen Read Judge Blocks Sandra Birchmore Mentions; Expert Says Cases Should Be Wake-up Call For Police On cross-examination, however, defense attorney Robert Alessi questioned Burgess' "mendacity," or untrustworthiness, after revealing inconsistencies in the expert's resume. Several versions of it and his official Aperture bio pages describe him as having obtained a bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama, Birmingham, in various years. None of them were correct, he admitted. He does not have a bachelor's degree. "I have represented I do not have a bachelor's degree," Burgess told Alessi. "But in here," Alessi said, pointing to one of at least three resumes with conflicting dates he introduced as evidence, "you represented that you do, correct?" "Yes," Burgess said. "It is in there." Experts say his expertise likely doesn't require one, but it's the appearance of a lie that damages his credibility. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub "He doesn't need a bachelor of science for this field of technology," said Grace Edwards, a Massachusetts defense attorney who is closely following the case. However, she said, a mix-up could turn off the jury and lead to members completely disregarding his findings, as well as potentially haunt other cases that have already been completed. "How many courts has he testified in with a 'padded' CV?" she asked, using an acronym for curriculum vitae, his academic resume. Burgess' testimony regarding the clocks in Read's Lexus and O'Keefe's iPhone could be crucial to the prosecution's case. He said they have a variance of between 21 and 29 seconds, and the victim's last recorded interaction with his phone, pressing the lock button, happened at 12:32:09 a.m. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X Read took her car out of reverse between 12:32:04 and 12:32:12, Burgess testified, based on computer logs recovered from her Lexus. Burgess is expected to return to the stand on Tuesday. Read could face up to life in prison if convicted of the top charge, second-degree murder. She is also charged with drunken driving, manslaughter and fleeing the scene of a deadly accident. She has pleaded not guilty, and her defense denies her vehicle collided with O'Keefe at article source: Expert witness in Karen Read murder trial caught with 'errors' inflating his credentials
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Human remains found near Taylor Swift's beachside Rhode Island mansion amid serial killer fears
Human remains were found Wednesday in an upscale Rhode Island beach neighborhood as concerns about a potential serial killer in New England continue to plague the region. A human leg bone was reportedly found on a beach path off Everett Avenue in Watch Hill, a wealthy coastal enclave in the town of Westerly, according to WJAR. The remains were found just a stone's throw from pop megastar Taylor Swift's beachside mansion in the town. Only a few miles away is five-star beach getaway Ocean House, a luxurious resort on the Watch Hill bluffs overlooking the sea. The remains were transferred to the Rhode Island Medical Examiner's Office for further investigation. New England Investigators 'Not Ruling Out Anything' Amid Serial Killer Fears: Former Homicide Detective WJAR reported that foul play is not suspected. Read On The Fox News App The Westerly Police Department declined to comment. The Rhode Island State Police did not return a comment request. Sign Up To Get The True Crime Newsletter The discovery marks the 13th body or set of remains that have been discovered in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts since the beginning of March, sparking online chatter about a potential serial killer. Five bodies have been found in Massachusetts, five in Connecticut and now three in Rhode Island. Two of the bodies were found in the small town of Taunton, Massachusetts. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X A former FBI agent told Fox News Digital earlier this month that authorities in the region have not released enough information to the public in order to quash the rumors. "From what I've seen or heard, first and foremost, not enough is being put out there, so we'll continue to create that serial killer idea," Scott Duffey said. However, Duffey said he does not believe there is sufficient evidence to merit serial killer claims. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub "But at the same time, nothing has been said to make any type of connection [between victims]," he said. "And so that's what leads me down to … let law enforcement continue to answer the questions that they need to answer. But nothing that I have seen would arise to a serial killer [being] responsible for any or most of these people who have been found." One man, Donald Coffel, 68, was arrested in connection with the murder of one of the victims, Suzanne Wormser of Groton, Connecticut. Ct Police Quash New England Serial Killer Rumors, Arrest Man After Woman Found Dismembered In Suitcase Wormser was Coffel's roommate, and she was found dismembered and stuffed into a suitcase in March, stemming from what police said was an argument over crack cocaine. Friday, Coffel died in the Corrigan Correctional Center, according to NBC Connecticut. At the time of his arrest, Coffel reportedly told police that he was in a lot of pain from cancer. Fox News' Audrey Conklin contributed to this report. Original article source: Human remains found near Taylor Swift's beachside Rhode Island mansion amid serial killer fears
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Bryan Kohberger prosecutors will let victims' families speak, no lay witnesses for sentencing if convicted
