DEDHAM, Mass. (Court TV) — The highly-anticipated retrial for Karen Read on charges she murdered her police officer boyfriend has been delayed, as both sides prepare to head to court to argue over key evidence.
FILE – Karen Read waits for her court case to resume at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., on June 28, 2024. Read returned to court Monday, July 22, for the first time since her murder case ended in a mistrial. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, Pool, File)
Read is facing several charges, including second-degree murder, in the death of her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, who was found dead in the snow after a night out drinking. Prosecutors maintain that Read struck him with her SUV and left him to die, while Read’s defense has maintained her innocence and has instead alleged that she is being framed amid a massive cover-up. Her first trial ended with a mistrial in July after the jury could not come to a unanimous decision.
The retrial had been scheduled to begin next month, but after Read and prosecutors submitted a joint motion requesting a delay, Judge Beverly Cannone agreed to push the start. Both sides want additional time to prepare for the trial because of additional evidence and experts they plan to present.
RELATED | Judge denies prosecution access to Karen Read’s parents’ phone records
Prosecutors are trying to block Read’s defense from introducing some expert testimony from Dr. Marie Russell, who the defense has put forward as someone who will testify that O’Keefe’s injuries were the result of dog bites rather than being hit by a car. Russell testified in Read’s first trial, but prosecutors have asked Judge Cannone to exclude her testimony from the retrial.
Her testimony will be the subject of a hearing on Dec. 12, wherein prosecutors will attempt to challenge her status as an expert and the testimony the defense wants to introduce. The hearing, known as a Daubert hearing, examines whether the proposed expert witness meets the five foundational requirements for admission into court. Judge Cannone will weigh whether the expert meets requirements of relevance to the case, meeting qualifications, knowledge of facts and reliability of principal.
While the joint motion to delay the start of the trial proposed a new start date of April 1, 2025, Judge Cannone’s order granting the delay notes that scheduling matters will be discussed at the Dec. 12 hearing.
