A Google search about the time it takes to succumb to cold temperatures revealed some disturbing information. Investigators discovered fragments of shattered tail light at the scene where prosecutors claim the woman struck her police officer partner with her SUV before abandoning him in the snow. Additional insights were provided by the autopsy report.
The fresh evidence presented on Wednesday marks the most recent development in the ongoing trial.
Karen Read
, a 45-year-old woman accused of hitting Boston Police Officer
John O’Keefe
with her Lexus and abandoning him to die
outside the home
In January 2022, a fellow officer allegedly targeted a police colleague. The prosecution claims that the ex-finance professor intentionally struck O’Keefe, who was 46 years old, while under the influence of alcohol and in a fit of anger. However, Read’s legal team argues that their client was set up by law enforcement officers.
An analysis of the phone of
Jennifer McCabe
, a friend of the couple and
star witness
For the prosecution, it was revealed that she searched online about how long it takes to perish from cold temperatures on the same day that O’Keefe was discovered. A forensic specialist stated on Wednesday that this query occurred after O’Keefe had been found unresponsive, contrary to what the defense had proposed.
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Testimony heard May 7 – the 11th day of the trial – comes as jurors this week already heard
anguished and enraged voicemails
Read “O’Keefe” the morning he passed away;
bombshell admission
The individual admitted to a first responder present at the location; and disclosed information to investigators who utilized
red Solo cups
Along with using a leaf blower, they collected evidence from outside the house in Canton, Massachusetts, where O’Keefe was discovered.
The attorneys for Read argue that the investigation suffered from prejudice and ineptitude. Additionally, they’ve pointed out discrepancies in the testimonies provided by prosecution witnesses, noting alterations in their statements made to the grand jury, during Read’s initial trial in 2024, and in the current proceedings. This brings us to why Read has returned to court—following the inconclusive outcome of the 2024 trial which resulted in a hung jury.
full day of testimony
was April 23.
During the initial two weeks of testimony, jurors were presented with key evidence which included statements from an important witness who recounted that Read confessed to her, saying “
I hit him
” three times;
cryptic text messages
a key witness for prosecutors sent other witnesses; and Read admitting to reporters that she
drank heavily
the night before O’Keefe died.
The case out of Dedham, Massachusetts has turned into a years-long whodunnit legal saga that has garnered massive intrigue from true-crime fans across the country, spurring an array of
podcasts, movies, and television shows
. The former financial professor is back in court after a 2024 trial ended in a hung jury.
Here’s what else happened at the Norfolk County courthouse on Wednesday, May 7.
Defense questions an expert about cell phone data
The lawyer for Read tried to challenge Jessica Hyde, a digital forensics analyst, by highlighting discrepancies among her earlier statements, her written report, and the conclusions presented by another forensic specialist from the prosecution side, Ian Whiffin.
Hyde established that prior to O’Keefe being discovered around 6 a.m., his phone had last been active at 12:20 a.m. However, Whiffin, an expert in digital forensics, mentioned that the device was finally locked using the power button at 12:32 a.m.
Hyde stated she couldn’t challenge Whiffin’s conclusions since she hadn’t assessed that particular data. She subsequently informed the prosecutors that her report also indicated the final activity from O’Keefe’s phone was recorded at 12:32 a.m.
Refocusing on McCabe’s phone, Read’s lawyer pointed out that Hyde mentioned in her report that the exact cause of the 2:27 a.m. timestamp for the “how long to die in cold” search remains unclear.
Hyde elaborated extensively on the optimal procedures for retrieving information from an iPhone. This involved placing the device into airplane mode or enclosing it within a Faraday cage or container to avoid remote erasure and halt incoming updates. Although Hyde acknowledged that her findings showed these recommended steps were not adhered to, she maintained that this discrepancy did not alter her final determinations.
Another specialist mentions that the query “‘hos long to die in cold'” was initiated following the discovery of O’Keefe.
Hyde mentioned that a crucial witness looked up “how long to die in cold” after O’Keefe was discovered unconscious, contrary to what the defense had proposed, which claimed it happened beforehand.
