Defense rests its case in Karen Read murder trial, closing arguments begin Tuesday

DEDHAM, Mass. — The defense has rested its case in the Karen Read murder trial after calling its final three witnesses to the stand on Monday. Read, 44, of Mansfield, has pleaded not guilty to charges including second-degree murder in the death of John O’Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend. The judge in the case is spoke with attorneys about the instructions she will be giving to jurors.

Prosecutors say Read backed over O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV and left him for dead in a snowstorm outside 34 Fairview Road in Canton in January 2022 after a night of heavy drinking. The defense aims to prove that O’Keefe was murdered by someone inside the home and then tossed into the snow.

The judge told the jurors that they had heard all the evidence, and closing arguments would be on Tuesday, with one hour for each side, before deliberations begin.

One of the final witnesses was a retired forensic pathologist who testified Monday that some of the injuries suffered by a Boston police officer who was left for dead in a snowbank were inconsistent with being struck by his girlfriend’s heavy SUV.

Dr. Frank Sheridan, who worked previously as chief medical examiner for San Bernardino County in California, testified Monday that he would’ve expected more bruising if O’Keefe had been hit by a vehicle, based on his review of autopsy results.

He also said O’Keefe’s injuries could have been sustained in a fight, saying some of the injuries he saw were consistent with a physical altercation. And the marks on his arm, he testified, were consistent with being scratched and possibly bitten by an animal like a dog.

Sheridan was among the final three witnesses to testify. Another defense witness testified about extensive independent testing that suggested the SUV’s damage was inconsistent with the prosecutor’s version of events.

DAY 29 OF WITNESS TESTIMONY:

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