The murder retrial of Karen Read, accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, continued with a focus on the testimony of Jennifer McCabe. O'Keefe was discovered unresponsive in the snow outside a Massachusetts residence in 2022. Prosecutors claim that Read, after a night of drinking in Canton, hit O'Keefe with her Lexus SUV outside a gathering at another officer's house and left him to succumb to a blizzard. An autopsy revealed that O'Keefe died from hypothermia and blunt force trauma to the head.
The initial murder trial ended without a verdict, leading to Read being retried on charges including second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of an accident causing death. Read has pleaded not guilty and insists on her innocence.
Jennifer McCabe, a friend of O'Keefe's, resumed her testimony for a third day during the retrial in Dedham, Massachusetts. McCabe had testified in the initial trial as well. She recounted attending a bar gathering the night before O'Keefe's unresponsive body was found. The gathering included Read, O'Keefe, and others. Following the bar meet-up, McCabe attended another get-together at her sister and brother-in-law's home, who is also a Boston police officer.
McCabe, along with another friend, Kerry Roberts, drove with Read through a blizzard to search for O'Keefe after he didn't return home. They eventually found him unresponsive outside McCabe's sister's house. During her testimony, McCabe mentioned hearing Read say, "I hit him, I hit him, I hit him," while speaking to a first responder at the scene.
Defense attorney Alan Jackson scrutinized McCabe's recollection of events, pointing out inconsistencies in her various testimonies and discrepancies with police reports. Jackson highlighted that McCabe, after being contacted about O'Keefe's disappearance, called her sister, a fact she omitted during her grand jury testimony. McCabe explained that the call was not suspicious, as her sister did not answer, and she simply forgot about it.
Jackson also questioned McCabe regarding a broken taillight on Read's SUV. McCabe testified that Read mentioned the broken taillight in an early morning call with O'Keefe's niece, a detail missing from the police report. McCabe maintained her account despite the inconsistency.
Further examination by Jackson centered on McCabe's Google search about how long it takes to die in the cold. McCabe testified that Read asked her to make the search after finding O'Keefe, which was done after 6 a.m. However, Jackson presented evidence suggesting the search occurred at 2:27 a.m., hours before O'Keefe was found. McCabe denied making the search at that time, asserting it happened later upon Read's request.
Jackson accused McCabe and her family of colluding to coordinate their statements after O'Keefe's death, an allegation McCabe denied. He also questioned her actions upon finding O'Keefe, suggesting she didn't check on her sister and brother-in-law because she knew what truly happened. McCabe responded that she wasn't worried because the incident occurred on the front lawn, unrelated to anything inside the house.
Special prosecutor Hank Brennan, during re-direct, questioned McCabe about her emotional state upon finding O'Keefe. McCabe expressed feelings of shock, confusion, fear, and anxiety, emphasizing the distress of finding her friend on the ground. Brennan also addressed the Google search, with McCabe reaffirming that Read requested it and that she had not searched it before.
Following McCabe's testimony, Read accused her of lying, denying that she asked McCabe to perform the Google search. The trial adjourned with the next witness, a forensic scientist from the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab, taking the stand.