Key Testimony in Karen Read Trial Analysts Examine Evidence from Alleged Hit-and-Run

Murder In The Morning | Daily True Crime News

Prosecutors in the Karen Read trial presented key testimony from crime scene analysts on Monday, focusing on the SUV allegedly driven by Read when she backed into her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, and left him to die in a snowbank. The analysts described in detail the damage to Read's vehicle and the scene where O'Keefe's body was found. Maureen Hartnett, a crime lab analyst, examined Read's SUV a few days after O'Keefe's death. She observed a dent in the trunk door, scratches on the rear bumper, a broken taillight, a hair next to the taillight, and pieces of glass on the bumper.
Hartnett also analyzed O'Keefe's clothing and found red-brown stains and 13 rips and tears, particularly on the right sleeve.
Defense attorney Alan Jackson questioned Hartnett about the glass and hair found on the SUV, suggesting that they may have been planted. He asked Hartnett if the items were "just sitting" or "perched" on the SUV, despite the fact that it had been driven or towed roughly 50 miles in a snowstorm. Hartnett agreed with his characterization of the items' placement but declined to speculate about the travel involved.
Lt. Kevin O'Hara of the Massachusetts State Police helped search the area where O'Keefe was found and described finding six or seven pieces of a broken taillight and O'Keefe's sneaker in the snow.
However, he acknowledged that the scene was left unsecured for hours before the search.
The prosecution argues that the broken taillight fragments came from Read's SUV, which they say she used to back into and kill O'Keefe. The defense suggests that the evidence was planted by corrupt investigators, taking advantage of the unsecured crime scene.
Martha Coakley, former Massachusetts Attorney General, commented on the closing arguments, stating that "there are so many theories, pieces of evidence, ways in which the prosecution had to get evidence in, and the defense counsel has been aggressive in cross-examining, which is their job, in trying to defend their client."
As the trial continues, both sides will likely present more evidence and arguments to support their respective cases.
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