Testimony resumed on Friday afternoon in the highly anticipated Karen Read murder trial, with jurors visiting the location in Canton where the body of Boston police officer John O’Keefe was discovered in a snowbank in 2022. Before the visit, jurors heard additional testimony from Canton Paramedic and Firefighter Katie McLaughlin, who had taken the stand the previous day. The trial, taking place at Norfolk Superior Court, saw the prosecution call firefighters Gregory Woodbury, Daniel Whitley, and Jason Becker to testify.
Karen Read, a 44-year-old resident of Mansfield, pleaded not guilty to several charges, including second-degree murder, after being accused of killing O’Keefe, her then-boyfriend. Prosecutors alleged that Read hit him with her car during an argument and left him to die in the snowbank. However, Read’s defense team claimed that O’Keefe was beaten inside the home where his body was found and argued that their client was being framed, suggesting a cover-up involving multiple law enforcement agencies.
During the trial, jurors were taken to the site where O’Keefe’s body was discovered. They also had the opportunity to see Karen Read’s Lexus, which had a broken taillight, parked nearby. The firefighters’ testimonies mainly focused on the alleged comments made by Read at the crime scene. McLaughlin’s testimony, in particular, drew scrutiny during cross-examination, as the defense attempted to challenge her recollection of events.
Judge Beverly Cannone and the lawyers in the case accompanied the jurors on a bus to Canton for their site visit. Cannone reminded jurors not to take notes or photographs and emphasized that they should refrain from conducting any independent investigations. Meanwhile, a 200-foot buffer zone remained in effect outside the courthouse. The state Supreme Judicial Court had upheld the order to establish the buffer zone, striking a balance between protesters’ right to demonstrate and the defendant’s right to a fair trial.
As the trial continues, updates regarding the proceedings and any new developments will be provided by 7NEWS.
