A Boston Police officer who testified in Karen Read’s murder retrial is now the subject of a scathing letter from Read’s defense attorney, Alan Jackson, who is demanding she be added to Boston’s “Brady List” for officers with credibility issues. The letter, addressed to Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox and obtained exclusively by 25 Investigates, alleges Officer Kelly Dever’s credibility is “irreparably compromised”.
Jackson’s letter stems from Dever’s June 2nd testimony in Karen Read’s retrial, where she stated she did not observe anything unusual in the Canton Police sallyport garage on January 29, 2022, the day John O’Keefe was killed. Dever was working as a Canton Police Officer at the time and working overtime.
Jackson’s letter highlights a conflicting account from the now closed federal investigation of the Read matter. Jackson states that Dever previously told FBI agents she saw ATF Agent Brian Higgins and then-Canton Police Chief Ken Berkowitz in the sallyport where Read’s Lexus had been towed for a “wildly long time.” In court, Dever recanted this, describing it as a “distorted memory,” adding, “at this point it would be a lie” to state it.
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Dever testified that she was presented with evidence that she had concluded her overtime shift before Massachusetts State Police detectives brought Read’s Lexus to Canton.
Jackson’s letter asserts, “Either Officer Dever lied about having a false memory, or she actually suffers from a condition that subjects her to false memories.” He further emphasizes that Dever had “articulated her observations in considerable detail, including specifics about the monitors she was viewing at the dispatch desk.”
The “Brady List” is a critical tool for tracking law enforcement officers with a history of misconduct or credibility concerns, which can impact their ability to testify in court. Jackson’s demand seeks to have Dever permanently labeled as untruthful, a designation that could severely limit her future role in legal proceedings.
Jackson’s letter does not address a separate conversation Dever testified about having with Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox regarding her involvement in the Karen Read case. Dever stated Cox told her to simply “tell the truth.”
When questioned about this alleged conversation on Thursday, Commissioner Cox denied any knowledge, stating, “I have no idea what they’re talking about with Karen Read. I had nothing to do with Karen Read, no discussion about Karen Read.”
Boston Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding Jackson’s letter. Attempts to reach Officer Dever for comment have also been unsuccessful.
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