Karen Read Murder Trial

[mae0111]

Has anyone been following this?  It's a case in MA where a woman stands accused of backing into her police officer boyfriend, John O'keefe, and leaving him to die in a blizzard back in January of 2022.  She's on trial for for 2nd degree murder, but there are a TON of anomalies with the case, accusations of planted evidence, conspiracy, etc.

Yesterday the lead investigator (who is currently under internal and Federal investigation for his actions in this case) was forced to read his texts to his friends and colleagues on the stand.  He called the defendant a "whack job", C-word, f'in R-word, made fun of her medical conditions (she has Crohns, MS, and a brain tumor) and said he wished she would unalive herself and make his life easier.  He also read texts that indicate that he and his colleagues routinely strongarm the medical examiner into determining the "correct" causes of death. He is still on active duty, investigating crime scenes for the MA State Police and the DA's office.  

There is a particularly offensive blogger/reporter that has picked up this story and is firmly in the camp that Karen Read.  By trying to uncover the truth and being aggressive with the people that are likely responsible for Officer O'Keefe's death (many are other Boston police officers, ATF agents, Mass State Police, etc), he is facing felony witness intimidation charges. I don't care for him or the way he addresses anyone, really, but one thing about him... he's usually right. 

This will be made into a Netflix series, and will become a case study taught in law schools - I'm certain of it.  It's an extremely interesting case if anyone is interested.  It's wild.

There is a ton of information out there.  The best I've found that started neutral and, as the case has gone on, have moved more toward her innocence, are Brandi Churchwell and Melanie Little.  Brandi Churchwell put together full timelines and spreadsheets of who is involved and when.  Her podcast does a good job with an overview.  Vinnie Politan on CourtTV has also been covering it - he started neutral and now can't believe what a circus this has become.

I haven't really found anyone sane or credible in the other camp.  I'd really like to, so if anyone is following this and feels like there's a good opposing view for me to look at, I'd love to see it!

[pixy0stix]

AP News article for context - apnews.com/article/karen-read-officer-death-boston-officer-testimony-14ed255442a844b3c2d51e50e0549a9b?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share

[bcv513]

I've watched every day of the trial. I don't know if she did it, but I think if she did it was an accident. But there is no way I can see how the jury can convict her. There is reasonable doubt all over the place. The cops collected blood evidence in red solo cups from the house!

[mae0111]

bcv513, I agree... so much reasonable doubt. No one secured the crime scene. Tiny drops of blood in solo cups... but supposedly he lost 3L of blood... where was all of the blood if he died there?? What happened to Chloe?? Life 360 and Cellebrite are only wrong in Canton MA... it's all so crazy...

[onomatopoeia]

Jun 11, 2024 10:54:38 GMT -5 bcv513 said:

I've watched every day of the trial. I don't know if she did it, but I think if she did it was an accident. But there is no way I can see how the jury can convict her. There is reasonable doubt all over the place. The cops collected blood evidence in red solo cups from the house!

This is exactly where I'm at, based on what I've read/watched. I think she did it, I think it was a drunken accident, I think the cops and investigators are all morons, and I think she'll be acquitted because of that.

[mae0111]

onomatopoeia, bcv513, what do you think about all of the witnesses destroying cell phone just before/after the preservation order? That feels so off to me. Can't be a coincidence...

[tamarindy]

I’ve watched it most days of the trial in the background while I work. The only thing I *think* I know for certain is that a jury cannot convict with reasonable doubt everywhere you look, or at least I hope not.

I am not sold 100% on a coverup/conspiracy but it wouldn’t surprise me much, if that makes sense.

This whole thing will make a great movie/doc/whatever so I can’t wait for that!

[bcv513]

Jun 11, 2024 11:11:12 GMT -5 mae0111 said:

onomatopoeia , bcv513 , what do you think about all of the witnesses destroying cell phone just before/after the preservation order? That feels so off to me. Can't be a coincidence...

Definitely not a coincidence. 

[bcv513]

I have to say, I haven't been impressed with the judge, but yesterday she was amazing. Trooper Proctor tried to spell out the words he called Karen Read and the judge said "Those are your words, you can say them out loud."

[starburst604]

It's wild. It's a town over from me so it's really all anyone talks about right now. I knew a lot of it from the aforementioned trash blogger but even more has come out in the actual trial. I really don't know what to think but these people seem fishy, and I think there will be enough reasonable doubt that she'll be acquitted.

[mae0111]

For the love of suffering Jesus, the CW still has 31 witnesses on their list. I feel like this trial will still be going on as I'm wrapping Christmas gifts.

[fluffycookie]

This is a town over from me. There are just way too many anomalies in the case - the inverted video of the car, the tail light evidence being found by the police chief (who was out on medical leave) days later who was just driving by and pieces being found over multiple days.

