Karen Read case back in court for arguments on dog bite expert, trial schedule
DEDHAM - The Karen Read case is back in court Thursday for arguments about expert witnesses and discussion of when her second trial will begin.
Dog bite testimony in Karen Read case
New special prosecutor Hank Brennan filed a motion recently asking Judge Beverly Cannone to exclude expert testimony about an alleged dog attack from Read's second criminal trial. Defense witness Dr. Marie Russell, a California-based retired physician, testified at Read's first trial that she believed John O'Keefe's arm injuries were consistent with a dog attack.
Read's defense has suggested that the Albert family's German Shepherd could have attacked O'Keefe, who was found dead outside the family's home on Fairview Road.
Dr. Russell is due to appear in court for Thursday's hearing. The prosecution says she is not a qualified expert, arguing that her primary work on the issue is from 1996 and relates to police dogs.
The judge denied a similar motion during the first trial and allowed Dr. Russell to testify.
"There are multiple bites here"
Taking the stand again on Thursday, Dr. Russell used a laser pointer to highlight wounds on a picture of O'Keefe's arm.
"Those wounds were inflicted by a dog attack," she said.
Read's newest attorney Robert Alessi asked Dr. Russell, "why do you say it was a dog attack?"
"Because there are multiple bites here," Dr. Russell replied.
Karen Read's second trial date
Read's second trial was set to begin on Jan. 27. Her first criminal trial ended in a mistrial due to a "starkly divided" hung jury.
Both the prosecution and defense said they needed more time to prepare and jointly asked for the retrial to be delayed until April 1, 2025. The judge is asking for both sides to propose a scheduling order for the court to consider on Thursday.
Complicating the case is Read's appeal that is being weighed by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. She's trying to get some of the charges against her thrown out on double jeopardy grounds. The defense says some jurors came forward to say they actually decided to unanimously acquit Read on two of the three charges, but weren't sure how to communicate their decision to the judge.
Who is Karen Read?
Karen Read is a 44-year-old financial analyst who was living in Mansfield when prosecutors allege she hit and killed her boyfriend, John O'Keefe, with her SUV and left him to die during a snowstorm in Canton in January 2022.
Read 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.
The defense has argued Read is a victim of a coverup by several people, including law enforcement.
Karen Read trial latest
Judge Cannone last week ruled that prosecutions can have unedited and off-the-record recordings from magazine and TV interviews with Read and her family. Special prosecutor Brennan has said he plans to use the information at Read's retrial to show how her story has changed over time.
In a late November ruling, the judge sided with the defense to deny prosecutors access to Read's parents' cell phone records. Read's lawyer called the request an invasive "fishing expedition" from the prosecution.