Karen Read retrial resumes amid witness scrutiny, new evidence

The retrial of Karen Read, charged with second-degree murder in the death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, resumed this week with the jury hearing new technical evidence, including cellphone GPS and health data analyzed by prosecution experts. The defense continues to assert that Read was framed in a cover-up by law enforcement, while prosecutors argue she intentionally killed O’Keefe with her SUV following a night of drinking. A significant focus of the retrial is whether testimony from two controversial defense experts will be permitted, with Judge Beverly Cannone expected to rule on this. Notably, the prosecution is employing a more technical and scientific approach in presenting evidence, and there have been changes on both legal teams since the first trial, which ended in a mistrial. The court also addressed a faulty timestamp in a key Google search, clarifying it occurred the morning after O’Keefe’s body was found, not during the night as previously contested by the defense. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Read’s double jeopardy claim, allowing the retrial to proceed.