Trial starts in conspiracy-fueled case of girlfriend charged in Boston police officer's death

DEDHAM, Mass. -- The proceedings of a Massachusetts pistillate who prosecutors accidental killed her Boston constabulary serviceman fellow by intentionally driving her SUV into him begins Monday amid allegations of a immense constabulary coverup.

Karen Read, 44, of Mansfield, faces respective charges including 2nd grade execution successful the decease of John O’Keefe, 46, successful 2022. O’Keefe, a 16-year constabulary veteran, was recovered unresponsive extracurricular a location of a chap Boston constabulary serviceman and aboriginal was pronounced dormant astatine a hospital. Read has pleaded not blameworthy and is escaped connected bond.

As the lawsuit unfolded, the defense's strategy has been to represent a immense conspiracy involving a constabulary coverup. It has earned Read a loyal set of supporters - who often tin beryllium recovered camped retired astatine the courthouse — and has garnered the lawsuit nationalist attention.

The mates had been to 2 bars connected a nighttime successful January 2022, prosecutors alleged, and were past headed to a enactment successful adjacent Canton. Read said she did not consciousness good and decided not to attend. Once astatine the home, O’Keefe got retired of Read's vehicle, and portion she made a three-point turn, she allegedly struck him, past drove away, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors haven't said wherever they deliberation she went aft that, nevertheless they allege she aboriginal became frantic aft she said she couldn't scope O'Keefe. She returned to the tract of the enactment location wherever she and 2 friends recovered O’Keefe covered successful snow. He was pronounced dormant astatine a hospital. An autopsy concluded helium died from caput trauma and hypothermia.

One person who returned to the location with Read recalled her wondering if she had deed O'Keefe. Investigators recovered a cracked close rear process airy adjacent wherever O'Keefe was recovered and scratches connected her SUV.

The defence person spent months arguing successful tribunal that the lawsuit was marred by conflicts of involvement and accused prosecutors of presenting mendacious and deceptive grounds to the expansive jury. In a question to disregard the case, the defence called the prosecution's lawsuit “predicated wholly connected flimsy speculation and presumption.” A Superior Court justice denied the request.

Among their claims is that section and authorities constabulary officers progressive successful the probe failed to disclose their narration with the big of the party. They besides alleged the statements from the mates who owned the location were inconsistent.

The defence besides floated assorted theories aimed astatine casting uncertainty connected Read's guilt, including suggestions that partygoers successful the location bushed up O'Keefe and aboriginal enactment his assemblage outside.

In August, Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey criticized suggestions that authorities and section enforcement were orchestrating a screen up, saying determination is nary grounds to enactment O'Keefe was successful the Canton location wherever the enactment took spot nor was successful a fight.

The thought that aggregate constabulary departments and his bureau would beryllium progressive successful a “vast conspiracy” successful this lawsuit is “a hopeless effort to reassign guilt.”

Such comments person done small to soundlessness Read's supporters.

Most days, a fewer twelve supporters — immoderate carrying signs oregon wearing shirts speechmaking “Free Karen Read” — tin beryllium seen lasting adjacent the courthouse. Many had nary transportation to Read, who worked successful the fiscal manufacture and taught concern astatine Bentley University earlier this case.

Among her astir ardent supporters is simply a confrontational blogger Aidan Timothy Kearney, known arsenic “Turtleboy." He has been charged with harassing, threatening and intimidating witnesses successful the case. For months, helium has raised doubts astir Read's guilt connected his blog that has go a fashionable leafage for those who judge Read is innocent.

“Karen is being railroaded,” said Amy Dewar, a protagonist from Weymouth from extracurricular the courthouse wherever the assemblage was being chosen. “She did not bash it.”

Friends and household of O’Keefe fearfulness the absorption connected Read and the conspiracy theories are taking distant from the information a bully antheral was killed. In interviews with The Boston Globe, they described however O'Keefe took successful his sister's 2 children aft their parents died.

To them, Read is liable for his death. “No 1 planted thing successful our heads,” his brother, Paul O’Keefe told the Globe. “No 1 brainwashed us.”