DEDHAM, Mass. (AP) 鈥 The second murder trial of Karen Read, whose case has sparked a national debate on police accountability and won her legions of devoted fans, began Tuesday, with prosecutors and defense lawyers presenting theories during their opening statements about how her Boston police officer boyfriend ended up dead.
Read is accused of striking John O鈥橩eefe with her SUV in 2022 and leaving him to die alone in the snow outside of a house party in Canton, a town about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Boston. She is charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating a vehicle under the influence and leaving the scene.
During the first trial last year, prosecutors said Read intentionally backed into O鈥橩eefe after she dropped him off at a house party and returned hours later to find him dead. The defense said she was a victim of a vast police conspiracy and that O鈥橩eefe was fatally beaten by another law enforcement officer at the party.
A mistrial was declared last year after jurors said they were at an impasse and deliberating further would be futile. A new prosecutor, Hank Brennan, is heading the state's case for the retrial. Attorney Alan Jackson presented the defense's opening statement.
Here鈥檚 the Latest:
Jackson calls Nuttall鈥檚 testimony 鈥榠nconsistent鈥
Jackson described paramedic Timothy Nuttall鈥檚 testimony about the scene of O鈥橩eefe鈥檚 death as inconsistent.
During cross-examination, the defense lawyer noted that during Read鈥檚 initial trial, Nuttall testified that Read told him twice that she 鈥渉it him.鈥 But on Tuesday, Nuttall said she said it three times.
In response, Nuttall told Jackson that Read said it three times. He said Read made the statement when he arrived at the scene and found O鈥橩eefe in the snow.
Paramedic testifies that Read said 'I hit him'
Read had blood on her face at the scene of O鈥橩eefe鈥檚 death and said 鈥淚 hit him, I hit him, I hit him,鈥 paramedic Timothy Nuttall testified.
During opening statements, the jury was told to expect to hear Nuttall testify that Read used the words 鈥淚 hit him.鈥 The defense, though, denies that the statement is incriminating.
When Read made the statement, she had blood on her face, Nuttall told the court.
Police testified during Read鈥檚 first trial that she had blood on her face from attempting to perform CPR on O鈥橩eefe.
Paramedic says O'Keefe was 鈥榲ery cold鈥 when he arrived
The paramedic who responded to the discovery of O鈥橩eefe鈥檚 body said O鈥橩eefe was 鈥渧ery cold鈥 when he arrived at the scene.
Timothy Nuttall told the court that he checked O鈥橩eefe for signs of life but found none. He said the death was a 鈥渃ardiac arrest in a hypothermic setting.鈥
Nuttall said hypothermia doesn鈥檛 constitute a medical diagnosis in that context, but that it makes clear that O鈥橩eefe had been in the snow for some time.
A paramedic is the first witness called to the stand
Timothy Nuttall is the first witness called to the stand. He is a paramedic who treated O鈥橩eefe at the scene that night.
The trial is expected to last several weeks, and both sides have warned jurors that they might need to sit through a long and difficult stretch of witness testimony and evidence. Investigators and acquaintances of O鈥橩eefe and Read are expected to take the stand.
The judge earlier reminded the jury to give all witnesses equal weight.
Trial takes a short break before testimony begins
The trial took a brief recess after prosecutors and defense lawyers concluded their opening statements.
The two sides painted very different pictures of the night of O鈥橩eefe鈥檚 death. Read鈥檚 attorneys portrayed her as a victim of a police cover-up, while the state described Read as guilty of killing a beloved family man after their relationship soured.
The case will resume with testimony shortly.
Read's lawyer concludes his opening statement
As he did during the first trial, Jackson said Read鈥檚 taillight was damaged that morning as she clipped another vehicle at O鈥橩eefe鈥檚 house, where she was staying, not from hitting O鈥橩eefe after she dropped him off at the party.
He said the defense will introduce a video to show how the taillight was damaged.
