A retired ER doctor and former medical director took the stand Monday in Karen Read’s murder retrial.
As previously covered by CrimeOnline, Read, aged 45, who was once an adjunct professor at Bentley University, is facing charges of second-degree murder among others, in connection with the death of her partner, Boston police officer John O’Keefe.
According to prosecutors, Read allegedly struck O’Keefe with her SUV amidst a snowstorm on January 29, 2022, following a night out drinking, while he was visiting a friend’s residence in Canton. Her initial trial ended without a conclusive verdict, resulting in a hung jury.
Dr. Marie Russell, an emergency physician and forensic pathologist, took the stand Monday morning.
During Read’s first trial, Russell testified that O’Keefe’s arm wounds were likely from an animal attack, possibly by a large dog, WCVB reports.
Read’s defense claimed she had been framed and that O’Keefe was beaten inside the home, then dragged outside, where a dog attacked him.
On Monday, Russell went over her proficiency in recognizing wound patterns, a vital skill in both emergency medicine and forensic pathology. She highlighted her extensive experience with traffic accident victims, recalling that she has encountered 20 to 30 deaths from crashes and treated approximately 1,000 individuals involved in vehicular incidents.
Russell highlighted her experience with dog bite cases, noting she has treated about 500 such wounds and co-authored studies on law enforcement K-9 bites. She explained that these bites are often more severe due to the “bite and hold” training.
She linked the posterior arm injuries seen on O’Keefe to a typical attack pattern, adding that car crash victims usually sustain lower extremity injuries, contrasting with other trauma types.
USA Today reports that the incident happened at the Canton home of fellow police officer, Brian Albert. At the time, the Albert family owned a German Shepard, who was later “sent to live on a farm” following O’Keefe’s death.
Defense lawyer Robert Alessi questioned Russell about holes found in O’Keefe’s sweatshirt. Russell said the holes were invariable with a dog-tooth.
The defense also called former Canton officer Kelly Dever to address conflicting statements. Dever, now with Boston police, was on duty when officers found John O’Keefe’s body.
She testified about a 2022 interview, saying she saw Chief Ken Berkowitz and officer Brian Higgins in the sally port for a long time on January 29, 2022.
During her shift, Dever said police got a call about someone in a snow bank and later assigned her to the dispatch desk. She told the defense she saw nothing unusual on the sally port video feed.
Dever later told prosecutors she retracted her statement after seeing the defense timeline in Read’s first trial. She said she wasn’t at the station then and called it a “false memory.”
“This was just a random shift for me 3 1/2 years,” she said. “I wasn’t asked to recollect for about a year and a half after the occurrences of that night.”
Dever said she was “confused” about why she was on the stand. She alleged that Read’s defense previously suggested that she could be charged with perjury if she did not testify about what she saw in the sally port.
“My entire job revolves around what I say on the stand right now. If I was to lie, I lose my job. I lose everything. I’m here to tell the truth. I cannot lie while sitting on this stand.”
Read has pleaded not guilty to the charges against her. Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo: Karen Read/LinkedIn and John O’Keefe/Boston Police Department]
