Final Witness Testifies in Murder Trial of Karen Read

CANTON, Massachusetts — The murder trial of Karen Read resumed on Wednesday with key testimony from crash reconstruction expert Dr. Judson Welcher, who is expected to be the final prosecution witness before they rest their case.

Read, 45, is accused of fatally hitting her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, with her SUV in January 2022 and leaving him in the snow to die outside a home in Canton. Her defense claims that she was a victim of a police conspiracy and that O’Keefe suffered fatal injuries from another officer at the party.

Welcher continued his testimony from the prior day, during which he detailed the mechanics of the SUV’s movements and how they relate to the evidence at the scene. He testified that data from Read’s Lexus SUV indicated that it reversed at about 24 miles per hour for at least 54 feet, aligning with the time O’Keefe’s phone ceased to show movement.

The cross-examination, led by defense attorney Bob Alessi, focused on the significance and reliability of Welcher’s findings. Alessi challenged whether the vehicle could have traveled certain distances based on the vehicle’s speed and location at the time of the incident. Welcher acknowledged the need for additional information to fully determine the situation’s plausibility.

As he testified, Welcher reiterated the importance of objective analysis, stating, “I generally have many working hypotheses as I’m working on the case.” His findings, he said, were consistent with a collision occurring at the time in question.

The jury has yet to reach a unanimous verdict after Read’s first trial concluded with a hung jury. Proceedings are set to continue with more cross-examination on Thursday. Judge Beverly Cannone noted that the court would only meet for half a day.

Prosecutors allege that Read’s actions led to O’Keefe’s death, while her defense team continues to argue for her innocence. They present the narrative that O’Keefe’s injuries were inflicted by others before his body was found.