Karen Read lawyers say they have evidence police ‘distorted facts’ as she faces trial for murder of cop ex John O’Keefe
The attorneys representing murder suspect Karen Read assert they possess evidence that supports their defense of a cover-up.
Read stands accused of killing her boyfriend John O'Keefe, a Boston police officer, and has been formally charged with second-degree murder. Police reports allege that Read struck O'Keefe with her SUV after dropping him off at a house party in Canton, Massachusetts, during a snowstorm in January 2022.
Prosecutors argue that the 42-year-old abandoned O'Keefe to perish in the storm after an argument earlier that day, claiming O'Keefe had expressed that their relationship had reached its end.
However, Read and her legal team vehemently deny these accusations, asserting that she was not involved and is being framed as part of a cover-up scheme. The defense contends that O'Keefe was assaulted within the residence of Boston police officer Brian Albert and subsequently left outside in the snow.
Read's trial was initially scheduled for last week but has been postponed due to the delivery of over 3,000 pages of evidence from the US Attorney's Office to the prosecution.
During a recent hearing, Read's attorney Alan Jackson called for the dismissal of charges against his client, alleging that police investigators, including Canton Police Sgt. Michael Lank and Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor, distorted evidence. Jackson pointed out that these investigators had undisclosed relationships with witnesses involved in the case, a conflict that was not disclosed to the grand jury.
Jackson further referenced text messages exchanged between Proctor and a family member regarding childcare arrangements, suggesting a potential conflict of interest. He also highlighted a suspicious internet search made by one of the witnesses, querying "ho[w] long to die in cold," shortly before O'Keefe's death.
The defense attorney argued that these instances, along with the alleged planting of evidence such as fragments of Read's broken taillight, constitute a cover-up orchestrated to frame his client.
In response, prosecutors have vehemently denied any wrongdoing, stating that the defense's claims of a cover-up are baseless and aimed at diverting attention from the substantial evidence against Read.
Meanwhile, defense lawyer David Yannetti filed a motion to dismiss Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey from prosecuting the case, citing a video from August 2023 where Morrissey purportedly condemns witness harassment. Yannetti argues that Morrissey's involvement in the case is biased and calls for a neutral prosecutor for a fair trial.
As of now, Judge Beverly Cannone has not made a ruling on the motions presented.
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