Read, 45, of Mansfield, is accused of striking John O’Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend, with her Lexus SUV and leaving him to die alone in a blizzard outside of a house party in Canton at the home of fellow officer Brian Albert on Jan. 29, 2022, following a night of drinking.
Prosecutors rested their case Thursday morning after Dr. Judson Welcher, a crash reconstructionist expert with Aperture LLC, was dismissed from the stand after three days. He most notably testified to the prosecution that damage to Read’s SUV was “consistent with a collision” involving O’Keefe if the vehicle was moving faster than 8 mph.
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Karen Read Trial Before the jury enters the courtroom Karen Read shares a lighthearted moment with her defense team, during her second murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool) (Greg Derr/AP)
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Karen Read Trial Karen Read and her defense team watch jurors leave the courtroom during Read's murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool) (Greg Derr/AP)
Karen Read Trial Karen Read speaks with her defense attorney, Alan Jackson, during her retrial in Norfolk Superior Court, Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell, Pool) (Mark Stockwell/AP)
Karen Read Trial Defense attorney Robert Alessi, center, confers with Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone as Karen Read, left, stands by during a sidebar during Read's murder trial at Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, May 27, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (Matt Stone/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool) (Matt Stone/AP)
Karen Read Trial Karen Read, who is accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022, during her murder trial at Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, May 27, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (Matt Stone/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool) (Matt Stone/AP)
Karen Read Trial Karen Read, who is accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022, during her murder trial at Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, May 27, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (Matt Stone/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool) (Matt Stone/AP)
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Karen Read Trial Karen Read and attorney Alan Jackson look at the empty jury box while listening to Judge Cannone during Read's murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool) (Greg Derr/AP)
Karen Read Trial Karen Read looks on during her trial Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (Matt Stone/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool) (Matt Stone/AP)
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Karen Read Trial Defendant Karen Read, right, confers with her attorneys Alan Jackson, left, and Robert Alessi, center, before Read's trial in Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (Mark Stockwell/The Sun Chronicle, Pool) (Mark Stockwell/AP)
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Karen Read Trial Defendant Karen Read talks with her attorneys during her murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Mark Chavous/Enterprise News via AP, Pool) (Mark Chavous/AP)
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Two jurors chosen on first day of jury selection in retrial of Karen Read
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Karen Read Pre-Trial Hearing Dedham, MA - April 12: Karen Read at her pre-trial hearing at Norfolk Superior Court. (Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) (Boston Globe/Boston Globe via Getty Images)
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Karen Read watches attorney Robert Alessi make a point during her trial at Norfolk Superior Court at Dedham, Mass., on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool) (Greg Derr/AP)
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Karen Read (FILE - Karen Read and her defense team and the prosecution file motions in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Nov. 13, 2024 (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool, file))
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Judge approves joint motion to delay start of Karen Read’s 2nd murder trial Judge approves joint motion to delay start of Karen Read’s 2nd murder trial
Karen Read appears in Norfolk Superior Court on Nov. 26, 2024 (Karen Read appears in Norfolk Superior Court on Nov. 26, 2024)
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Mistrial Declared In Karen Read Murder Trial Dedham, MA - July 1: Karen Read looks toward the jurors, as they are greeted by Judge Beverly J. Cannone (not pictured) in Norfolk Superior Court. (Photo by Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) (Boston Globe/Boston Globe via Getty Images)
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All stand as the jury files out to the courtroom, to start their fifth day of deliberations in the murder trial for Karen Read in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Monday, July 1, 2024. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool) (Pat Greenhouse/AP)
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Karen Read awaits the juries verdict in her murder case at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday June 26, 2024. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP) (Greg Derr/AP)
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Streets lined with Karen Read supporters as her fate rests in hands of the jury
Streets lined with Karen Read supporters as her fate rests in hands of the jury
Norfolk Superior Court Dedham Some witnesses are in the courtroom on Tuesday include Brian Albert, Colin Albert, and Jennifer McCabe.
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Karen Read trial Karen Read, center right, is seated Monday, June 10, 2024, in Norfolk Super Court, in Dedham, Mass., during her trial on charges in connection with the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police Officer John O'Keefe. (Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool) (Kayla Bartkowski/(Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool))
Karen Read trial Karen Read is seated Monday, June 10, 2024, in Norfolk Super Court, in Dedham, Mass., during her trial on charges in connection with the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police Officer John O'Keefe. (Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool) (Kayla Bartkowski/(Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool))
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Karen Read murder trial Karen Read smiles after listening to her attorney Alan Jackson during her trial at Norfolk County Superior Court, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, Pool) (Charles Krupa/AP)
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Karen Read Karen Read sits with her legal team team in court Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (David McGlynn/New York Post via AP, Pool) (David McGlynn/Karen Read sits with her legal team team in court Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (David McGlynn/New York Post via AP, Pool))
Karen Read Karen Read sits with her legal team team in court, Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (David McGlynn/New York Post via AP, Pool) (David McGlynn/Karen Read sits with her legal team team in court, Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (David McGlynn/New York Post via AP, Pool))
The defense is expected to begin calling witnesses on Friday morning, and Read revealed who her lawyers plan to call upon first to open what she says will be a “more robust” case that is “broader and deeper” with more witnesses.
As Read walked through of sea of media waiting on the steps of the courthouse shortly after noon on Thursday, she was asked, “Who will be the first witness for your defense?”
Read said Matt DiSogra, director of engineering at DeltaV, would be the first person up. DeltaV is a motor vehicle accident reconstruction firm with locations in Charlotte, Atlanta, Nashville, Denver, and Fayetteville.
Matthew Disogra Matthew Disogra (Delta V)
When asked if she planned to take the stand in her own defense, Read said, “TBD.”
Read was then asked how long it would take for her lawyers to present her case. She estimated “one-and-a-half to two weeks.”
As Read climbed into a black SUV to leave Dedham, she was asked, “How would you sum up the prosecution’s case? One word.” Read responded, “Unjust.”
Testimony provided by the prosecution’s witnesses focused on evidence collected at the scene of O’Keefe’s death and witnesses who claimed they heard Read repeatedly say, “I hit him.”
Read has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death.