In the ongoing murder retrial of Karen Read, Massachusetts prosecutors have concluded their case, presenting a theory that Read, allegedly drunk and angry, struck her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, with her Lexus SUV on January 29, 2022. The trial, which follows a previous hung jury, features notable changes, including the absence of key defense witnesses who supported claims of Read’s innocence and the former state trooper involved in the initial investigation, who faced termination due to misconduct.
The prosecution’s final witness was biomechanical engineer Judson Welcher, who analyzed data suggesting Read’s vehicle moved 34 feet forward and 53 feet in reverse around the time of O’Keefe’s death. Although no evidence directly linked the car to a collision, injuries on O’Keefe’s arm were said to align with potential impacts from the SUV’s broken tail light. Crucially, Welcher disproved the defense’s claim that a minor rear-end incident involving Read and another vehicle caused the damage to the tail light.
Both sides have expressed intentions to present alternative narratives. The defense plans to call the former trooper, Michael Proctor, and other previously significant witnesses, proposing that O’Keefe’s injuries could have resulted from a fight at a nearby party, not an accident involving Read’s vehicle. Tensions from a series of flirtatious texts exchanged between Read and agents present at that party have also been highlighted.
Throughout the trial, Read has actively maintained her innocence and has been prominently featured in prosecutor presentations through various media clips, which have raised further questions regarding her accounts surrounding O’Keefe’s death, particularly related to her drinking and driving that night.
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