Karen Read murder trial jury hears 911 calls on Day 5 of testimony from first responders
DEDHAM – Jurors in the Karen Read trial heard emotional 911 calls Monday as a second week of testimony continued in the Massachusetts murder case.
Read is charged with killing Boston police officer John O'Keefe, whose body was found outside a Canton home during a snowstorm.
The trial is taking place inside Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham.
Who is Karen Read?
Read, a 45-year-old woman from Massachusetts, was dating O'Keefe at the time of his death in 2022. Prosecutors say Read hit O'Keefe with her SUV and left him to die in the snow.
Read is charged with second-degree murder, leaving the scene of personal injury and death, and manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol
Read has pleaded not guilty and her attorneys say she is being framed as part of an elaborate coverup involving law enforcement.
911 calls played
Canton Police Sgt. Sean Goode, 17-year veteran of the department, took the stand Monday afternoon.
With Goode on the stand, the prosecution played a recording of when Kerry Roberts called 911 to report that Read could not find O'Keefe. The call took place around 5 a.m. on January 29, 2022. The call took place before O'Keefe was found, while Read, Roberts, and Jennifer McCabe searched for him.
Prosecutor Adam Lally then played a 911 call from 6:04 a.m. that day. The women had just found O'Keefe unresponsive on Fairview Road in Canton.
Members of O'Keefe's family could be seen crying in court while the calls were played.
Testimony revealed that Karen Read became suicidal in the hours that followed, and her father called police. "She was making suicidal threats to take her own life," Sgt. Goode said.
Outside court, Karen Read said she has heard the 911 calls many times before. "They're not easy, but they're revealing," Read said.
"Unique" crime scene
Earlier Monday, Canton Police Lt. Paul Gallagher testified about what he called a "unique" crime scene due to the falling snow.
Gallagher said he saw footprints in the snow around where O'Keefe's body was found, but did not see any others on the lawn of the home.
According to Gallagher, police opted to use a leaf blower to process the scene. He said detectives discovered a broken cocktail glass and blood in the snow.
On cross-examination, defense attorney Alan Jackson questioned why Gallagher did not take notes when he processed the scene.
Jackson also asked Gallagher about why police collected blood evidence from the snow in red Solo cups obtained from a neighbor, rather than using sterile evidence containers. The defense attempted to show that it could have been possible for the blood samples to be subject to cross-contamination.
Jackson also asked Gallagher why police did not search inside 34 Fairview Rd., which was owned by Brian Albert, a Boston police officer. Gallagher said they did not have probable cause.
There were also allegations from the defense that officers actually damaged the taillight of Read's SUV in the investigation. "During the removal process, that light was broken even more," Jackson said. "No," Gallagher responded, shaking his head.
The afternoon ended with Canton Police Sgt. Michael Lank on the stand, but without the jury present. He was questioned about a prior relationship with the homeowners of 34 Fairview Rd. It hasn't been decided if the previous relationship will be admitted in front of the jury.
Defense argues prior witness committed perjury
Canton firefighter-paramedic Katie McLaughlin testified over the course of two days last week. She said she heard Read repeatedly say "I hit him" outside Brian Albert's home in Canton where O'Keefe was found in the snow. The defense focused on McLaughlin's relationship with Albert's daughter, Caitlin.
McLaughlin said she went to high school with Caitlin Albert, but considers her an acquaintance more than a friend. Jackson showed McLaughlin pictures that he said showed her and Albert together on group beach trips.
Debate about the witness continued on Monday before the jury was inside the courtroom. Defense attorney David Yannetti said Read's team received a "deluge" of photographs over the weekend showing McLaughlin and Caitlin Albert together after high school. He argued the photos show they are friends.
"It's very clear that Katie McLaughlin perjured herself," Yannetti said. "My strong belief is that we need to determine this today, and the reason is that Caitlin Albert is coming up as a witness for the Commonwealth."
Judge Beverly Cannone said she will take up the issue either Monday or Tuesday before Caitlin Albert takes the stand.
What has happened so far in the Karen Read murder case?
Friday ended the first week of testimony in the trial.
In addition to McLaughlin, several other witnesses earlier in the week also testified that they heard Read say "I hit him." During cross-examination, Read's defense attorneys have tried to show that some of the first responders have given inconsistent statements about what they remember from the day O'Keefe's body was discovered.
After McLaughlin's testimony, jurors went to Albert's home and got a close up look at Read's Lexus SUV.