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DEDHAM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The defense rested its case in the Karen Read murder trial Monday after only two days of witness testimony.
Read, 44, is charged with second degree murder in the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe. Read is accused of hitting O'Keefe with her SUV and leaving him to die in the snow after a night out in Canton on Jan. 29, 2022.
Read's defense team argues that she is the victim of a cover-up involving law enforcement.
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The first defense witness to take the stand Monday was Dr. Frank Sheridan, a retired medical examiner and forensic pathologist. Sheridan said the injuries to O'Keefe's arm were "friction injuries" and were sustained before death.
When asked if O'Keefe's injuries were consistent with being hit by a vehicle, Sheridan responded, "It doesn't look remotely like that at all."
Sheridan also testified that the arm injuries were consistent with an animal attack, most likely a dog. This was similar to Friday's testimony from retired ER physician Dr. Marie Russell, who also said the injuries on O'Keefe's arm were consistent with an animal attack.
When asked if O'Keefe's injuries were consistent with being hit by a car at 24 mph, Sheridan said, "No, I don't think so."
Sheridan also testified that O'Keefe's injuries could be consistent with a physical altercation. He specifically pointed out his head injury and other lacerations and scrapes on his face, as well as bruises on the back of his right hand.
The next person to take the stand was Dr. Daniel Michael Wolfe, Director of Accident Reconstruction at the forensic engineering consulting firm ARCCA.
Wolfe testified that his firm was hired by an outside agency to analyze the damage to Read's SUV. The third party in question was the FBI and Department of Justice. However, the jury was not permitted to know specifically who had hired the firm.
Wolfe said after performing a reconstruction of the accident, it was determined the damage was not consistent with a pedestrian accident.
The defense asked Wolfe if the damage to the SUV's tail light was consistent with striking O'Keefe in the head or arm. Wolfe said it was not.
After a morning recess, the final witness of the day and the trial was Dr. Andrew Rentschler, a biomechanical engineer and accident reconstructionist with ARCCA.
Rentschler testified about analyzing the evidence of the crash, including where O'Keefe's body was found and the damage to the SUV, and determining whether there was enough force from Read's broken tail light to cause O'Keefe's injuries.
Rentschler said if the SUV was going 15 mph or more, one would expect upwards of 1,000 pounds of force, which would cause "significant injuries." O'Keefe only suffering a head injury was not consistent with being hit by a broken tail light, according to Rentschler.
He also said the test they conducted showed greater damage to the tail light than the damage found on Read's SUV.
Rentschler testified that if the SUV's tail light struck someone while going 24 mph, one would expect to see fractures, deep contusions, and lacerations, rather than just the abrasions found on O'Keefe's arm.
Closing arguments are set to begin Tuesday. The jury will receive the case for deliberations shortly after.
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