Jurors Visit Home in Canton Where John O'Keefe Was Found Dead in Karen Read's Retrial

Jurors in Karen Read’s retrial are slated to visit the Canton home where the Mansfield woman’s Boston police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, was found dead in the snow in January 2022.

It is alleged that Read hit O'Keefe with her SUV and abandoned him to perish during a severe snowstorm near a residence where another law enforcement officer, Brian Albert, was hosting a gathering after an evening of alcohol consumption. She faces charges including second-degree murder, manslaughter for driving under the influence, and fleeing the accident scene.

Following Judge Beverly Cannone of the Norfolk Superior Court The judge released the jury prematurely on Thursday, which was the third day of hearings, due to "confusion" surrounding the witnesses. On Friday, the jurors will leave the courthouse and be transported via bus to 34 Fairview Road. This location is where Mr. O'Keefe's body was discovered, allowing them to assess how close it was to the road and the house.

The SUV driven by Read during the incident where she reportedly hit O'Keefe while dropping him off on that rainy winter evening is also anticipated to be present at the location. The jury in Read's initial trial observed the car earlier this spring.

As jurors prepare to head south from Dedham to Canton on a field trip, at least one witness is scheduled to appear in court. Dr. Garrey Faller is anticipated to explain the processes and protocols involved in the analysis of blood serum samples.

Before Cannone dismissed the jurors early, they were played interview excerpts that featured Read talking about her drinking habits In the time leading up to O'Keefe's death, she was also seen discussing drinking and driving.

"I was more hazy than I should have been if I hadn’t consumed alcohol," Read stated in one of the video snippets.

Additionally, on Thursday, members of the jury were read and displayed a series of controversial text messages that Read exchanged with O’Keefe in the hours before his death.

Massachusetts State Police Officer Michael Guarino, who specializes in digital forensics, provided a Cellbrite data record of the messages as requested by special prosecutor Hank Brennan.

In the course of investigating O'Keefe's death, Guarino stated that he was assigned to retrieve information from cell phones owned by Read, O'Keefe, and additional witnesses involved in the case, following the instructions given by his superiors. recently dismissed head detective Michael Proctor.

The prosecutors claim that the texts indicate their relationship was tense and dysfunctional.

The messages indicated that the pair seemed to be talking about an argument they had earlier that day and were attempting to reconcile.

In one message, Read stated, "Could you please acknowledge that your mind isn’t with us anymore?" To which O'Keefe replied, “I’m tired of constantly debating and clashing. This has happened every week for several months.”

View all the texts in the video player below:

According to prosecutors, Read deliberately drove his vehicle into O'Keefe after dropping him off at a house party; he then found O'Keefe deceased upon returning several hours later. However, the defense argues that she was ensnared in an extensive police conspiracy and asserts that O'Keefe died from injuries inflicted by another law enforcement official during the gathering.

A mistrial was declared last year after jurors said they were at an impasse and deliberating further would be futile.

Read has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death.

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