Karen Read is currently on trial for the murder of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe. The nephew of the owners of the home where O’Keefe was found unresponsive in a snowbank, Colin Albert, took the witness stand on Thursday for the second day of his testimony. Albert faced intense cross-examination from Read’s defense attorney.
Prosecutors argue that Read killed O’Keefe by running him over with her SUV after dropping him off at a party in Canton. However, Read’s defense claims that O’Keefe actually died after a fight inside the house where the party took place and that she is being framed for his murder.
The defense team hopes to present Albert as a potential suspect in O’Keefe’s death. They believe he could have been involved in a drunken brawl that led to O’Keefe’s demise. Defense attorney Alan Jackson expressed his skepticism about Albert’s testimony, stating, “You don’t get to walk into court and sanitize the real person.”
Despite the defense’s claims, multiple witnesses have testified that O’Keefe never entered the house where he was found dead in the yard. Witnesses have also attested that Albert was not present when Read and O’Keefe arrived at the house in Read’s SUV.
Colin Albert, now a 20-year-old college student, testified that he left the party at his aunt and uncle’s house just as they were returning from their own celebration elsewhere. He left with his friend Allie McCabe, who confirmed his account and stated that she brought him back to his house.
Allie’s mother, Jennifer, was with Read when they discovered O’Keefe’s body. The defense has accused Jennifer of participating in a cover-up, which she denies. Allie recounted the harassment her family has faced from Read supporters, including people showing up at their house and emailing her school.
During cross-examination, the defense presented data from a tracking app used by Allie’s family, which showed that she returned to the area of Canton High School after dropping Colin off at home, contradicting her earlier testimony. However, Allie maintained that she went straight home after dropping him off.
In an attempt to challenge Colin’s credibility, the defense showed the jury a photo of him acting as the ring bearer in the wedding of Michael Proctor’s sister. Proctor served as the lead state police investigator in the Read case. Colin stated that Proctor interviewed him as part of the investigation but emphasized that his family is closer to Proctor’s sister, Courtney, rather than Michael himself.
The defense also presented a photo of Colin with bruises on his right knuckles, taken less than a month after O’Keefe’s death. Colin claimed that he obtained these bruises from slipping on an icy driveway, but he acknowledged that he had worked out with a punching bag at the gym.
Furthermore, the defense sought to admit two videos as evidence, in which Colin was involved in an argument with another group over a girl. In one video, he made threats of physical violence, saying, “I will beat your [expletive]. I will [expletive] you up.” The defense argued that these videos were relevant because they contradicted Colin’s earlier testimony about never being in a fight. The judge allowed the videos to be shown to the jury.
Despite these attempts to challenge Colin’s credibility, he maintained that he had never been in a fight and never threatened O’Keefe. He asserted that the videos were unrelated to the case.
Following Colin’s testimony, Matthew McCabe, Allie’s father, took the stand. He testified that he knew O’Keefe well and had met Read during the COVID-19 pandemic when O’Keefe brought her to swim in their pool. On the night of O’Keefe’s death, Matthew and his wife were giving directions to O’Keefe over the phone to help him find their house. He noted that he could not hear Read speaking during the call.
Matthew recalled seeing a dark-colored SUV arrive at the house but found it strange that neither O’Keefe nor Read entered. He observed the SUV outside for a few minutes before it moved further up the road. He saw it three or four times before it eventually disappeared from view. Matthew did not see anything in the yard when he left the house with his wife, and he went to bed at 2 a.m.
The trial will continue, with Matthew McCabe expected to return to the stand on Friday. The defense will continue its efforts to cast doubt on Read’s guilt and present alternative theories about O’Keefe’s death. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
