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Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
Experts weigh in on key moments that could decide Karen Read's fate in murder trial
Karen Read's retrial in the death of Boston cop John O'Keefe is near an end after more than a month's worth of pivotal testimony. Experts say key moments decided the case in their minds. Now her fate is in the hands of jurors. For David Gelman, a Philadelphia-area defense attorney and former prosecutor, that moment was when special prosecutor Hank Brennan played police dashcam video of the crime scene, showing Read's frantic reaction to finding her boyfriend unresponsive in the snow. Fate Of Karen Read Now In Jury's Hands As Murder Trial Reaches Critical Phase "Showing the video of O'Keefe's body, the jury saw how Read reacted, and it really puts them at the alleged scene," he told Fox News Digital. "Seeing her reaction in the courtroom is a big moment. The jury I guarantee wanted to see her reaction." Jack Lu, a retired Massachusetts judge and Boston College law professor, said the key moments were peppered throughout the trial whenever Brennan played clips from Read's many televised interviews, putting her words in front of the jury without her taking the stand in her own defense. Read On The Fox News App "She boxed herself in," he said. Brennan reused some of those clips in his closing argument Friday to dramatic effect, he added. Karen Read Trial Nears Its Finale: What Each Side Is Banking On WATCH: Prosecution plays Karen Read interview clip before resting case in trial "I cannot identify a better trial lawyer I have personally observed in 40 plus years at the Massachusetts bar," he said of the special prosecutor. But the defense also put on a strong case in an effort to contradict the prosecution's entire theory about how O'Keefe died, according to Grace Edwards, a Massachusetts trial attorney who is closely following the case. "The pivotal point for me was learning that ARCCA, having been hired by the defense, did their own testing – and that testing proved there was no collision," she told Fox News Digital. "Add on the testimony of Dr. Laposata to say the injuries were not consistent with being struck by a vehicle and I was sold." Karen Read Announces She Will Not Testify In Her Defense As Massachusetts Trial Nears Conclusion ARCCA, a crash reconstruction firm, sent two scientists to testify in the trial. Both agreed that the damage to Read's car and injuries to O'Keefe were out of alignment. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub Jurors began deliberating around 2:40 p.m. Friday after both sides had an hour and 15 minutes to give closing arguments and Judge Beverly Cannone spent about an hour reading jury instructions. Cannone selected Juror No. 5 to be the foreperson. The court clerk randomly pulled Nos. 13, 7, 6, 17, 2, and 8 as alternates, and they will not take part in deliberations unless someone is excused. At 4:30 p.m., the judge sent jurors home for the weekend. Deliberations resume Monday morning. Read, 45, is accused of slamming her 2021 Lexus SUV into O'Keefe and leaving him to die on the ground in a blizzard on Jan. 29, 2022. Jurors heard more than 30 days of testimony in a trial that began on April 22. Before that was three weeks of jury selection. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X Read's first trial ended with a deadlocked jury last year after the panel could not reach a unanimous agreement on all of the charges against her. She is accused of second-degree murder, drunken driving manslaughter and leaving the scene of a deadly accident. Brennan and defense attorney Alan Jackson gave impassioned closing arguments – with diametrically opposed conclusions about the case. Sign Up To Get The True Crime Newsletter The defense asserted that a sloppy investigation and a disgraced lead detective left too many questions unanswered and prematurely accused Read of a crash that never happened. "There was no collision," Jackson told jurors three times to kick off his final argument. Furthermore, police didn't investigate other potential sources of O'Keefe's injuries, interview key witnesses or even follow protocols at the crime scene. But Brennan countered that the defense theories are far-fetched and contradicted by clear evidence – the data from O'Keefe's phone and Read's car, as well as the taillight fragments embedded in his clothes. "She was drunk. She hit him. And she left him to die," Brennan said. "It's that simple." O'Keefe, described by friends as a selfless 46-year-old who took in his orphaned niece and nephew, may even have survived if someone had called for help after he fell, Brennan suggested. Gelman, who has won and lost in trials as both a prosecutor and a criminal defense attorney, said both sides put on powerful cases from start to finish. "Both closed strong," he said. "But if it's even, that's reasonable doubt."Original article source: Experts weigh in on key moments that could decide Karen Read's fate in murder trial
