OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE IN DEDHAM TO EXPLAIN TODD ANTOINETTE AND DOUG. GOOD MORNING. JEN MCCABE HAS A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE. SHE WAS AT THE HOUSE PARTY IN CANTON, WHERE JOHN O’KEEFE WAS EVENTUALLY FOUND UNCONSCIOUS OUTSIDE, SO SHE WILL CONTINUE HER TESTIMONY TODAY. AND SHE IS PERHAPS THE MOST CRUCIAL WITNESS TO TESTIFY SO FAR IN THIS RETRIAL OF KAREN READ. MCCABE DESCRIBED YESTERDAY. SEEING KAREN READ SUV PULL UP OUTSIDE OF 34 FAIRVIEW ROAD AND CANTON, BUT NEVER SAW THE COUPLE COME INSIDE. SHE SAYS THE NEXT MORNING, SHE WOKE UP TO A FRANTIC PHONE CALL WHERE SHE COULD HEAR READ SCREAMING. SHE SAYS. READ REPEATEDLY ASKED IF SHE, MEANING READ, HIT OR COULD HAVE HIT O’KEEFE READ MCCABE. KERRY ROBERTS WENT LOOKING FOR HIM AND WHEN THEY GOT TO THE CANTON HOME, READ WAS THE FIRST TO SPOT O’KEEFE. IT WASN’T UNTIL I GOT VERY CLOSE OVER TO THEM THAT I SAW. I SAW. KERRY REMOVING THE SNOW FROM JOHN’S FACE. OH, I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY TO JEN. MCCABE WOULD SAY THE DASH CAM AND THE 911 CALLS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE SCENE WAS LIKE, JUST JUST WATCH THE VIDEO. DON’T TAKE ANYONE’S WORD FOR IT. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE. ALSO YESTERDAY, JUDGE BEVERLY CANNON RULED THAT SHE WILL ALLOW TWO CRASH RECONSTRUCTION EXPERTS TO TESTIFY FOR THE DEFENSE, BUT SHE’S CLEARLY FRUSTRATED THAT ONE OF THOSE WITNESSES DELETED TEXT MESSAGES WITH REID’S LAWYERS. BY WHAT THE JUDGE CALLS AN AMBUSH BY THE DEFENSE. AND WHEN JEN MCCABE RETURNS TO THE WITNESS STAND TODAY, WE EXPECT THAT SHE WILL BE ASKED QUITE A BIT ABOUT THE FAMOUS GOOGLE SEARCHES ON HER PHONE. IN ESSENCE, FOR HOW LONG TO DIE IN THE COLD AND CRITICALLY, THE TIMING OF THOSE SEARCHES. THAT IS CRITICAL FOR BOTH SIDES OF THIS CASE. REPORTING LIVE THIS MORNING AT NORFOLK SUPERIOR C
Key witness in Karen Read murder trial to return to stand
‘No more nonsense,’ judge told defense
Updated: 5:58 AM EDT Apr 30, 2025
A key witness in the retrial of Karen Read is scheduled to return to the stand Wednesday after Judge Beverly Cannone issued a stern ruling that could significantly impact the future of the case. Read, 45, of Mansfield, a former adjunct professor at Bentley University, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges in the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe. Her first trial ended with a hung jury.Jennifer McCabe described seeing Karen Read’s SUV pull up outside 34 Fairview Road, but she said she never saw the couple come inside. Video below: Jen McCabe testifies, ARCCA witness decisionMcCabe said the next morning she woke up to a frantic phone call during which she could hear Read screaming. She says Read repeatedly asked if she hit – or could have hit – O’Keefe.McCabe and Kerry Roberts went looking for O’Keefe, and when they got to the Canton home Read was the first to spot O’Keefe. “It wasn’t until I got very close over to them that I saw… I saw Kerry removing the snow from John’s face,” McCabe said.”Oh, I have nothing to say to Jen McCabe. I would say the dash cam and the 911 calls speak for themselves. If you want to know what the scene was like, just watch the video. Don’t take anyone’s word for it. Watch the video,” Read said outside the court after the day’s testimony. When McCabe returns to the stand Wednesday, she will likely be asked about a Google search on her phone for “how long to die in cold.”Cannone also ruled she will allow two witnesses from forensics and engineering firm ARCCA testify for the defense. The judge expressed her frustrated that one of the witnesses deleted text messages with Read’s lawyers, by what she called an ambush by the defense.”No more nonsense. Let’s just try this case,” Cannone said while announcing her decision to allow two controversial witnesses to testify for the defense. ARCCA employees Daniel Wolfe and Andrew Rentschler both testified during the first trial, where they were initially presented as independent experts but the company was later paid by the defense.A report on additional testing ARCCA conducted for the case is expected on May 7, and Cannone told the prosecution she would consider any requests that result from that report. Before she left the bench, Cannone admonished the defense to comply with future court orders.”I expect counsel to comply with all rulings and rules of the court and all rules of professional conduct,” she said. What to know about the case:Karen Read, 45, of Mansfield, pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges. The prosecution says she hit her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, with her vehicle outside of a home in Canton during a snowstorm on Jan. 29, 2022, following a night of drinking. The defense centered on