A confident Karen Read departed Norfolk Superior Court on Wednesday following a shortened week of testimony in her murder trial.
“I feel great,” Read told reporters. “I’m anxious, I’m ready to put on our case. We should be more robust than it was last year so I’m anxious for everyone to learn what we know.”
Read revealed the defense team is planning to call “more witnesses,” while building a case that is “broader and deeper” than her first trial last year.
She then turned her attention to testimony from Massachusetts State Police forensic scientist Christina Hanley regarding pieces of glass found on the bumper of her SUV by former investigator Michael Proctor.
“Nothing on the bumper matched the cup,” Read said. “One piece on the bumper matched a piece found the second week of February by the former trooper, Michael Proctor. So he found a piece at 34 Fairview allegedly that matched a piece of the glass on the bumper. Nothing else on the bumper matched the cup.”
When asked about Wednesday morning’s delay regarding an undisclosed “issue,” resulting in Judge Beverly Cannone speaking with each individual juror, Read waved it off.
“We’ve had these before,” Read said. “We just wait for the judge to evaluate, and let it play out and it all works out.”
Testimony in Read’s trial will resume Tuesday, with Cannone telling jurors the case is running ahead of schedule before dismissing them for a long weekend.
Karen Read and attorney Alan Jackson look at the empty jury box while listening to Judge Cannone during Read’s murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
Massachusetts State Police forensic scientist Christina Hanley testified on direct examination that microspec data from the plastic found on John O’Keefe’s clothing outside 34 Fairview matched the data from Karen Read’s SUV taillight – or “another source with the same characteristics.”
Defense attorney Alan Jackson then began cross-examining Hanley by looking to create doubt surrounding the origin of the pieces of plastic found on O’Keefe.
“You indicated that your analysis concluded that those pieces could have come from the same source – the taillight – but you’re not conclusively saying they did,” Jackson said. “Correct?”
“They could have a common origin,” Hanley said. “Or it could have come from another source with the same origin.”
Hanley testified that testing for biological debris on the plastic is “not [her] area of expertise,” but she would have noted any substances on the items – which she did not.
“Even though you’re not in the [biological] material expert section of the lab, you certainly would have noted if there was skin, biological material or obvious blood on glass pieces you were looking at,” Jackson said. “But they’re not, correct?””Yes,” Hanley said. “I would have made note of observations of anything that I would have noted on the surface.”
Jackson then pointed to the pieces of glass found on Read’s bumper being the only evidence matching an item found by former investigator Michael Proctor.
“The only piece of bumper glass to match anything else in your analysis matched what?” Jackson asked.
“[The bumper glass] was consistent with physical and instrumental properties [from] the sample that I took from [the glass recovered by Proctor],” Hanley said.
“Which is the single piece of glass recovered by Michael Proctor,” Jackson said. “Correct?”
“Yes,” Hanley said.
“But not a single piece of glass, nothing you analyzed coming from that bumper matched the cup,” Jackson said. “Did it?”
“There was no physical match comparison to the cup,” Hanley said.
Following Hanley’s testimony, Judge Beverly Cannone dismissed the jurors, with court set to resume on Tuesday.
Karen Read and her defense team watch jurors leave the courtroom during Read’s murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
Karen Read’s trial resumed Wednesday afternoon with Massachusetts State Police forensic scientist Christina Hanley returning to the witness stand for continued direct examination.
Before breaking for lunch, Hanley testified the pieces of plastic found on John O’Keefe’s clothing were concurrent with the broken taillight on Karen Read’s SUV – or “another source with the same characteristics.”
Pieces of red plastic taken as evidence are shown to the jury in Karen Read’s trial on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (Pool)
Massachusetts State Police forensic scientist Christina Hanley testified on direct examination that the pieces of plastic found on John O’Keefe’s clothing matched the broken taillight of Karen Read’s Lexus SUV, but noted the pieces could also be from a similar source.
“The red plastic from [the evidence] could have originated from the red plastic that I sampled from the taillight,” Hanley said. “Or from another source with the same characteristics.”
