062024-READ-POOL-DM-15 Scenes from the trial against Karen Read today at the Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham, MA. Here Karen Read sits with her legal team in the courtroom. David McGlynn/Poolfoto
After eight weeks of testimony, the prosecution concluded its presentation of evidence in the murder trial of Karen Read this morning.
As the last witness, forensic pathologist Dr. Irini Scordi Bello continued her testimony from Thursday and concluded by saying that all of the injuries found on John O’Keefe’s skull could have been caused by a fall.
Read, 44, of Mansfield, is charged with second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and hit-and-run in the death of O’Keefe, her boyfriend and 16-year-old Boston police officer who died in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2022, at the age of 46.
The morning was rough for members of the O’Keefe family who remained in the courtroom to examine O’Keefe’s autopsy photos. His brother, Paul O’Keefe, sits right next to the television screen where the evidence will be shown to the jury, and he maintained a neutral expression as graphic images of his brother were shown, even as he shifted around and appeared visibly uncomfortable.
Scordi-Bello performed O’Keefe’s autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death, she testified. The cause of death was clear: blunt force trauma to the skull and hypothermia. The manner of death required context, but she did not have enough of it within the 90-day time limit she had to file her report.
“By the time I was ready to close the case,” she said, “… I no longer had enough information to determine the manner.”
‘It is possible’
When questioned by either side of the case, Scordi-Bello declined to speculate about the cause of the injuries she documented. Most of her answers were variations of “It’s possible” or “It could be.” She was willing to say whether the injuries could have been caused by the various victims, but would not say how likely that was.
Prosecutor Adam Lally attributed those injuries to Read striking O’Keefe with the passenger rear of her vehicle at about 38 km/h. Scordi-Bello said the injuries found on O’Keefe “may” be consistent with such a collision.
But under cross-examination by defense attorney Elizabeth Little, Scordi-Bello said that while the injuries could have been caused by such a collision, “they are not the classic pedestrian injuries that we see here, no.”
In particular, Scordi-Bello said she did not observe any injuries to O’Keefe’s legs, which she typically sees in pedestrian collisions, since legs are often struck by the bumper of a vehicle. She did, however, say that Read’s Lexus was a higher-than-average car.
Scordi-Bello agreed that it was “possible” that the injuries to O’Keefe’s head and face could have come from a “baseball bat,” a “barbell,” or a fall on concrete after a punch, as Little asked on each point.
She also agreed with Lally that the same injury could result from hitting frozen ground after a car accident.
The defense arguments
“The Commonwealth rests, Your Honor,” Lally said shortly after 10 a.m.
Cannone adjourned the hearing for a recess and called for a brief discussion before the defense presentation. Today is expected to be a full day until 4:30 p.m.
This is an evolving story.
