Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/4wSJeNZph94

Day 33 of the Karen Read Retrial happened on June 13, 2025. The Defense's closing argument, delivered by Jackson, focused on the lack of collision and the integrity of the investigation. The Prosecution's closing argument, delivered by Hank Brennan, focused on Karen Read's actions and the data.

After lunch, the court read the jury instructions. The court did not include the defense's requested instruction regarding John O'Keefe's hoodie but did include a straight DUI as a lesser included charge.

The jury began deliberations just after 2:39 PM local time and deliberated for a little under two hours before asking to go home for the weekend. They were instructed not to discuss the case with anyone, conduct independent research, or follow news about the case over the weekend. Deliberations will resume on Monday morning.

RESOURCES

Karen Read Retrial Day 32 - https://youtube.com/live/N1az5x1PEkM

What You Need to Know About the Retrial - https://youtu.be/89Jpa8vz1RQ

Karen Read Retrial Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKOJlfL__9F027hlETVU-vo

Karen Read Trial - 2024 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKUeCUzApgsEuQRXu5IXeTS

Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/9W-28UtY1lY

Day 31 of the Karen Read Retrial happened on June 11, 2025. Neither Karen Read nor Former Trooper Proctor will be called to testify. A charging conference, where jury instructions will be discussed, is scheduled for tomorrow. The Defense is requesting instructions regarding "missing witnesses" and the hoodie, but not a "third-party culprit" instruction.

Dr. Rentschler's testimony focused on the paint transfer test and concluded that the injuries were inconsistent with the Commonwealth's theory, stating that the abrasions on O'Keefe's arm do not correspond to how an arm would interact with the vehicle if struck at a right angle. The Defense effectively used visuals from his Power Point to support Dr. Rentschler's testimony.

During cross-examination, Special Prosecutor, Hank Brennan, largely avoided questions about Dr. Rentschler's testing, instead focusing on his independence and expenses. Rentschler maintained his opinions were unchanged by these factors. Brennan's cross-examination strategy undermined the Commonwealth's position, especially given the high payment to their own experts.

A significant development is that the Commonwealth will not call any rebuttal witnesses once the defense rests, a surprising move given their prior legal battles over testimony. The introduction of X-rays by the defense, which many believed didn't exist due to Dr. Welcher's testimony, may have influenced this decision.

With the evidence phase concluding, the next steps are the charging conference, where jury instructions and lesser-included crimes will be debated, and then closing arguments on Friday. The jury will then deliberate, with the complexity of Count Two (involuntary manslaughter) expected to be a key focus, as it was in the previous trial.

RESOURCES

What You Need to Know About the Retrial - https://youtu.be/89Jpa8vz1RQ

Karen Read Retrial Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKOJlfL__9F027hlETVU-vo

Karen Read Trial - 2024 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKUeCUzApgsEuQRXu5IXeTS

Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/qgkQm-VgMu0

Day 30 of the Karen Read Retrial happened on June 10, 2025. Defense Attorney Alan Jackson started the day by coming in hot and accused the Prosecution of "burden shifting," implying they were improperly trying to make the defense prove their case. He provided a transcript that the Prosecution opened the door to ask Dr. Laposata about dog bites when Brennan inquired Dr. Russell about Dr. Laposata's report about dos bites. The Judge Denied questioning about dog bites but okay to question about animal bites. The judge offered to give an instruction about burden shifting to the jury but Jackson declined it.

There was confusion about whether Dr. Wrenchler had seen X-ray evidence, as he testified there were none done to the arm, while Dr. La Pasada's testimony indicated X-rays did exist. This point raises questions about what evidence was provided to Dr. Wrenchler and how rebuttal will go.

During Cross Examination and the Morning Break, Brennan wanted to impeach Dr. Laposata's credibility with past issues from her time as a medical examiner, including an audit and handling of the Station nightclub fire. The court allowed some of this to be brought up during cross-examination but not all.

A juror's question led to the court clarifying what it meant when video evidence was "stricken" during testimony showing that all jurors are paying attention and really want to get the understanding right.

