Karen Read, a murder suspect, has announced that she will not testify in her retrial for the death of her former boyfriend, John O’Keefe, a Boston police officer. This decision came as she spoke to reporters outside a Massachusetts courthouse on Tuesday. The retrial, which began in April, has seen significant developments, including the testimony of expert witnesses.
Prosecutors allege that Read, after a night of drinking, hit O’Keefe with her Lexus and left him to die outside a house party during a severe blizzard on January 29, 2022. The defense has been working to counter these claims, presenting expert testimony to support their case.
On Tuesday, Dr. Andrew Rentschler, a biomechanist, testified about the injuries O’Keefe sustained. He stated that a collision at 15 mph between a crash dummy’s head and the taillight of Read’s vehicle would not have caused a skull fracture. This aligns with the defense’s argument that O’Keefe’s fatal injury might have resulted from a backward fall rather than a car impact.
Rentschler is the second witness from a crash reconstruction firm that was initially hired by the federal government before being retained by the defense. Earlier in the trial, another expert, Dr. Daniel Wolfe, testified that the damage to O’Keefe’s clothing and Read’s SUV did not match a collision between a car and a pedestrian, further complicating the prosecution’s case.
Read’s defense team is expected to wrap up their case soon, with Rentschler being the final witness. Read’s choice not to take the stand has sparked discussions among legal experts. Some believe it was a strategic move to avoid rigorous cross-examination that could potentially undermine her defense.
Legal expert Grace Edwards commented that it was Read’s right to decide against testifying. She noted that testifying could have exposed Read to tough questions about her drinking on the night of the incident, which might weaken her defense as expert witnesses have already contradicted the prosecution’s narrative.
As the trial nears its conclusion, the focus remains on the expert testimonies that challenge the prosecution’s claims and the implications of Read’s decision to remain silent in her own defense.