Judge Beverly Cannone then dismissed the jurors for a lunch break, with Hanley set to return to the stand this afternoon.
Following an updated ruling from Judge Beverly Cannone rolling back the buffer zone restrictions outside of the Norfolk Superior Courthouse, supporters of murder defendant Karen Read are reporting roadblocks after one protester was arrested Monday.
“[The buffer zone] was unconstitutionally implemented and it’s been unconstitutionally applied,” Marc Randazza, the attorney representing the protesters, told Fox News Digital.
Randazza blasted Cannone’s initial decision to extend the buffer zone around the perimeter of the courthouse , effectively blocking protesters from demonstrating outside the building.
“[Judge Beverly Cannone] implemented it in a way that violates the First Amendment,” Randazza said. “And then these troopers who might otherwise be honorable people, are not behaving honorably in respect to the zone.”
Randazza told Fox News Digital that one of his clients was arrested on trespassing charges while wearing a “Norfolk County is controlled by criminals” sweatshirt, with bystander footage showing state troopers leading the woman away in handcuffs.
“On [Monday], members of the State Police Troop H Community Action team arrested Erica Walsh, 38, of Charlestown for violating the most recent order from the court regarding the buffer zone in Commonwealth vs. Karen Read,” a spokesperson for the Massachusetts State Police said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Walsh was charged with one count of misdemeanor trespassing, one count of misdemeanor disturbing the peace, and one count of misdemeanor court/judge/juror picketing.”
Forensic scientist from the Mass. State Police Crime Lab, Christina Hanley, testifies at the the Karen Read trial, Tuesday, May 20, 2025 in Dedham, Mass. (Matt Stone/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)
Prosecutor Adam Lally called Massachusetts State Police forensic scientist Christina Hanley to the witness stand in Karen Read’s trial.
Hanley was responsible for testing glass evidence found at the crime scene outside 34 Fairview following John O’Keefe’s death on Jan. 29, 2022.
Brain surgeon Dr. Aizik Wolf testifies about the injuries to John O’Keefe during Karen Read’s murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
Brain surgeon Dr. Aizik Wolf testified on direct examination that John O’Keefe’s head injuries are “classic blunt trauma” and consistent with “soft tissue [hitting] a solid ground.”
“The only way he could get this kind of an injury was to fall backwards [and] hit the back of his head,” Wolf said. “Then the resulting energy forces [go] into his brain, into the base of his skull.”
Wolf testified O’Keefe did not die immediately after sustaining his head injuries, pointing to O’Keefe’s bruising caused by blood leakage within the skull referred to as “raccoon eyes.”
“I don’t think he died immediately,” Wolf said. “Neither hypothermia, nor this kind of head injury would kill you immediately.”
Following a short line of questioning from special prosecutor Hank Brennan and defense attorney Robert Alessi, Wolf was dismissed from the witness stand.
Brain surgeon Dr. Aizik Wolf testifies about the injuries to John O’Keefe during Karen Read’s murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
Following an unexpected pause to speak with the jurors in Karen Read’s trial on Wednesday morning, Judge Beverly Cannone called Court into session.
“I do need to stress for you that it is very very important that no one discusses this case,” Cannone told the jury. “Don’t let anyone talk to you about the case, no comments about the case. We’ve seen how hard the lawyers have worked to pull this case together for you and everybody has given it so much time. So please let’s make sure we follow that.”
Special prosecutor Hank Brennan then went on to call Dr. Aizik Wolf, a brain surgeon, to the witness stand.
Karen Read, right, and lawyer Elizabeth Little discuss developments during Read’s murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
Day 20 of Karen Read’s trial hit a snag Wednesday morning with Judge Beverly Cannone pausing proceedings to speak with each juror individually regarding an unspecified “issue.”
“I’m going to ask [that you] don’t speculate as to what I’m going to talk to you about,” Cannone told the jurors. “Please, when you go back to the deliberation room, talk about anything but this case and I’ll see each of you individually.”