鈥淒uring the course of this trial, the commonwealth is going to desperately claim that Karen Read taillight was actually damaged by hitting John O鈥橩eefe,鈥 he told jurors. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l have no evidence of it mind you. None. But they鈥檒l make the claim.鈥
Jackson called the case 鈥渢he very definition of reasonable doubt鈥 and said prosecutors can not meet their burden of proof 鈥渨hen every piece of this case was handled by a disgraced investigator with a motive to protect his friends鈥
鈥淏y the end of this trial, you鈥檒l conclude that Karen Read is not guilty of hitting John O鈥橩eefe with her SUV. There was no collision,鈥 he said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 the victim of a botched and biased and corrupted investigation that was never about the truth, folks. It was about preserving loyalty.鈥
Defense says O'Keefe's injuries weren't consistent with being struck by a car
Jackson said O鈥橩eefe鈥檚 injuries do not suggest he was hit by a car at all.
鈥淣ot a bruise,鈥 the defense lawyer said.
Jackson told the jury that they will learn O鈥橩eefe had abrasions consistent with being bitten by a dog. He said the injury to O鈥橩eefe鈥檚 head was also not consistent with falling backwards onto the ground, as prosecutors alleged.
Jackson said medical evidence will also establish that hypothermia was not a factor, as prosecutors alleged. He said O鈥橩eefe was injured somewhere warm and then moved, and that establishes reasonable doubt.
Defense says a police cover-up led to Read being blamed
Jackson described the state鈥檚 case as hinging on fired state trooper Michael Proctor, whom he described as a 鈥渃ancer.鈥
Proctor was the lead investigator in the Read case. Jackson said Proctor is the key to the state鈥檚 case and is also its 鈥淎chilles heel.鈥
Jackson listed a litany of failures in the investigation, including that investigators didn鈥檛 search the house, secure the crime scene or properly collect evidence. He then touched on sexist and crude texts about Read鈥檚 family and colleagues that surfaced during the first trial and eventually led to Proctor鈥檚 firing.
Jackson characterized Read as victimized by a police culture that sought go protect fellow cops.
Defense says O'Keefe wasn't hit by Read's car
Read鈥檚 defense team used its opening statement to describe her as a victim of a cover-up and to stress that she didn鈥檛 kill O鈥橩eefe.
鈥淎t the end of the day folks, there was no collision with John O鈥橩eefe,鈥 Jackson said.
The defense attorney said the case will show that O鈥橩eefe wasn鈥檛 hit by Read鈥檚 car. He acknowledged that O鈥橩eefe鈥檚 death was a 鈥渢ragic loss,鈥 but said the investigation was corrupted by bias and deceit.
鈥淭he evidence in this case will establish ... above everything else three points 鈥 there was no collision with Jon O鈥橩eefe. There was no collision. There was no collision,鈥 Jackson said. 鈥淛ohn O鈥橩eefe did not die from being hit by a vehicle. The facts will show that. The evidence will show that. The data will show that. The science will show that and the experts will tell you that.鈥
Prosecutor says Read's relationship with O'Keefe was deteriorating
Read and O鈥橩eefe were headed to the end of their relationship before O鈥橩eefe died, Brennan said.
He described how the couple鈥檚 relationship was faltering before O鈥橩eefe died. They were arguments a few days before O鈥橩eefe was killed and that O鈥橩eefe had asked Read to leave, he said.
Brennan said text messages will be presented showing the tension between the couple and how Read would become irate when her calls weren鈥檛 returned.
鈥淵ou will read those text messages and you will realize this was the beginning of the end of this relationship,鈥 he told the jurors.
Prosecutor describes O鈥橩eefe as 鈥榝amily man鈥
Brennan told the jury that O鈥橩eefe was a 鈥渇amily man鈥 who was a pillar of his community and was much more than just a police officer.
O鈥橩eefe was a single parent of two children whom he adopted when his sister and her husband died within months of each other, Brennan said. Brennan said he cared for the children as if they were his own and provided them stability and love.