[mae0111]

I do have to say this... the O'Keefes are just a really, really nice group of people. My heart breaks for John's parents, his niece/nephew that he had been caring for for years, and his brother. I know the family peripherally, and they've been through so much heartache. Their DD's death was quick and devastating... then their son-in-law died suddenly 2 months later, and John took those kids in without a second thought.

The whole thing is tragic. Those kids have been through so much, the O'Keefes have been through so much, the Reads have been through so much. Guilty or not, her life as she knew it is over - lost her jobs/career... she was the primary caregiver for the kids for 2 years - she managed their schooling and stayed with them through COVID since John had to go to work... It's just all terrible.

And there will likely be no justice for John.

[meanie]

I just posted in the ML randoms, I have been watching the trial days and recaps on the Legalbytes YT channel (I think she does a good job explaining trial stuff and being generally unbiased).

Everyone I know thinks she will be found not guilty, either because they don't think she did it or (more often) because there is so much reasonable doubt.

Trooper Proctor conducted himself in such a disgusting way, it is embarrassing. I don't know how the prosecution is going to get past his testimony, it is just so, so bad.

I am in MA and people are obsessed with this case, understandably so. I do agree that the tragedy of John O'Keefes death is getting lost in the insanity of this trial though, I hope his family can get justice for him but I am not sure they ever will.

[devonpow]

This is the weirdest case. I’ve been following it/watching it. I just don’t understand why she was charged at all. I mean, with her purposefully hitting him. I think the original charge of DUI and accidentally hitting him was the way to go. I think it’s the most likely scenario. Then the police there, who have admitted they rarely investigate cases like this and it would have typically gone to the state police, did a shitty and massively inexperienced investigation. Then asshole blogger* got involved and it turned in to an allegation of a truly massive coverup and scandal. So all the people being accused of murder and cover ups then got incredibly offended and defensive, thus looking /acting angry and defensive on the stand etc etc etc etc. They were literally all driving drunk - one person got hit and left outside accidentally. That just seems the Occam’s razor explanation. The police have certainly not shown themselves to be good at their job in any way shape or form - but a huge cover up involving SO many people is just…unlikely

* that blogger is a terrible person. He target a trans student at our school earlier. Named her by name - a CHILD - said disgusting things about her and it was all picked up by national media. He’s a piece of shit on many levels. He says things purely for shock value. The fact that he’s the one leading the cover up story makes it more unbelievable in my opinion

[livinitup]

I started following only after the 1st prosecutor’s witnesses (LEO investigating) was destroyed on the stand. Even then, I was all “I’ll wait until all the documents and witnesses get sorted and after the verdict” to get interested because this might just look messy but not be messy.

But then it got so, so bad. Because if the timeline and evidence doesn’t line up for a path to conviction, then all this evidence was manufactures, in real time, by the LE investigating it. And why would LE do that - so quickly? Other than to cover up for how he was murdered. AND THAT GOT ME HOOKED.

[mae0111]

devonpow, I guess where I'm struggling with her hitting him is the FBI investigation... their findings were that Karen Read's car did not hit a person, and John O'Keefe was not hit by a car.

His knuckles were all banged up, possibly had a boxer's fracture (I've heard conflicting reports there).

His arm looks like the result of a dog attack.

I think that 1-2 people in the house fought with him after everyone had been drinking... or the jumpy dog attacked him... and then everyone panicked and covered it up. I don't think they lured him there. I don't think anyone planned on jumping him. But allll of the scrambling to cover... Life 360 is suddenly inaccurate... Cellebrite, which is the gold standard for law enforcement for cell phones, is suddenly inaccurate...

I agree, TB is 100% a despicable person. He has been horrible to the O'Keefe family. I followed his stories on this, but now that so many others are covering it, I get information elsewhere and I watch the trial.

[sparkythelawyer]

Jun 11, 2024 14:27:13 GMT -5 devonpow said:

This is the weirdest case. I’ve been following it/watching it. I just don’t understand why she was charged at all. I mean, with her purposefully hitting him. I think the original charge of DUI and accidentally hitting him was the way to go. I think it’s the most likely scenario. Then the police there, who have admitted they rarely investigate cases like this and it would have typically gone to 

I'll bet one million monopoly dollars that if he hadn't been a cop there would be no charges at all.  

[sparkythelawyer]

What is infuriating is that because of they Keystone Cops way this investigation was handled, Mr. O'Keefe's family will never really know what happened when he died. As someone who will never really know what happened the day my loved one died - you don't just get over that. But because these cops bungled every ounce of this, that's what these cops are leaving this guy.

[shopgirl07]

I think it’s pretty obvious that she was shitfaced, driving in a blizzard and hit him. The conspiracy theories are ridiculous, but I guess that’s par for the course these days.