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Special prosecutor delivers crushing final blow in Karen Read trial: 'She left him to die'
Special prosecutor Hank Brennan wrapped up his closing argument in the murder trial of Karen Read Friday afternoon, telling jurors there is no doubt that she's the one who killed John O'Keefe, her 46-year-old boyfriend, a Boston cop and the adoptive father of his orphaned niece and nephew. Read, 45, is accused of slamming her 2021 Lexus SUV into her 46-year-old former boyfriend and leaving him to die on the ground in a blizzard on Jan. 29, 2022. "She was drunk. She hit him. And she left him to die," Brennan said. "It's that simple." Karen Read Trial Nears Its Finale: What Each Side Is Banking On Multiple witnesses testified that they heard her repeating the phrase, "I hit him. I hit him. I hit him," Brennan said. But it was the hard data -- not accident reconstruction or witness accounts, that proves his case, he said. O'Keefe's phone did not move from between the time Read slammed her 6,000-pound LX 570 in reverse until he was discovered dead on the lawn 5 and a half hours later. Read On The Fox News App Although Read didn't testify in her own defense, Brennan used her own words against her in the form of multiple televised interviews she sat for. He alleged that they illustrate that she knowingly left O'Keefe to die after hitting him and where to find the body when she went looking the next morning. In one, she described O'Keefe as a "weird-shaped lump" and a "buffalo on the prairie," jutting out of the snow. "John O'Keefe is not a body. John O'Keefe is not a buffalo on a prairie," Brennan said. "He was a person, and he was murdered by Karen Read." Karen Read Announces She Will Not Testify In Her Defense As Massachusetts Trial Nears Conclusion Read's lead defense lawyer Alan Jackson urged jurors to find her not guilty Friday in a closing argument that disputed the prosecution's entire timeline from the night O'Keefe died. "There was no collision," Jackson told jurors. "There was no collision. There was no collision." He argued that a sloppy investigation, a lack of physical evidence and witness testimony left a mountain of reasonable doubt in the case. He said the commonwealth's case is "cooked" after an expert analysis of O'Keefe's injuries and called the prosecution's crash reconstruction a "ridiculous blue paint kindergarten project." The lead homicide detective got fired from the Massachusetts State Police and did not testify at trial. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X WATCH: Karen Read's father addresses media as she prepares for closing arguments Sign Up To Get The True Crime Newsletter Special prosecutor Hank Brennan is up next. The case is expected to go to jurors later this afternoon after more than 30 days of testimony. Although Judge Beverly Cannone asked for an earlier start than normal, court kicked off with a sidebar conference that lasted over a half-hour. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub Read's defense and Brennan are expected to turn up the heat as they hope to convince jurors of their diametrically opposed claims about what happened to O'Keefe. According to the defense, her vehicle never hit him. Read faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted on the top charge of second-degree murder. If convicted of drunken driving manslaughter, she would face 5 to article source: Special prosecutor delivers crushing final blow in Karen Read trial: 'She left him to die'
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
US Marshals escalate manhunt for fugitive dad wanted in daughters' murders
The U.S. Marshals Service has activated its elite Rapidly Advancing Manhunt (RAM) program in the urgent search for Travis Decker, wanted in connection with the murder of his three daughters in Washington state. The RAM program, according to the U.S. Marshals Service, is designed to expedite the capture of violent fugitives through real-time intelligence coordination and rapid deployment of specialized teams, is fully engaged in the effort to apprehend Decker. More than 100 officers from federal, state, and local agencies are actively involved in the manhunt in an intensive search effort that includes aerial surveillance, tracking dogs and backcountry patrols. The Marshals Service is offering up to $20,000 for information directly relating to Decker's arrest. Police Close In On Possible Location Where Fugitive Dad Could Be Hiding After Alleged Triple Murder The U.S. Marshals' continued involvement comes as the Chelan County Sheriff's Office confirmed that they have assumed the role of lead investigative agency in the girls' killings. Read On The Fox News App In a clarification issued Wednesday, the