O鈥橩eefe鈥檚 tumultuous relationship with Read changed all that, Brennan said.
鈥淭hey led a good life,鈥 Brennan said. 鈥淓nter Karen Read.鈥
New prosecutor makes opening statements
Brennan began opening statements by describing the scene where O鈥橩eefe was found dead.
He opened by describing how firefighters and paramedics got a call about a cardiac arrest. They jumped into the ambulance and headed out in near blizzard conditions. Their ambulance was sliding along the road and they couldn鈥檛 hear anything beyond the sound of the siren.
Arriving at 34 Fairview Road, they came upon a chaotic scene.
鈥淗e stepped out into bedlam,鈥 Brennan said. 鈥淗e heard a woman screaming.鈥
They came upon Karen Read, who he said told paramedics, 鈥淚 hit him, I hit him.鈥
鈥淚t was at that time in the words of the defendant that she admitted what she had done that night, that she hit John O鈥橩eefe,鈥 Brennan said.
JUST IN: Opening statements begin in Karen Read鈥檚 second murder trial three years after police officer boyfriend鈥檚 death
Judge addresses the high profile nature of the trial
The judge addressed the heavy public interest in the trial before opening statements began.
Judge Beverly Cannone told the jury to ignore public comment about the trial while it is going on. She also told jurors it鈥檚 important not to conduct independent research or look at news coverage of the trial.
鈥淵ou will decide what the facts are, where the evidence is contested, you will determine where the truth lies,鈥 she said. 鈥淭his trial will be decided by you, an independent jury.鈥
Cannone also told the jury not to use social media during the trial.
Jurors enter the courtroom, receive instructions and hear the charges
The jurors have entered the courtroom and received their instructions for the trial.
After giving them the instructions, the judge asked if they had refrained from discussing the case or doing any independent research about it.
The court also heard the charges against Read.
The judge addresses attorney motions
Judge Beverly Cannone said she received four motions over the weekend that need to be addressed.
She ruled that the defense can鈥檛 mention a consulting firm in their openings, which led the defense to request to be heard. They then entered into a sidebar with the defense arguing the firm should be mentioned.
The courtroom is packed, with little room for anyone other than essential court personnel and media.
The retrial will happen in the same tiny courtroom used for her first trial
The trial seats about 10 people on both sides. Read鈥檚 family is on one side and the O鈥橩eefe鈥檚 are on the other 鈥 about 10 on each side.
Read could be seen chatting and smiling with her attorneys Alan Jackson and David Yannetti. Reporters are behind them, sitting on stools.
Security is tight around the courthouse
Barriers are set up on both sides of the street in front of the building. Several state troopers and police officers are also positioned around the courthouse.
Police ordered a truck driver who slowed down to yell 鈥淔ree Karen Read鈥 to move along, and also chased off someone who was shooting video with their phone.
Read arrives at court
Read arrived at court just before 8:50 a.m. to some cheers from assembled supporters.
Family members from both sides also arrived just before 9 a.m.
Read smiled briefly as she entered the court. She did not answer a question about whether she was ready for her second trial.
The court had a police presence to try to maintain order as supporters gathered outside.
Read supporters gather outside court
Supporters of Karen Read have assembled outside court in advance of her new trial.
The scene among supporters is similar to a reunion, with people hugging one another and calling out their names.
Ashlyn Wade, a Read supporter from Canton, where John O鈥橩eefe was killed, said she was there to hopefully see Read cleared of charges.
鈥淚鈥檓 here for justice,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he murderer going to jail and Karen being Exonerated 鈥 that would be justice.鈥
Dennis Sweeney, dressed as the judge in the case and wearing a pink T-shirt emblazoned with the word 鈥渁ssassin.鈥 which was inspired by Read鈥檚 defense team, said he returned for the second trial because: 鈥淜aren Read is factually innocent and we want her freed.鈥
