Live court video, updates: Expected final witness takes stand in Karen Read’s murder retrial

DEDHAM, Mass. — The final two expected witnesses for the defense in Karen Read’s murder retrial were called to the stand on Tuesday.

Read, 45, of Mansfield, is accused of striking John O’Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend, with her Lexus SUV and leaving him to die alone in a blizzard outside of a house party in Canton at the home of fellow officer Brian Albert on Jan. 29, 2022, following a night of drinking.

NOW ON THE STAND: Dr. Andrew Rentschler, a biomechanical engineering specialist with ARCCA

PREVIOUSLY ON THE STAND: Dr. Laposata, professor at Brown University & former chief medical examiner in Rhode Island

Tuesday marks Day 30 of witness testimony in Read’s second trial. Attorneys began the day arguing motions.

Laposata and Dr. Andrew Rentschler, a biomechanical engineering specialist with ARCCA, appear to be the defense’s final two witnesses. Read said she expects her team to rest their case this week.

Live court updates from Ted Daniel:

Expected final witness for defense called to stand

Dr. Andrew Rentschler, a biomechanical engineering specialist with ARCCA, was called to the stand Tuesday afternoon after Dr. Elizabeth Laposata, who believes John O’Keefe’s injuries were consistent with a fall backwards, was dismissed from the stand.

Rentschler, whose colleague Dr. Daniel Wolfe recently testified that injuries to O’Keefe weren’t consistent with a vehicle strike, is believed to be the final witness slated to be called before the defense rests its case.

Rentschler and Wolfe both testified on behalf of Read in June 2024 as well.

On Tuesday, Rentschler told the court, “It really was impossible to get a skull fracture by hitting the tail light and not sustain any other significant fractures.”

Laposata back on the stand for a second day of questioning

Dr. Laposata, a professor at Brown University School of Medicine and the former chief medical examiner for the state of Rhode Island, returned to the stand Tuesday to continue her testimony on behalf of the defense.

Laposata told the court that in her expert opinion, the wounds on O’Keefe’s arm were premortem, or caused before death.

“They [wounds] were done while he was alive and bleeding,” Laposata told Read attorney Alan Jackson.

After the jury was excused for lunch, special prosecutor Hank Brennan asked Judge Beverly Cannone to challenge Laposata’s credibility based on published reports, including an audit from when she served as chief medical examiner.

“There was an extraordinary number of individuals that were improperly attended to, showing negligence, if not malfeasance,” Brennan told the court.

Jackson fired back, saying criticism of Laposata was “politically” motivated.

Mr. Brennan himself has hired Doctor Laposata,“ Jackson said. ”He knows her qualifications. He knows the quality of her work."

Defense asks judge to allow Laposata to testify about dog bites

Judge Beverly Cannone ruled Monday that Dr. Elizabeth Laposata wasn’t qualified to testify about whether the injuries to O’Keefe’s arm were caused by dog bites.

Read attorney Alan Jackson asked Cannone to reconsider her ruling, telling the court, “Those injuries on John O’Keefe’s arm are from a dog, period. Full stop.”

After Jackson argued over the motion with special prosecutor Hank Brennan, Cannone denied the request.

Defense expert says O’Keefe’s injuries are consistent with a fall backwards

On Monday, Laposata, who specializes in forensic pathology, testified that she examined O’Keefe’s medical records and determined that he hit his head on an uneven surface.

Laposata, the former chief medical examiner for the state of Rhode Island, told the court that O’Keefe had suffered a massive skull fracture, possibly from a punch, while Read Attorney Alan Jackson questioned her.

“Do you have an opinion on what that eyelid laceration might be consistent with?” Jackson asked.

Laposata answered, “Some application of force broke the skin.”

“Could that be from an object?” Jackson then asked.

“Possible,” Laposata said.

“Could that be from a fist?” Jackson followed up.

“Possible,” Laposata said again.

Defense again asks judge to declare a mistrial

Before the defense called Laposata to the stand, they again asked for a mistrial but failed to persuade the judge to declare one.

Read attorney Robert Alessi accused the prosecution of “intentional misconduct” on Monday while cross-examining ARCCA crash reconstruction analyst Dr. Daniel Wolfe.

Karen Read's lawyer calls for immediate mistrial over prosecution's 'intentional misconduct'

The defense had brought in Daniel Wolfe, who works for the accident reconstruction firm ARCCA, to discuss the numerous tests he and others conducted with a dummy arm striking a replica of Read’s SUV taillight at various speeds.

Near the end of the cross-examination, prosecutor Hank Brennan asked Wolfe about the holes in O’Keefe’s sweatshirt by holding up a glass casing with the hoodie inside it and asked if they could have been caused by road rash.

Alessi accused the prosecution of purposefully misleading the jury by not disclosing that the back of the hoodie had certain holes, which were caused by a criminalist cutting into the sweatshirt as part of the O’Keefe investigation.

“I don’t believe one could come up with more misleading, misdirecting elucidation of testimony than this, on the key issue in the case,” Alessi said.

Brennan said he “made a mistake” when showing the jury the hoodie, but asked the judge to clarify for the jurors that the holes were cut rather than declare a mistrial.

Prosecutor Hank Brennan admits he made 'mistake' while cross-examining defense witness

Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone agreed, telling the jury that they couldn’t draw “any inference” that holes came from the incident on the night of O’Keefe’s death.

The defense has called for a mistrial several times since the second trial started nearly seven weeks ago.

Prosecutors allege Read intentionally backed into O’Keefe after she dropped him off at the house party and returned hours later to find him dead. The defense has claimed that she was a victim of a vast police conspiracy and that O’Keefe was fatally beaten by another law enforcement officer at the party.

Read has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death.

A mistrial was declared last year after jurors said they were at an impasse and deliberating further would be futile.

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Reporting from the Associated Press was included in this story.

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