This is the Day 2 of 31 trial report of the murder trial of Karen Read, accused of running over her cop boyfriend John O’Keefe and leaving him to die in the snow, designed to catch you up with the nucleus of the case efficiently!
Case Report
Factual background:
Karen Read was tried in Massachusetts over the death of her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, who was found outside 34 Fairview Road in Canton on January 29, 2022, after a night of drinking with friends and acquaintances. Prosecutors alleged that Read struck O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV while reversing outside the home and left him in the snow. The defence argued that O’Keefe was not killed by Read’s vehicle and that the investigation failed to properly examine alternative explanations involving people connected to the home.
CHARGES:
1. 2nd Degree Murder.
2. Manslaughter while operating a Motor Vehicle under the influence of Liquor.
3. Leaving the Scene of an accident resulting in death.
Hung Jury 9 jurors voted not guilty, 3 jurors voted guilty – Mistrial declared on 1 July 2024.
Victim(s): John O’Keefe (Deceased)
Date Of Murder: 29th January 2022.
Killing Incident Reported: 29th January 2022.
Courthouse: Norfolk County, Dedham, Massachusetts
Officers of the court
Judge:
Attorneys
Prosecution:
ADA Adam Lally
Defence:
David Yannetti
Elizabeth Little
Alan Jackson
MA v. Karen Read (2024) – Day 2 Trial Summary
Day 2 focused on the emergency-response phase following the discovery of John O’Keefe outside 34 Fairview. The prosecution developed testimony surrounding severe weather conditions, CPR efforts, John’s injuries and hypothermia, and repeated testimony that Karen Read said “I hit him.” The defence responded by challenging injury interpretation, scene observations, and inconsistencies or omissions in reporting. The day also introduced early tension regarding physical evidence visibility, the context surrounding Karen’s alleged statements, and whether the injuries clearly pointed to a vehicle strike.
Witness-by-Witness Summaries
Witness #4 – Officer Mullaney – Canton P.D. Officer
Key summaries (Click arrow for more)
Connection to the case
Responding officer at 34 Fairview during the initial emergency response.
Summary Of Testimony
Officer Mullaney established the difficult weather conditions and Karen Read’s distressed appearance at the scene. On cross-examination, the defence focused on what Mullaney did not observe, particularly the absence of visible taillight fragments before the leaf blower was used and the absence of observations concerning Jennifer McCabe entering the house or conducting Google searches. His testimony became important to both the blizzard-condition narrative and the defence’s developing evidence-integrity argument.
Key evidence introduced!
- Nothing of note.
Witness #5 – Timothy Nuttall – Firefighter/Paramedic
Key summaries (Click arrow for more)
Connection to the case
Emergency responder who treated John O’Keefe at the scene.
Summary Of Testimony
Nuttall provided one of the prosecution’s first detailed medical-response accounts. He described finding John unresponsive, the CPR efforts, and hearing repeated “I hit him” statements allegedly made by Karen Read. The defence used cross-examination to challenge injury interpretation and introduce alternative causes for John’s facial injuries, while also probing the context in which the alleged statements were heard and discussed.
Key evidence introduced!
- Heard someone repeatedly say “I hit him, I hit him.”
- Swelling and blackening around John’s right eye.
Witness #6 – Anthony Flamatti – First Responder
Key summaries (Click arrow for more)
Connection to the case
Supervising fire department responder involved in life-saving efforts.
Summary Of Testimony
Flamatti expanded the prosecution’s emergency-response narrative by describing John’s severe physical condition, hypothermia, and Karen Read’s alleged repeated “I hit him” statements. Cross-examination focused on omissions in his reporting, uncertainty about when statements were made, and the context of his questioning to Karen. His testimony reinforced the prosecution’s scene narrative while also giving the defence material to challenge consistency and interpretation of the alleged admissions.
Key evidence introduced!
- Nothing of note.
Full report below!
Sources:
Karen Read, The Trial Channel, Youtube Channel, Playlist Available Online: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLq-6my_qlf-0jvEFFw_AGQcdNztW6HNp