The Defense's last witness, Dr. Andrew Rentschler, a Biomechanical Engineer at ARCCA, testified about how ARCCA was hired by a government agency and was not given information about the case. They were only give the circumstances and to try to recreate it. His analysis of John O'Keefe's injuries were that the injuries were not consistent with being struck by the Lexus, specifically the tail light. He determined that the force required to produce the skull fracture was significantly higher than what could result from impact with the taillight at a speed of 15 mph.

There were several disputes regarding the content of Dr. Rentschler's PowerPoint presentation, with objections to text containing hearsay and ultimate opinions. The court ordered the presentation to be edited, with certain text removed. This will be finalized on Day 31 before the jury comes in.

RESOURCES

What You Need to Know About the Retrial - https://youtu.be/89Jpa8vz1RQ

Karen Read Retrial Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKOJlfL__9F027hlETVU-vo

Karen Read Trial - 2024 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKUeCUzApgsEuQRXu5IXeTS

Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/_U9Gv2ielto

Day 29 of the Karen Read Retrial happened on June 9, 2025. On week 8 of the trial, will the jury get the case this week to deliberate?

Special Prosecutor, Hanke Brennan, asks Dr. Wolfe, the Director of Accident Reconstruction at ARCCA, about the appearance of holes on the back of Mr. O'Keefe's hoodie and whether these holes are consistent with road rash or other damage. He asked him if he'd ever consider if Mr. O'Keefe may have fallen or landed on his back. Dr. Wolf stated he did not consider whether Mr. O'Keefe had fallen or landed on his back.

Defense Attorney, Robert Alessi, asked for a Mistrial with Prejudice due to Intentional Misconduct by the prosecution regarding questioning about the hoodie and its damage. The defense argued the prosecution intentionally left out evidence about the holes on the back of the hoodie being clippings from the crime lab. The judge did not grant a mistrial but agreed to instructed the jury to disregard the questions and give a strong admonishment about the prosecution. When it came time to it, the Judge did not give a strong admonishment or admit the pictures into evidence. At the end of the day, the defense said that they will address this the following day.

A Voir Dire of Dr. Laposata was conducted and Judge Cannone ruled she cannot testify that the wounds on John O'Keefe's arm were from a dog, but she will be able to testify about the original opinions about the cause and manner of death. Direct Examination continues on Day 30.

RESOURCES

What You Need to Know About the Retrial - https://youtu.be/89Jpa8vz1RQ

Karen Read Retrial Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKOJlfL__9F027hlETVU-vo

Karen Read Trial - 2024 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKUeCUzApgsEuQRXu5IXeTS

Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/fyEtt02zOn8

Day 28 of the Karen Read Retrial happened on June 6, 2025. Karen Read spoke to the media and suggested the case might go to the jury the following week. The judge denied the motion to have police procedure expert Michael Easter testify.

Today we were all day with Dr. Daniel Wolfe, Direct of Accident Reconstruction at ARCCA. He tests conducted using a pressurized air cannon to fire a drinking glass at a car's tail light to simulate damage. ARCCA also purchased an "exemplar vehicle," a 2021 LX 570, to test damage to the tail light. ARCCA conducted tests to rebut Dr. Welcher's testimony. They tested to see if damage from a thrown rocks glass matched the damage to Karen Read's tail light, and compared that to damage from collisions with a test dummy arm and Resource Randy, a full body dummy. Tests were conducted using a crash test dummy with a hoodie similar to John O'Keefe's, and none of the tests damaged the hoodie. The most helpful part of Dr. Wolf's testimony was explaining the inner and outer plastic layers of the tail light, which helped understand the depth of the damage.

RESOURCES

What You Need to Know About the Retrial - https://youtu.be/89Jpa8vz1RQ

Karen Read Retrial Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKOJlfL__9F027hlETVU-vo

Karen Read Trial - 2024 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKUeCUzApgsEuQRXu5IXeTS

Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/-SN-jb2bT-0

Day 27 of the Karen Read Retrial happened on June 4, 2025. When prosecution's usually focus on making a case clearer, in this case, the prosecution's strategy seems to be to muddy the evidence.

Brian Loughran, a snow plow driver, said he saw a Ford Edge parked on the street going up Fairview around 3-4am. There's a procedure to call in vehicles parked on the street during snow removal, but he did not do so. While Special Prosecutor, Hank Brennan, did the cross-examination, he focused on online activity, specifically about a blogger talking about him. He stated he knew someone was talking about him online, but he didn't feel threatened or harassed. He also mentioned that his wife had recently passed, and he wasn't paying attention to online activity.