While the reason remains unknown, the development does not necessarily mean a mistrial is imminent. Cannone declared a mistrial in Read’s first case last year after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
“This is almost certainly an individual voir dire of witnesses to determine if they have received [extraneous information], and if so, does it diminish their impartiality?” retired Massachusetts Superior Judge Jack Lu told Fox News Digital. “The reason I can predict this with certainty is because this is a standard drill.”
During jury selection, Cannone opted to empanel six alternate jurors, with most criminal cases only seating up to four.
“This distinguished judge very much anticipated this,” Lu said. “The reason we know this is because she empaneled 18, so there are many spare jurors. That’s a ton of jurors. She knew this would happen. Things are in good hands with Judge Cannone and this is an expected development. I am surprised it has not happened before this, with just one week left of [the] prosecution’s case.”
Judge Beverly Cannone gives instructions to clear the courtroom so she may interview jurors during the Karen Read murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
Judge Beverly Canonne called Court into session Wednesday morning by telling the jurors in Karen Read’s trial that she must speak with each of them individually alongside the attorneys at sidebar due to “an issue.”
“An issue has come to my attention that is going to make it necessary that I talk to each one of you individually over at sidebar with counsel,” Cannone said. “So that process will take a little while. I’m going to ask [that you] don’t speculate as to what I’m going to talk to you about. Please, when you go back to the deliberation room, talk about anything but this case and I’ll see each of you individually.”
Karen Read arrives for Day 20 of her trial at the Norfolk Superior Courthouse on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
Karen Read arrived alongside her defense team at the Norfolk Superior Courthouse for Day 20 of her murder trial.
The prosecution is expected to call Massachusetts State Police forensic scientist Christina Hanley to the witness stand for continued testimony regarding crime scene evidence in Read’s trial.
Digital forensics analyst Shanon Burgess looks up at defense attorney Robert Alessi during the Karen Read trial Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (Matt Stone/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)
Karen Read’s defense revved up its attacks on unexpected new expert findings Tuesday, which contradict the timeline they say proves she didn’t hit boyfriend John O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV and leave him to die in a blizzard in 2022.
Shanon Burgess, an expert on vehicle and phone data from the digital forensics firm Aperture, returned to the stand for a second day of brutal cross-examination with defense attorney Robert Alessi at the wheel.
Alessi pointed out inconsistencies in Burgess’ resume and revealed he got the dates wrong on a timeline that was supposed to be accurate “to the second.” And nothing in Burgess’ findings directly indicated that a fatal crash happened.
“As you sit here today, none of the information in that black box that you referred to on direct testimony indicates that there was a collision on Jan. 29,” Alessi said. “Does it?”
“Not by itself,” Burgess replied.
Special prosecutor Hank Brennan pumped the brakes when he returned for redirect questioning, asking the expert about flaws he had found in a previous analysis that indicated O’Keefe, a Boston police officer, was interacting with his iPhone after the time when prosecutors allege he was fatally struck by the defendant.
The math veered out of alignment, Burgess testified. A defense expert had relied on call logs to synchronize the internal clocks in Read’s Lexus SUV and O’Keefe’s iPhone.
But that doesn’t work, Burgess explained, because the expert used calls that Read made when her car was powered off, so the vehicle’s internal clock had nothing to do with them. Their timing was the product of the internal clock on her smartphone, which he said synced up with the Lexus the next time she turned it on.
Karen Read during her trial Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (Matt Stone/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)
Karen Read’s trial is resuming Wednesday with continued testimony from Massachusetts State Police forensic scientist Christina Hanley as the prosecution aims to further solidify its timeline.
Read is facing the possibility of life in prison for the alleged murder of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe.
The Commonwealth, led by special prosecutor Hank Brennan, alleges Read struck O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV in a drunken rage, leaving him to freeze to death in the front yard of 34 Fairview Road in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2022. Read’s defense team claims Read dropped O’Keefe off at a party that night and drove off, insisting she never hit O’Keefe with her vehicle.
