4 days ago
Watch Live: Karen Read trial continues with full day of testimony from defense witnesses
The Karen Read trial is back in a Massachusetts courtroom today for a full day of testimony from defense witnesses.
You can watch live coverage of the trial on the CBS News Boston livestream or in the video player above.
There was no court on Thursday, partly because of hot weather. The air conditioning and fans inside Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham are noisy and can make it hard for jurors to hear what's being said.
Judge Beverly Cannone said that after 27 days of testimony, both sides agree that the case is proceeding ahead of schedule.
Karen Read trial latest
The last witness to testify for the defense on Wednesday was Karina Kolokithas, who was at the Waterfall Bar & Grille with Read and John O'Keefe, hours before O'Keefe's death. Read is accused of hitting her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV and leaving him to die in the snow in Canton after a night of heavy drinking in January 2022.
Before Kolokithas took the stand, snowplow driver Brian "Lucky" Loughran testified that he never saw a body on the front lawn of 34 Fairview Road, the home formerly owned by Brian Albert, even though he made two passes by the address. During cross-examination, special prosecutor Hank Brennan asked Loughran if he was threatened by blogger Aidan Kearney, who writes under the name "Turtleboy." Loughran said he was not.
Earlier in the week, Read's attorneys called for a mistrial during contentious cross-examination of Dr. Marie Russell, who testified that O'Keefe was attacked by a dog. The judge quickly rejected the request.
How long will the Karen Read trial last?
It's not clear how many witnesses the defense has left to call because a gag order prohibits lawyers from talking to the press. But Read said she expects the defense to rest on "Tuesday, give or take."
Read's first trial ended in a mistrial due to a "starkly divided" hung jury. She has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene of personal injury and death. Read's defense claims she is the victim of a coverup involving law enforcement and several others.
