25 Investigates: Defense claims evidence points to witness in BPD officer’s murder case

BOSTON — New evidence in the death of a Boston police officer could open up the possibility of other suspects and undermine the prosecution’s narrative, according to a motion filed in Superior Court Wednesday by lawyers representing a woman charged with murder.

Karen Read, the former girlfriend of late Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, was charged with running over her boyfriend outside a home in Canton in January 2022 and leaving him in a blizzard.

O’Keefe was found in the snow outside a Canton home, owned by another Boston police officer, where a party took place the previous night.

The homeowner and his relatives told investigators that O’Keefe never came inside the party – and they never saw him.

But Read’s defense is now disputing that and pointing the finger at people who were inside the home. Some are witnesses for the prosecution.

According to the new defense filing Wednesday, a relative of the homeowner searched on Google “ho[w] long to die in cold” hours before O’Keefe’s body was allegedly discovered.

According to the defense, that Google search and a number of texts were deleted from the phone before it was turned over to police.

The defense claims law enforcement has been aware of this evidence for a year - but failed to hand it over.

Karen Read is charged with backing over O’Keefe with her car and leaving him to die.

The defense claims autopsy photos suggest he was severely beaten.

The defense filing goes on to claim a state trooper in charge of the initial investigation is a family friend of the homeowner, including photos in their paperwork.

A spokesperson for the Norfolk District Attorney’s office said it’s unclear whether Read’s team interpreted the “raw data correctly.”

The spokesperson said: it “has not yet been determined that defense has interpreted the raw data correctly. The Norfolk District Attorney’s office has asked defense repeatedly during the pendency of this matter to provide any actually exculpatory evidence to support their claims.”

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