DEDHAM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Day 2 of testimony has ended in Karen Read’s second murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass.

Read is accused of hitting her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, and leaving him to die in the snow on Jan. 29, 2022, in Canton, Mass.

Read More: Karen Read Retrial: Jury Hears Opening Statements, Witness Testimony

On Tuesday, the prosecution and defense delivered their opening statements and two witnesses took the stand. Kerry Roberts, who testified that she helped Read search for O’Keefe, returned to the stand Wednesday morning.

Kerry Roberts Returns to the Stand

When Roberts took the stand, Special Prosecutor Hank Brennan showed the court Ring camera footage of Read, Roberts and Jennifer McCabe entering Read’s home on the morning O’Keefe’s body was found. Roberts testified that she told Read, "I don't think you hit him," as Read showed her the broken taillight.

Brennan also asked her to recall the drive from Read’s home to 34 Fairview Road, where O'Keefe's body was ultimately found. Roberts said she had to tell Read to “shut up” multiple times while driving the vehicle, adding, “you couldn’t control her.”

While Roberts was performing CPR on O’Keefe’s body, she testified that Read “was running around," saying, "Did I hit him? Did I hit him? Is he dead?”

Roberts recalled driving to O’Keefe’s family’s home in Braintree, Mass., to bring Peggy O’Keefe and John O’Keefe Sr. to the hospital. Upon arriving at the hospital, she said O’Keefe’s condition had gotten much worse and there was “much more blood.”

After describing the hospital visit, Roberts was asked to detail her communication with authorities in the wake of O’Keefe’s death. She said she reached out to the District Attorney’s office, Massachusetts State Police (MSP) Trooper Yuri Bukhenik, and her victim advocate, Steve Nelson.

Roberts said she was interviewed by police at her house on Jan. 29, 2022. Then, a second interview took place while she was over at McCabe’s house. Roberts said they were not friends prior to the incident, but became close friends afterwards.

“We were making a timeline together when two law enforcement [officers] showed up to question her. But I happened to be there, so they took us in separate rooms and questioned us,” said Roberts.

Judge Beverly Cannone called for morning recess as Brennan was showing a video of first responders at the scene when O’Keefe’s body was found.

Kerry Roberts Cross-Examination

Attorney Alan Jackson started cross-examining Roberts shortly after the court resumed. He asked her about the extent of her communication with authorities. She said she had spoken to officials at the Norfolk County District Attorney’s office on dozens of occasions and communicated with Bukhenik “probably 20” times.

Jackson later turned to the part of Roberts' testimony where she described Read pointing out the broken taillight. He said there is no record of Roberts mentioning a taillight until a second interview on Feb. 1, 2022, though Roberts could not recall the date herself.

“In your very first conversation with those two troopers on Jan. 29, you didn’t mention anything about a taillight, or a cracked taillight, or having seen a cracked taillight, did you?” said Jackson.

“No, I did not. I did not want to accuse anyone of anything,” said Roberts.

Jackson also questioned what Roberts had previously told a grand jury about the course of events once they found O’Keefe’s body. Much of his focus was on the timeline created by Roberts and McCabe, and the difference in reports when she spoke to various law enforcement agencies.

Roberts said she did not hear Read ask McCabe to “Google hypothermia”, but she “was told [Read] asked that.” Jackson claimed that she falsely testified that she heard Read ask the question when interviewed by Norfolk County District Attorney Adam Lally.

“So what you told the grand jurors was, in fact, false,” said Jackson.

“I misunderstood Mr. Lally’s question,” said Roberts.

Peggy O’Keefe Takes the Stand

When the court returned from a lunch break, John’s mother, Peggy O’Keefe, took the stand. While she was present in the courtroom throughout the initial trial, she did not testify.

Through teary eyes, Peggy detailed how John took care of his sister’s two children after she died of cancer in 2013. Peggy was also asked about the phone call with Read while she, Roberts and her husband were headed to the hospital.

“I asked what happened and she said, ‘We went to a party. I left him there.’ I said, ‘You just left him there?’ She said, ‘Yes, I just left him there,’” said Peggy.

According to Peggy’s testimony, the next interaction with Read was at the hospital, when Read asked her if O’Keefe was dead. She said she did not speak to Read during the interaction but remembered asking the nurse why Read was there.

Once she returned from the hospital, she said Read showed up with her father and brother, looking to grab some of Read’s things. She let them go upstairs while she tried to “calm the kids.”

“I never should’ve let them go up there, but at the time, I just couldn’t think straight and I really didn’t have anyone else to help me keep them down in the kitchen, so I don’t know what they got up there [or] what they did in there,” said Peggy.

When Brennan was finished asking questions, Jackson elected not to cross-examine Peggy.

“Mrs. O’Keefe, I’m very, very sorry for your loss. I have no questions for you,” said Jackson.

MSP Trooper Nicholas Guarino Takes the Stand

The third testimony of the day came from Trooper Nicholas Guarino, who is a forensic expert for MSP. He testified that he was involved in extracting and reviewing phone data from O'Keefe, Read, McCabe and Roberts.

Canton Firefighter Daniel Whitley Called

Canton firefighter/paramedic Daniel Whitley was called next and was asked what happened after he and his colleagues were called to the scene of O'Keefe's death. Whitley described what he remembers about taking Read to the hospital. He said Read was resistant to some of the hospital staff's requests as she was being evaluated.

Defense attorney David Yannetti then started Whitley's cross-examination.

Following Yanetti/Cannone Sidebar, Jury Dismissed

Yannetti asked to speak with Cannone at a sidebar.

After the sidebar, she told the lawyers, "I would like to move things along a little bit more expeditiously tomorrow."

After that, she dismissed the jury.

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