department shared with Fox News Digital that the Wenatchee Police Department is no longer the lead agency in the killings. The shift in jurisdiction comes as the investigation continues to focus on rugged wilderness areas within Chelan County, where Decker was last seen. On Tuesday, June 10, authorities announced that they were zeroing in on the Army veteran. On Monday, the agency received a tip from a group of hikers of a man who appeared evasive and unprepared near the Ingalls Creek and Valley High areas late Monday night, according to the Chelan County Sheriff's Office (CCSO). "Our office recently received a tip from a hiking party who stated they spotted a lone hiker in the Enchantments area who appeared to be ill-prepared for trail and weather conditions, and appeared to be avoiding others," the sheriff's office said in a press release. Authorities subsequently acted on the tip and "spotted a lone, off-trail hiker from a helicopter near Colchuck Lake who ran from sight as the helicopter passed," CCSO said. Search teams were able to establish a trail and deploy K9s throughout the area, leading them to Ingalls Creek. SEE IT: PHOTOS OF THE SEARCH The wooded area is located approximately 30 miles from Rock Island Campground, where the bodies of Decker's three daughters, Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, were found on June 2. Survivalist's Google Searches Reveal Possible Escape Plan Amid Manhunt In Daughters' Triple Murder: Report The bodies were found three days after they did not return to their mother following a court-approved visit with Decker. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub Authorities said Decker, a former Army infantryman with survival skills, may have used his rugged survivalist capabilities to evade capture. Authorities previously described him as "dangerous," warning residents not to approach him and describing him as armed. "This is someone with military training, someone who's lived off-grid before," Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said. "We're dealing with a highly capable survivalist who may be using the terrain to his advantage." If convicted, Decker could face a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Fox News' Julia Bonavita contributed to this article source: US Marshals escalate manhunt for fugitive dad wanted in daughters' murders
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Karen Read judge cuts off witness who sends 'happy birthday' wish to 10-year-old from stand
The judge overseeing Karen Read's retrial on murder charges in the death of Boston cop John O'Keefe cut off the defense's final witness Wednesday morning after he told jurors he had three children and wished his 10-year-old a happy birthday. "So I was going to say I have three kids, a 9-year-old who's actually turning 10 today – happy birthday Kai – and I have two older ones," said Dr. Andrew John Rentschler, a biomechanical engineer and accident reconstructionist from a firm called ARCCA. "All right, I'm going to, we're going to stop this – [use] another example," said Judge Beverly Cannone after an objection from special prosecutor Hank Brennan. Brennan has repeatedly tried to have Rentschler's testimony blocked or limited. The ARCCA scientists dispute the state's version of events – and have also been accused of destroying text messages with the defense they were ordered to give to prosecutors as well as slow-walking discovery disclosures. Final Defense Witness In Karen Read Trial Pumps Brakes On Lexus Collision Theory Read is accused of mowing down O'Keefe after a night of drinking and leaving him to die as she went to his house and left him raging voicemails as his niece and nephew slept in the home. He had taken them in after they were orphaned when his sister and brother-in-law died within months of one another. Read On The Fox News App "Was it appropriate? I think it's his personality," said David Gelman, a Philadelphia-area defense attorney and former prosecutor who is following the trial. "It may have missed the mark, but it's a breath of fresh air since experts are usually boring." Grace Edwards, a Massachusetts trial lawyer who is also following the case, said the judge likely cut Rentschler off because narrative answers can distract from the facts of the case. Karen Read Reveals She Will Not Testify In Her Own Defense "The story can lead to a long answer that could be potentially off-topic or the jury could take from it something else that was not intended, like 'Happy Birthday,' and only remember that part," she told Fox News Digital. "The judge wanted the witness refocused to specific questions with focused answers rather than potentially rambling about his three kids." Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X Rentschler insisted that "details matter" repeatedly as he explained the basics of the scientific method and took issue with another expert report from the firm Aperture, retained by the prosecution. Aperture labeled the injuries to O'Keefe's arm "lacerations," he said – a term that he testified contradicts the findings of the official autopsy, which described them as "superficial abrasions." GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub "The superficial abrasions and abrasions occur when there's rubbing or scraping of the skin, and it just rubs away the top layer, the epidermis of the skin," he testified. "Now, a laceration is an actual jagged, ripping or tearing of the skin which gets down through the epidermis into the dermis. So abrasions take much less force. They're less severe than what a laceration actually is." Sign Up To Get The True Crime Newsletter Based on his testing, he said that he ruled out an impact with Read's 2021 Lexus LX 570 SUV and O'Keefe's arm as the cause of those injuries. "They're inconsistent with striking the taillight or being produced as a result of contact with the taillight," he testified. The prosecution claims that these minor injuries came from an impact with Read's broken taillight after she allegedly drove into O'Keefe on Jan. 29, 2022 and left him to die on the ground in the snow. The defense denies a collision and has claimed the injuries came from dog teeth and claws. Aperture's Dr. Judson Welcher testified earlier, based on digital forensics of phone and vehicle data, that Read's SUV reversed at 75% throttle right before O'Keefe's last conscious interaction with his article source: Karen Read judge cuts off witness who sends 'happy birthday' wish to 10-year-old from stand
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Yahoo
Defense in Karen Read case accuses special prosecutor of misleading jury about damaged hoodie evidence
Karen Read defense attorney Robert Alessi moved for a mistrial again Monday over special prosecutor Hank Brennan's handling of John O'Keefe's hoodie during cross-examination of a defense expert witness. "Your honor, the defense moves for a mistrial with prejudice Based upon intentional misconduct that just occurred before the court and before the jury," Alessi said. He said the motion came in response to representations Brennan made while questioning Dr. Daniel Wolfe, a crash reconstructionist from a firm called ARCCA. Brennan, while cross-examining Wolfe about damage to O'Keefe's hoodie, showed him the actual piece of clothing, which had a series of holes in the back. Jury Skepticism Of Experts Could Determine Outcome In Karen Read Murder Trial: Former Judge Alessi contended that the holes were created by a criminologist during lab testing and that they did not exist when police took the sweatshirt. Read On The Fox News App Read is accused of killing her boyfriend O'Keefe, a Boston police officer, by clipping him with her 2021 Lexus LX 570 SUV on Jan. 29, 2022, and leaving him to die on the ground in a record-setting blizzard. Before jurors arrived, Judge Beverly Cannone heard motions regarding rebuttal testimony and to preclude or limit expert witnesses. WATCH: Karen Read defense moves for a mistrial again She said she would hold an additional evidentiary hearing to determine what Dr. Elizabeth Laposata, a Rhode Island forensic pathologist and professor at Brown University, can testify in front of jurors. David Yannetti, one of Read's defense lawyers, told the court that her legal team believes O'Keefe was "placed" on the ground near a flagpole outside 34 Fairview Road in Canton, Massachusetts. Laposata is expected to discuss O'Keefe's injuries and how and where he could have suffered them. The home is about 20 miles south of Boston. Read, O'Keefe and others went there for an after-party on Jan. 28, 2022. Dr. Daniel Wolfe, the reconstructionist from a firm called ARCCA, testified last week that damage to Read's SUV is inconsistent with the type of impact that prosecutors allege left O'Keefe dead early the following morning. 'Cannon' Test Boosts Karen Read's Defense, Showing Taillight Damage Consistent With Thrown Bar Glass GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub But on cross-examination, he conceded that flying fragments of a taillight could have been the source of injuries to O'Keefe's face and nose before he suffered a fractured skull from what prosecution experts testified was a backward fall. Read has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, drunken driving manslaughter and leaving the scene. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X Sign Up To Get The True Crime Newsletter Her defense maintains that her vehicle never struck O'Keefe and that his injuries were caused in some other manner after she left. Read could face life in prison if convicted of the top charge. Jurors deadlocked at her first trial last year on the same article source: Defense in Karen Read case accuses special prosecutor of misleading jury about damaged hoodie evidence
