DEDHAM, Mass. — Karen Read called John O’Keefe’s phone more than 50 times and left him profanity-laced voicemails in the hours leading up to the discovery of his body in the snow outside a home in Canton in January 2022, a state police trooper said Thursday as testimony in Read’s murder trial resumed.
[ ‘You have really hurt me’: See all the messages Karen Read and John O’Keefe exchanged before he died ]
Read, 44, of Mansfield, has pleaded not guilty to charges including second-degree murder in the death of O’Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend.
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 after a night of heavy drinking. The defense hopes to prove that O’Keefe was murdered by someone inside the home and then tossed into the snow.
Nicholas Guarino, a digital forensics expert with the Massachusetts State Police, returned to the stand Thursday morning. On Tuesday, Guarino read a slew of text messages that Read sent to O’Keefe on Jan. 28, 2022.
Guarino analyzed data on Read and O’Keefe’s phones at the request of fellow Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead state police investigator assigned to the murder case.
As his testimony continued Thursday, eight voicemails Read left for O’Keefe during the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2022, were played in court.
Voicemail #1 (12:37 a.m.)
“John! I (expletive) hate you!”
Voicemail #2 (12:42 a.m.)
No words are spoken and only inaudible, banging-like sounds are heard.
Voicemail #3 (12:59 a.m.)
“John, I’m here with the (expletive) kids. Nobody knows where the (expletive) you are. You (expletive) pervert.”
Voicemail #4 (1:02 a.m.)
A one-second message with no spoken words.
Voicemail #5 (1:11 a.m.)
“It’s 1 in the morning. I’m with your (expletive) niece and your nephew. You (expletive) pervert. You’re a (expletive) pervert!”
Voicemail #6 (1:18 a.m.)
“John, I’m going home. I cannot believe (inaudible). I need to go home. You are (expletive) using me right now. Your (expletive) another girl. (Name redacted) is sleeping next to me. You’re a (expletive) loser. (Expletive) yourself!”
Voicemail #7 (5:23 a.m.)
“John! (inaudible).”
Voicemail #8 (6:08 a.m.)
The sound of windshield wipers and a 911 call can be heard in the background. A screaming Read is also heard.
O’Keefe’s body was ultimately discovered by Read and two others outside 34 Fairview, where prosecutors say Read dropped him off hours earlier after a night out at CF McCarthy’s and the Waterfall Bar and Grill in Canton.
Guarino also testified that Read’s Wi-Fi data showed she was at O’Keefe’s house at 12:36 a.m., which is nine minutes after the time prosecutors say she hit O’Keefe.
Before the playing of the voicemails, Judge Beverly Cannone ruled that Dr. Marie Russell could testify about her opinion that O’Keefe’s injuries to his arm were consistent with a dog attack after the prosecution sought to exclude her.
[ Karen Read trial: Defense expert says John O’Keefe’s injuries ‘consistent with large dog attack’ ]
Cannone also OK’d testimony from Dr. Daniel Wolfe, a crash reconstruction expert. She reserved a ruling on Dr. Andrew Rentschler, a second crash reconstruction expert.
The prosecution is expected to wrap up its case by the end of this week. The defense will then present its case.
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