The prosecuting attorney in the case of Bryan Kohberger, accused of murdering four University of Idaho students, notified the court in a recent filing that the state does not intend to call lay witnesses during the penalty phase of the trial, if he is convicted. The prosecution wrote in the filing obtained by Fox News Digital that it "hereby provides notice that the State does not intend to call any lay witnesses during the penalty phase." The document was filed late last week in the District Court of the Fourth Judicial District in the State of Idaho. Judge Rules Death Penalty To Remain As Possible Punishment Amid Bryan Kohberger Autism Diagnosis "Rather, the State intends to rely on testimony and evidence admitted during the guilt phase," the filing says. The state does intend to allow victim impact statements from immediate family members of the victims who are present for the potential sentencing hearing. Read On The Fox News App Read the court filing: Kohberger is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of four students at the University of Idaho, including Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; and Ethan Chapin, 20. He is also charged with one count of felony burglary. The four students were killed in a home attack on Nov. 13, 2022, near the university's campus. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X The state will pursue the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted. His defense attorney, Anne Taylor, recently found herself the object of Judge Steven Hippler's scorn when she presented a motion to take the death penalty off the table in the case. SIGN UP TO GET True Crime Newsletter She argued that the prosecution's discovery was so sloppy that Kohberger could not possibly review the evidence against him before his trial is scheduled to begin in August. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub What Went Bryan Kohberger's Way – And What Didn't – At Evidence Motions Hearing "[Kohberger] has been receiving discovery in the same manner for over two years," Hippler wrote. "[Kohberger] has not sought additional resources…to hire additional staff to review discovery or obtain litigation document control software to help organize and sort the evidence. His lead counsel insisted that she be allowed to take on a second high-profile capital case despite the voluminous discovery in this case." Hippler also added that Taylor, "indicated that her practice is to personally review all the discovery herself, rather than rely on associates and staff to review materials to cut through the less relevant information and point to what materials need review by lead counsel." Fox News Digital reached out to Taylor and to Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson's office. Fox News' Adam Sabes contributed to this report. Original article source: Bryan Kohberger prosecutors will let victims' families speak, no lay witnesses for sentencing if convicted
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
'Doomsday Mom' Lori Vallow seeks new murder conspiracy trial, claiming juror misconduct
So-called "Doomsday Mom" Lori Vallow Daybell is seeking a new trial less than two weeks after a jury found her guilty of conspiring to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow. In the newly released court documents, Vallow Daybell is claiming Juror 15 shared in a local television interview that they were aware of her prior murder convictions in Idaho despite them not being brought up at trial. During the juror interview after the trial, Vallow Daybell, who represented herself, said Juror 15 reacted to learning about her prior convictions with the response, "You know, I feel sorry for her. Driving home yesterday, I was like, 'God she's spending the next three lives in prison in a cell …'" court documents said. Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell were convicted of the 2019 murders of two of Vallow's children, 7-year-old Joshua "JJ" Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan. The couple, who believed some people had dark spirits and shared apocalyptic religious beliefs, were also convicted of murdering Chad Daybell's first wife, Tammy Daybell. They were sentenced to life in prison. Arizona Jury Finds 'Cult Mom' Lori Vallow Guilty Of Conspiring To Murder Late Husband During last month's trial in Phoenix, jurors were not supposed to know anything about her Idaho convictions. Read On The Fox News App The 13-page motion, filed on May 1 in Maricopa County Superior Court, also claimed there were "discovery violations, prosecutorial misconduct and a lack of impartiality." The court documents also said Vallow Daybell claimed she should have been allowed to present full statements from Alex Cox, her late brother, with whom she conspired to shoot and kill her late husband, Charles Vallow, in 2019 to benefit from a $1 million life insurance policy and marry another man, Chad Daybell, in 2019. 'Doomsday Mom' Lori Vallow's Arizona Murder Conspiracy Trial: Wildest Moments In Court So Far Vallow Daybell argued she wasn't allowed to talk about Cox's walk-through with police after the shooting or what he told Chandler police before his death. Vallow Daybell argued that it was her brother who shot Charles Daybell. Vallow Daybell said her late brother and Charles Vallow got into a physical fight at the same time that she and her daughter, Tylee, were both at home. 'Cult Mom' Lori Vallow, Who Killed 2 Kids, Laments 'Family Tragedy' In Closing Arguments Of 2Nd Murder Trial "Both of these people were present during the shooting of Charles Vallow and thus some of their statements were not hearsay as they show effect on listener pursuant to Arizona Rules of Evidence 803(3)," the documents state. The filing further claimed that prosecutors presented "irrelevant, prejudicial, and improper character evidence" and gave false statements to jurors over various details that included Vallow Daybell's demeanor. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub "Lastly, commenting on this defendant's demeanor, specifically stating this defendant did not cry during her police interview was improper comment as she had cut this portion out of the exhibit admitted that she called a 'full interview'," the documents read. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X "All of these comments add up to prosecutorial misconduct." Vallow Daybell is scheduled to go on trial in Phoenix in May for an alleged plot to kill her niece's ex-husband after a judge denied her motion to dismiss the case. She previously explained to True Crime Arizona that she had been "working on her case for five years" and knows it "better than an attorney can learn it in two years" after making the decision to represent herself. Fox News Digital's Adam Sabes and Audrey Conklin contributed to this report. Original article source: 'Doomsday Mom' Lori Vallow seeks new murder conspiracy trial, claiming juror misconduct