Hyde mentioned that a tab was initiated on Jennifer McCabe’s phone at 2:27 a.m. on January 29th, with several searches conducted afterward. These included inquiries about sports events as well as a video of the song “It’s Raining Men.” Additionally, there were two critical but misspelled queries: “how long to die in the cold” and “how long to die in kild.”
McCabe is a star witness for the prosecution who testified that
she heard Read say “I hit him, I hit him, I hit him,”
That morning, she recounted intricate specifics regarding finding “one of her dearest friends.”
Hyde said “there is a really scary danger” that an untrained examiner might assume the search was made at 2:27 a.m., but the timestamp actually reflects when the tab was first opened or backgrounded. “You could erroneously implicate a search was done hours or even days before it actually occurred. Some of us leave our tabs open forever,” she said.
Hyde said “hos (sic) long to die in cold” was actually the final search made in the tab at 6:24 a.m. O’Keefe was found around 6 a.m.
Hyde is the second expert to tell jurors this search was made after 6 a.m. Whiffin testified on April 28 that forensic data showed the Google search occurred at about 6:23 a.m. Whiffin
provided a real-time exhibition of how,
Based on his assessment, the previous time stamp appears to be incorrect.
The trooper was asked about his observations during O’Keefe’s autopsy.
Connor Keefe, a Massachusetts State Police officer working with the Norfolk County District Attorney’s homicide division, presented additional pieces of evidence to the jury. These items were discovered close to where O’Keefe was spotted in the snowy vicinity.
Keefe, who was tasked with bagging evidence uncovered by the team searching the lawn and street in front of 34 Fairview Road, unsealed evidence bags in court containing a shoe and pieces of broken taillight found at the scene. Jurors previously heard from the leader of the search team that sifted through the snow using rakes and brooms to find the evidence.
Keefe likewise participated in O’Keefe’s autopsy, noting that this is typical procedure for officers involved in an investigation. During cross-examination, Read’s lawyer tried to ask Keefe about some injuries observed on O’Keefe’s arm during the autopsy process; however, these questions were met with several objections from the prosecuting team.
Keefe stated that he didn’t offer a hypothesis about O’Keefe’s situation to the medical examiner, yet acknowledged giving information to her during the autopsy process.
Judge Prohibits Mentions of Sandra Birchmore in Karen Read Trial
A judge consented to exclude the testimony from the Sandra Birchmore case—a different infamous fatality in Canton—from being part of the Karen Read murder trial.
Birchmore’s death, initially ruled a suicide, is now a
federal case against former Stoughton cop Matthew Farwell
. Prosecutors came around to what family and friends of Birchmore had said from the beginning: Farwell killed her and made the scene look like she had taken her own life. Farwell has pleaded not guilty.
Guarino, who has testified multiple times in Read’s second trial,
worked both cases
.
Guarino initially failed to identify any messages from Farwell’s phones to Birchmore. Investigators later revealed 32,709 messages between the two from December 2019 to her death in February 2021. Critics say Guarino botched data analysis in the O’Keefe case as well.
In a Tuesday, May 6 ruling, Judge Beverly Cannone sided with prosecutors who argued that “[t]estimony about this unrelated death investigation would result in a trial within a trial, with much information being inadmissible, confidential or offered without a proper foundation.”
Cannone left a loophole: If “the door is opened” to Birchmore-related testimony, it could theoretically be allowed into Read’s second trial
How to watch the Karen Read trial
CourtTV has been reporting on the case against Read and the criminal investigation since early 2022, following the discovery of O’Keefe’s body near a home in Canton.
You can watch
CourtTV’s live feed
From the trial hearings of Read in Norfolk Superior Court located in Dedham, Massachusetts. The sessions start at 9 a.m. ET.
Contributing:
Chris Helms
, The Enterprise
;
Michael Loria, USA TODAY
The article initially appeared on USA TODAY:
What testimony did this key witness provide for Google? The most recent developments in Karen Read’s trial regarding the death of her boyfriend.
