Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Testimony on Day 20 of Karen Read's murder re-trial has ended for the day.
Read is accused of hitting her boyfriend John O’Keefe with her car and leaving him to die outside of a home in Canton on Jan. 29, 2022. The defense claims Read was framed.
There was a delayed start to Karen Read’s retrial on Wednesday, after Judge Beverly Cannone said there was an issue that came to her attention.
Just after everyone gathered in Norfolk Superior Court at around 9:30, Cannone said she had to speak to each juror individually in a sidebar with attorneys for both sides.
"Don't speculate as to what I'm going to talk to you about," Cannone said. "Please when you go back to the deliberation room, talk about anything but this case, and I'll see each of you individually."
It’s unclear what the issue was that came to Cannone’s attention, but she told jurors "I do need to stress for you that it's very very important that no one discuss this case, don't let anyone talk to you about the case, no comments about the case. You've seen how hard the lawyers have worked to pull this case together for you and everybody has given it so much time so please let's make sure that we follow that.”
Court resumed around 11 a.m., with the prosecution calling neurosurgeon Dr. Aizik Wolf to the stand.
Following Wolf's testimony, Christina Hanley, a forensic expert with the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab, picked back up with her testimony from Tuesday. Included in her testimony today, Hanley confirmed the names of the investigators on the evidence bags she was provided.
She confirmed State Police Sergeant Yuri Bukhenik and former state trooper Michael Proctor were noted on evidence envelopes.
Wednesday was scheduled to be the last day of testimony for the week. Due to the holiday, testimony is scheduled to resume on Tuesday, May 27.
Judge Cannone said the trial is running ahead of schedule.
The defense team has said it expects the prosecution to rest its case by next week