Live court video, updates: Defense in Karen Read’s murder retrial rests its case

DEDHAM, Mass. — The defense in Karen Read’s murder retrial rested its case on Wednesday afternoon, the 31st day of testimony, after jurors heard from the final witness in the murder case.

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.

Read’s lawyers allege O’Keefe, 46, was beaten, bitten by a dog, then left outside a home in Canton in a conspiracy orchestrated by the police that included planting evidence against Read.

Defense rests its case

The defense in Karen Read’s murder retrial rested its case on Wednesday afternoon, after Andrew Rentschler, a biomechanical engineer and accident reconstructionist from ARCCA, faced questioning all day, including a heated cross-examination.

The jury was dismissed for the day at 3:38 p.m.

The prosecution has decided not to call rebuttal witnesses before closing arguments commence. On Thursday, the defense and prosecution will return to court without jurors for a charge conference at approximately 10:00 AM. Closing arguments are scheduled for Friday morning. The jury will then be sent off to deliberate Read’s fate.

Since the prosecution rested its case in late May, Read’s legal team called 10 witnesses to the stand: Motor vehicle accident reconstructionist Matt DiSogra, Michael Proctor’s childhood friend Jonathan Diamandis, dog bite expert Dr. Marie Russell, former Canton Police Officer Kelly Dever, and Dighton Police Sgt. Nicholas Barros, Canton snowplow driver Brian “Lucky” Loughran, Canton resident Karina Kolokithas, Dr. Daniel Wolfe of ARCCA, Dr. Elizabeth Laposata, and Andrew Rentschler of ARCCA.

Defense’s final witness faces cross-examination

Andrew Rentschler began testifying on Tuesday and returned to the stand on Wednesday for the 31st day of testimony in Read’s retrial.

Rentschler is the final witness for the defense before they rest their case.

Live court updates from Ted Daniel:

ARCCA expert disputes prosecution’s claims about O’Keefe’s injuries

Rentschler, originally hired for the federal investigation of the Read murder case, testified Tuesday that evidence does not corroborate the prosecution’s theory that she struck O’Keefe with her Lexus.

“It really was impossible to get a skull fracture by hitting the taillight and not sustain any other significant fractures,” Rentschler explained.

Dr. Elizabeth Laposata, a professor at Brown University and the former chief medical examiner in Rhode Island, also testified on Tuesday that O’Keefe died from a massive skull fracture.

“If you fell back on grass, you would tend to see, you might see grass in the wound, or you would tend to see an irregular kind of crisscross pattern of the flattened grass,” Laposata said.

Doctor says O’Keefe’s wounds consistent with animal attack

Dr. Loposata said the wounds on O’Keefe’s arm were consistent with an animal attack. Judge Beverly Cannone prohibited the defense from asking if it could have been a dog.

Loposata also testified that hypothermia did not contribute to O’Keefe’s death despite. The medical examiner’s report said O’Keefe died from hypothermia and blunt impact injuries to the head.

“The body did not have any hypothermia,” Laposata said.

Laposata also said she didn’t think eye injuries suffered by O’Keefe were consistent with being hit by the rear of Read’s SUV. She said there was no evidence of impact from a vehicle at all.

The medical examiner who performed O’Keefe’s autopsy, Dr. Irini Scordi-Bello, testified earlier that she could not determine the cause of O’Keefe’s death to a reasonable degree of medical certainty but that hypothermia was a contributing factor.

Judge says jury deliberations are near

Judge Beverly Cannone told the jury on Tuesday that deliberations will begin no later than Monday, with the prosecution getting a chance to call rebuttal witnesses before closing arguments.

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.

A mistrial was declared last year after jurors said they were at an impasse and deliberating further would be futile.

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