DEDHAM – Witness testimony resumes Friday in Karen Read’s high-profile Massachusetts murder trial. The prosecution is expected to continue to make its case by calling members of the McCabe family to the stand.
You can watch testimony when it begins on CBS News Boston by clicking on the video player above.
Read is accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, and leaving him to die in the snow after a night of drinking in 2022. O’Keefe’s body was found in the lawn of retired Boston police officer Brian Albert’s 34 Fairview Road home in Canton.
Defense attorneys Alan Jackson and David Yannetti argue that Read is being framed and O’Keefe was killed during a fight, then dragged outside. They claim Jennifer McCabe played a key role in an alleged coverup.
Matthew McCabe, Jennifer’s husband, was on the stand being questioned by prosecutors on Thursday when court ended for the day. He is expected to summarize his testimony to start the day Friday.
What has happened this week in the Karen Read case?
The week started with Brian Albert on the stand for tense cross-examination. He testified that O’Keefe never entered his home the night of his death.
Read’s attorneys asked why Brian Albert got rid of his cellphone one day before he was given a preservation order for his data. He testified that he was upgrading his failing phone.
On Wednesday, Jennifer McCabe’s daughter Allie McCabe testified about picking up Brian Albert’s nephew, Colin Albert, around midnight the night O’Keefe died. Allie McCabe also broke down in tears on the stand detailing online harassment she and her family have faced throughout the investigation.
That set the stage for testimony from Colin Albert, who defense attorneys claim was one of three men who could have killed O’Keefe in a fight. They focused on cuts Colin Albert had on his knuckles about a month after O’Keefe’s death.
They also showed social media videos from when Colin Albert was in high school. In the videos, Colin Albert could be heart threatening violence against teenagers from another town. Jackson and Yannetti argued that the videos show Colin Albert is a violent person.
Who is Karen Read?
Karen Read is a 45-year-old Massachusetts woman who was dating O’Keefe at the time of his death.
Read is facing charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of personal injury and death. she has pleaded not guilty.
Matt Schooley
Matt Schooley is a digital producer at CBS Boston. He has been a member of the WBZ news team for the last decade.
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