allegations of a cover-up involving members of several law enforcement agencies. They say O’Keefe was beaten inside the home, bitten by a dog, and then left outside.Testimony in Read’s first trial began on April 29, 2024, following opening statements. It ended on July 1, when jurors reported being hopelessly deadlocked, and a mistrial was declared.Read’s team vowed to keep fighting, and her defense has waged a considerable battle across multiple courts, attempting to get charges dropped or have the case thrown out entirely. Meanwhile, a federal investigation into the case concluded without any charges being filed against police.Ultimately, jury selection for Read’s retrial began on April 1 and continued through April 15. Eighteen jurors were selected, and 12 of them will deliberate on the verdicts. Alternates will be selected and separated from the deliberating jurors before deliberations begin. Video below: Prosecution’s opening statementVideo below: Defense’s opening statement
CANTON, Mass. —A key witness in the retrial of Karen Read is scheduled to return to the stand Wednesday after Judge Beverly Cannone issued a stern ruling that could significantly impact the future of the case.
Read, 45, of Mansfield, a former adjunct professor at Bentley University, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges in the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe. Her first trial ended with a hung jury.
Jennifer McCabe described seeing Karen Read’s SUV pull up outside 34 Fairview Road, but she said she never saw the couple come inside.
Video below: Jen McCabe testifies, ARCCA witness decision
McCabe said the next morning she woke up to a frantic phone call during which she could hear Read screaming. She says Read repeatedly asked if she hit – or could have hit – O’Keefe.
McCabe and Kerry Roberts went looking for O’Keefe, and when they got to the Canton home Read was the first to spot O’Keefe.
“It wasn’t until I got very close over to them that I saw… I saw Kerry removing the snow from John’s face,” McCabe said.
“Oh, I have nothing to say to Jen McCabe. I would say the dash cam and the 911 calls speak for themselves. If you want to know what the scene was like, just watch the video. Don’t take anyone’s word for it. Watch the video,” Read said outside the court after the day’s testimony.
When McCabe returns to the stand Wednesday, she will likely be asked about a Google search on her phone for “how long to die in cold.”
Cannone also ruled she will allow two witnesses from forensics and engineering firm ARCCA testify for the defense.
The judge expressed her frustrated that one of the witnesses deleted text messages with Read’s lawyers, by what she called an ambush by the defense.
“No more nonsense. Let’s just try this case,” Cannone said while announcing her decision to allow two controversial witnesses to testify for the defense.
ARCCA employees Daniel Wolfe and Andrew Rentschler both testified during the first trial, where they were initially presented as independent experts but the company was later paid by the defense.
A report on additional testing ARCCA conducted for the case is expected on May 7, and Cannone told the prosecution she would consider any requests that result from that report.
Before she left the bench, Cannone admonished the defense to comply with future court orders.
“I expect counsel to comply with all rulings and rules of the court and all rules of professional conduct,” she said.
What to know about the case:
Karen Read, 45, of Mansfield, pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges. The prosecution says she hit her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, with her vehicle outside of a home in Canton during a snowstorm on Jan. 29, 2022, following a night of drinking.
The defense centered on allegations of a cover-up involving members of several law enforcement agencies. They say O’Keefe was beaten inside the home, bitten by a dog, and then left outside.
Testimony in Read’s first trial began on April 29, 2024, following opening statements. It ended on July 1, when jurors reported being hopelessly deadlocked, and a mistrial was declared.
Read’s team vowed to keep fighting, and her defense has waged a considerable battle across multiple courts, attempting to get charges dropped or have the case thrown out entirely. Meanwhile, a federal investigation into the case concluded without any charges being filed against police.
Ultimately, jury selection for Read’s retrial began on April 1 and continued through April 15. Eighteen jurors were selected, and 12 of them will deliberate on the verdicts. Alternates will be selected and separated from the deliberating jurors before deliberations begin.
Video below: Prosecution’s opening statement
Video below: Defense’s opening statement
