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DEDHAM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — It was another fiery day of witness testimony in the Karen Read murder trial at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham Wednesday.
Prosecutors allege Read, 44, hit her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, with her SUV after a night out in Canton on Jan. 29, 2022 and left him to die in the snow outside the home of retired Boston police officer Brian Albert and his wife Nicole Albert.
Read has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges. Read's attorneys say she is the victim of an alleged frame job to protect the Albert family, a well-connected Canton family which also includes Canton Select Board member Christopher Albert and Canton detective Kevin Albert.
Read More: Karen Read Murder Trial Resumes With Day 13 Of Testimony
On Wednesday, jurors heard testimony for the third and final day from Jennifer McCabe, who was with Read when she discovered O'Keefe's body in the snow.
Defense attorney Alan Jackson grilled McCabe about the timing of google searches extracted from data on her cellphone that read "hos (sic) long to die in cold" and "how long ti (sic) die in cikd (sic)."
McCabe testified that after they found O'Keefe's body, Read asked her to look up hypothermia, prompting the search. The defense alleged McCabe made the search hours before O'Keefe's body was discovered.
The defense also questioned McCabe about why she met with Elizabeth Proctor, wife of lead investigator Michael Proctor, in 2023. McCabe said it was to discuss the harassment both women were experiencing.
After McCabe, Kerry Roberts took the stand. Roberts was a close friend of O'Keefe who was also with Read and McCabe when they found his body.
Roberts gave emotional testimony about Read frantically calling her the morning of Jan. 29 before they went looking for O'Keefe, then discovering O'Keefe in the snow and seeing the injuries on his body in the hospital.
Roberts testified that she remembered Read panicking at the scene outside the Canton home, asking if she hit O'Keefe and if he was dead.
The last witness testimony of the day came from a pair of sisters, Laura and Marietta Sullivan. Their testimony centered on a group trip to Aruba that included Read, O'Keefe, and the Sullivan sisters.
Laura Sullivan testified that Read accused O'Keefe of kissing Marietta, causing apparent tension.
Marietta testified that her whole family was close with O'Keefe, who was the godfather to her son. She recalled giving O'Keefe a hug at their hotel on New Year's Eve, which prompted Read to yell an obscenity at her from across the lobby.
According to Laura, Read approached her at the end of the trip, apologized for her behavior, and attempted to pay for part of Marietta's room.
The trial will resume on Friday.
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