Karen Read's Case Returns to Court for Evidence Hearing

Karen Read, accused of hitting and killing her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, with her SUV in January 2022, is back in court for a motions hearing ahead of her retrial slated for April. The defense is seeking reimbursement for $12,000 spent on a digital forensics expert to analyze surveillance footage at the Canton Police Department, which they claim was not preserved. Prosecutors counter that the defense was previously informed about the potential unavailability of the original video. The defense also argues that the prosecution's provided footage lacks a chain of custody and omits a critical 42-minute segment, which could show the condition of Read's SUV. Read's first trial ended in a mistrial due to a deadlocked jury, and her legal team continues to argue she is the victim of a coverup. The court is also considering whether testimony from a defense-hired digital forensics expert will be admitted in the retrial.