Crash expert, Judson Welcher, continues his testimony on Wednesday in the Karen Read murder retrial. Prosecutors seem to be close to wrapping up their case against Read, who is accused of killing John O’Keefe, her Boston Police Officer boyfriend. Read’s defense team will cross-examine Welcher in a rather heated exchange.
Crash Expert Testimony
Karen Read’s defense is expected to grill Welcher on his analysis of the night O’Keefe died in January 2022. He concluded his analysis using data from Read’s SUV, O’Keefe’s phone, and evidence from the crime scene. On Tuesday, May 27, Welcher expressed his belief there is a “reasonable degree of scientific certainty” that Karen Read hit O’Keefe with her vehicle.
Karen Read’s Defense attorney Robert Alessi objected to Welcher’s statement arguing it encroaches on the jury’s decision-making duty. Alessi and Prosecutor Hank Brennan argued whether the key question to determine Read’s guilt in the matter depended on whether she hit O’Keefe accidentally, deliberately, or at all.
Welcher cited evidence from another case in an attempt to compare the damages and injuries. In the unrelated case, a pedestrian was struck and killed by a car that backed up at 25 mph. The victim did not suffer from any broken bones but had lacerations on his arm, similar to O’Keefe’s. He concluded the lacerations on O’Keefe’s arm were consistent with being hit by Karen Read’s SUV.
Judge Beverly Cannone ruled Wednesday morning against Welcher’s statement that Read hit O’Keefe with her vehicle. She said his conclusion was more of “an inference based upon more than scientific method.” She instructed the jurors “to draw, or object to the inference as any expert.” Moving forward, Welcher may only testify to the damage of Read’s car and its consistency with O’Keefe’s injuries.
Prosecution vs Defense
The prosecution has been set since day one to prove Karen Read is guilty of hitting O’Keefe with her car in a drunken rage. They argue she did it on purpose and left him knowing he would die a cold death. So far, their key evidence has been Read’s hysterical confession the morning he was found, when she kept repeating “I hit him,” the damage found on the rear of her SUV, and the cell phone and car data showing her at the scene of the crime.
Karen Read and her defense team claim she is being framed by the individuals who were inside the house the night he died. She continues to claim innocence and argues her SUV never made impact with O’Keefe after dropping him off. She claims his fellow police buddies are responsible. According to her, they beat him senseless before their dog attacked, and they dragged him into the snow to die.
Upcoming in the Karen Read Trial
After six long weeks of trial and the prosecution calling experts to testify, the defense is expected to put their witnesses on the stand. Karen Read’s trial is likely to exceed the estimated time frame and surpass her first trial, which lasted several months before resulting in a hung jury.
CBS Boston News and CourtTV are live streaming every day. If you want to watch the Karen Read trial live, visit CourtTV or CBS News to view the proceedings from Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts. CourtTV has been following the murder case since the investigation started. Proceedings begin every weekday at 9 a.m. ET.
