Karen Read Trial: Dog Bite Expert Returns to the Stand

Dog Bite Expert, Dr. Marie Russell, returns to the stand in Karen Read’s murder retrial on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. Her testimony follows an intense day with testimony from a childhood friend of ex-Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor, who was relieved of his duties following the murder investigation. 

Proctor’s Childhood Friend Testifies

Jonathan Diamandis, a childhood friend, offered insight into the disturbing messages Proctor sent to the defendant, Karen Read, during the investigation. He verified the texts were sent shortly following the death of Boston Police Officer and Read’s boyfriend, John O’Keefe. 

When Diamandis was asked to read some of Proctor’s messages, he expressed his uneasiness. He explained, “These are not my words. I’m not really comfortable reading these.” He then asked Special Prosecutor Hank Brennan, “Do I have to say these words out loud?” Brennan offered to read to him.

In these texts, Proctor said, “She’s a whack job [c***],” about Karen Read. He said, “Yeah, she’s a babe. Weird Fall River accent, though. No ass.” Proctor did not stop there with the insults, instead, he continued to add Read is a “nutbag,” with “a leaky balloon knot. Leaks poo.”

Proctor Attempts to Frame 

Not only are these texts wildly inappropriate for someone involved in the investigation, but they also show bias. Karen Read’s attorneys argued that Proctor showed clear signs of disdain towards Read, and his firing is an example of a repercussion for those signs. The prosecution states that Read deliberately went back to O’Keefe after dropping him off at a fellow Boston police officer’s home, but the defense argues she is being framed. 

Karen Read’s defense alleges O’Keefe entered the home at 34 Fairview Road, was beaten and attacked by the homeowner’s dog before being dragged outside into a blizzard and left for dead. They claim Proctor lied throughout the investigation and fabricated evidence to frame Read, who is a “convenient outsider.”

Dog Bite Expert Testimony

Dr. Marie Russell testified yesterday to the injuries sustained by O’Keefe, claiming they “were inflicted as the result of a dog attack.” Russell is considered a key witness after testifying at Karen Read’s first trial, claiming the rips and tears in O’Keefe’s clothing were consistent with a dog attack. She maintains her claim in the second trial, stating the wounds were “inflicted by the teeth and claws of a dog.”

She appeared in court in January for a pretrial hearing to determine whether she will be allowed in the retrial. Special Prosecutor Hank Brennan disapproved of her credentials then and still does not. In January, he told the judge, “She doesn’t have the qualifications, she doesn’t have the experience, she doesn’t have the methodology.” 

During cross-examination on Tuesday, Brennan accused her of involving herself in a high-profile case to gain exposure. However, she argued back, stating, “I thought I could help clarify the issues as to whether or not this could be a dog bite, and maybe they could move on to something else if it wasn’t.”

Former Canton Officer Recants

Shortly after Proctor’s childhood friend’s testimony, Kelly Dever, a former Canton police officer, took the stand. She testified that Karen Read’s defense attorneys threatened her with perjury if she did not testify to seeing Brian Higgins and Kenneth Berkowitz with Read’s SUV in the police station’s garage. 

Dever is now an officer in Boston and confirmed her previously made statement that she witnessed the two of them. However, she recanted after being reminded she left the station before Read’s vehicle was brought in. Karen Read’s defense attorney, Alan Jackson, grilled Dever for recanting her initial statement. 

As Read left the courthouse Monday, reporters asked her if she believed Dever was coerced to change her story. “I didn’t suggest it; she did,” Read said. “She was called into the [Boston police] commissioner’s office, and her story completely changed; she recanted.”

Watch Karen Read Trial Live

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.