That said, she was overcharged. They should have charged her with DUI manslaughter, or whatever the equivalent charge is. There’s no way she’ll be found guilty of murder.

[pixy0stix]

Jun 11, 2024 16:45:04 GMT -5 shopgirl07 said:

I think it’s pretty obvious that she was shitfaced, driving in a blizzard and hit him. The conspiracy theories are ridiculous, but I guess that’s par for the course these days.

That said, she was overcharged. They should have charged her with DUI manslaughter, or whatever the equivalent charge is. There’s no way she’ll be found guilty of murder.

As someone who just clued in today, this is my take. With a dash of, they manufactured evidence to make sure she was put away. So she did it, the cops made up shit to make sure the charges stuck, and here we are.

[mae0111]

Jun 11, 2024 17:06:20 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Jun 11, 2024 16:45:04 GMT -5 shopgirl07 said:

I think it’s pretty obvious that she was shitfaced, driving in a blizzard and hit him. The conspiracy theories are ridiculous, but I guess that’s par for the course these days.

That said, she was overcharged. They should have charged her with DUI manslaughter, or whatever the equivalent charge is. There’s no way she’ll be found guilty of murder.

As someone who just clued in today, this is my take. With a dash of, they manufactured evidence to make sure she was put away. So she did it, the cops made up shit to make sure the charges stuck, and here we are.

If you go back a bit, you’ll find a lot of strange happenings in this beyond manufacturing/planting evidence.

Witnesses destroying phones 1 day before a preservation order was handed down.

“witnesses” googling “how long to die in cold” hours before Mr O’Keefe was found.

Witnesses claiming that Life360 manufactured a minor driving all around the town in the middle of the night.

Witnesses taking a SIM card out of his phone, driving to a military base, tossing his SIM card in one dumpster and his phone in another WHILE a preservation order was in place.

Witnesses butt dialing each other and the deceased repeatedly in the middle of the night… calling Me O’Keefes phone over and over… almost like they were trying to locate it…
It’s… insane.

[susiebw]

Maybe it's because its in Boston, but this whole thing reads like the plot of a Dennis Lehane novel come to life.  Like, every detail.  It's bananas.

[scm1011]

Jun 12, 2024 12:07:17 GMT -5 susiebw said:

Maybe it's because its in Boston, but this whole thing reads like the plot of a Dennis Lehane novel come to life.  Like, every detail.  It's bananas.

Lol for real. I could see Ben Affleck making it into a movie.

[bcv513]

Jun 12, 2024 12:39:55 GMT -5 scm1011 said:

Jun 12, 2024 12:07:17 GMT -5 susiebw said:

Maybe it's because its in Boston, but this whole thing reads like the plot of a Dennis Lehane novel come to life.  Like, every detail.  It's bananas.

Lol for real. I could see Ben Affleck making it into a movie.

He could play Higgins or Proctor lol

[starburst604]

Jun 12, 2024 12:39:55 GMT -5 scm1011 said:

Jun 12, 2024 12:07:17 GMT -5 susiebw said:

Maybe it's because its in Boston, but this whole thing reads like the plot of a Dennis Lehane novel come to life.  Like, every detail.  It's bananas.

Lol for real. I could see Ben Affleck making it into a movie.

Cue the Dropkick Murphy's theme song! I think no matter which way it goes for Karen, this will become a Netflix series akin to Making a Murderer.

I feel awful for the O'Keefe family.

[livinitup]

The major news sources reporting on this trial is so glaringly slanted to the prosecution (obviously, that’s how trials always get reported) as to be laughable as an actual accounting of what’s happening at trial - during cross examination, deliberately doctored videos, wildly inaccurate time lines, etc.

I tried to find a news article because my cousin recently became interested and nothing reports why everyone is buzzing about this trial.

[starburst604]

Jun 12, 2024 13:52:52 GMT -5 livinitup said:

The major news sources reporting on this trial is so glaringly slanted to the prosecution (obviously, that’s how trials always get reported) as to be laughable as an actual accounting of what’s happening at trial - during cross examination, deliberately doctored videos, wildly inaccurate time lines, etc.

I tried to find a news article because my cousin recently became interested and nothing reports why everyone is buzzing about this trial.

There is a ton about it on TikTok, but I agree, the regular media isn't really touching it. Back when TB started reporting about it, I figured they weren't going to touch anything he was reporting, and for good reason, but I thought they would jump on the sensationalizing once it played out in the courtroom. 

[meanie]

Boston.com has had an article for every trial day I think, but the best way to get caught up is probably one of the millions of YT channels doing recap videos. It's weird that this is so big on social media but nowhere else really on a national level.

[mcppalmbeach]

Yeah this story is absolutely crazy. I agree that the Occam’s razor theory is that she did it, but I do not understand the others behavior.

All I can think about is his poor niece and nephew.