Karina Kolokithas, a friend of John and Karen who was at the Waterfall Bar, spoke about how everyone was in a celebratory mood and having a good time. John O'Keefe was described as being "over the moon excited" for his niece and her future. She also mentioned that John and Karen were "sweet with one another." She talked to Karen Read for more than 50 minutes and noted that Karen was drinking water all night. She did not perceive Karen Read to be intoxicated. This point was highlighted as potentially persuasive for the jury regarding Karen Read's level of intoxication. Her testimony about the jovial evening was contrasted with the defense's presentation of the waterfall video, which focused on the interactions between Brian Higgins, Brian Albert, and Chris Albert, suggesting potential doubt about the overall mood of the evening.

RESOURCES

Retrial Day 25 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agSsaDTCZJc

What You Need to Know About the Retrial - https://youtu.be/89Jpa8vz1RQ

Karen Read Retrial Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKOJlfL__9F027hlETVU-vo

Karen Read Trial - 2024 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKUeCUzApgsEuQRXu5IXeTS

Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/VaZWKV-xJkQ

Day 26 of the Karen Read Retrial happened on June 3, 2025. Dr. Marie Russell, the defense's dog bite expert, is on the stand for cross-examination. There's discussion about Karen Read's statements and whether they changed Dr. Russell's opinion. Dr. Russell states that Read's statements did not change her analysis, citing Read's stressful state and potential acute grief reaction.

The defense moves for a mistrial with prejudice due to the prosecution bringing up DNA in front of the jury, which is ultimately denied. Dr. Russell's redirect involves questions about why DNA results not showing dog DNA didn't change her opinion, and discussions of medical journal articles regarding dog bites.

Sgt. Nicholas Barros, a Dighton Police Officer, testifies about observing damage to the tail light of Karen Read's SUV. He describes a crack and a missing piece instead of the majority of it gone. Special Prosecutor, Hank Brennan, cross-examines Barros, focusing on inconsistencies in his testimony and report, his meeting with defense attorneys, and the condition of the tail light being potentially obscured by snow. There's a discussion about photos of the tail light and discrepancies in the damage shown, and how his memory of the damage might have been affected by seeing various videos and photos of the vehicle after the initial observation.

RESOURCES

First Trial Day 22 - https://youtube.com/live/_Z1DhJDQj5Y

What You Need to Know About the Retrial - https://youtu.be/89Jpa8vz1RQ

Karen Read Retrial Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKOJlfL__9F027hlETVU-vo

Karen Read Trial - 2024 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKUeCUzApgsEuQRXu5IXeTS

Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/agSsaDTCZJc

Day 25 of the Karen Read Retrial happened on June 2, 2025. During week seven of the trial, the defense is currently presenting its case, and they are keeping in mind that the prosecution will have rebuttal witnesses.

Judge Cannone allowed Former Trooper Michael Proctor's texts to be admitted into evidence while being read by his childhood friend, Jonathan Diamandis. When the texts messages began to get really egregious, the witness didn't feel comfortable reading it allowed so Special Prosecutor, Hank Brennan, read them allowed while the witness confirmed what was said. This didn't offer for the truth of the matter but instead, focusing on his state of mind and potential bias in the investigation.

A key witness, Kelly Dever, a former Canton police officer, testified about seeing Chief Burkowitz and Brian Higgins with Karen Reed's SUV for a long time the night of John O'Keefe's death. She later claimed this was a false memory influenced by a timeline. She also mentioned being interviewed by the FBI and being threatened with perjury by the defense team.

Dr. Marie Russell, a dog bite expert, discussed John O'Keefe's injuries to his right arm. Dr. Russell believes the injuries are consistent with a dog attack and not with a motor vehicle accident. The cross-examination of Dr. Russell is ongoing, focusing on her expertise, marketing, and opinions. Cross examination will continue on Day 26!

RESOURCES

Latest Emily Show Episode - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4hWb8uQjsI

What You Need to Know About the Retrial - https://youtu.be/89Jpa8vz1RQ

Karen Read Retrial Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKOJlfL__9F027hlETVU-vo

Karen Read Trial - 2024 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKUeCUzApgsEuQRXu5IXeTS