Police: Investigation underway after dead turtle hung outside ‘Turtleboy’ blogger’s parents’ home

WORCESTER, Mass. — An investigation is underway after a dead turtle was found hung outside a Worcester home where “Turtleboy” blogger Aidan Kearney’s parents live.

A Worcester Police Department spokesperson told Boston 25 News that detectives are looking into the incident as acts of harassment and animal cruelty.

Kearney, 42, of Holden, shared graphic photos on X, formerly known as Twitter, that showed the turtle tied by its head to a railing outside the home.

In the social media post, Kearney wrote, “Someone left a large murdered turtle hanging from a railing at my parents’ house. It had a hole through its head.”

Kearney indicated the incident happened on the morning of the day Judge Beverly Cannone declared a mistrial in the high-profile Karen Read murder case.

Kearney has relentlessly questioned the prosecution in live streams and hundreds of blog posts, claiming Read has been framed in a coverup. He also attended Read’s trial and listened to testimony from the press bench.

Officer Killed Girlfriend Trial Blogger Aidan Kearney, second from right, listens from the press bench during Karen Read's murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds, Pool) (Josh Reynolds/AP)

During the trial, the prosecution alleged Read rammed her luxury SUV into her Boston police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe, and left him for dead in Canton in January 2022. Read’s defense team argued that the prosecution’s case was based on lies by officers trying to protect themselves and that O’Keefe was beaten up and dumped outside the home of fellow Boston officer Brian Albert.

Kearney was arrested on witness intimidation charges in connection with the Read case in October 2023.

After his arrest, a special prosecutor alleged that Kearney harassed witnesses and often filmed himself as he would try to confront them or call them at their homes, children’s sports games, or places of work.

The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office announced that Read’s case would be retried and Massachusetts State Police relieved lead investigator Michael Proctor of his duties after the mistrial.

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