DEDHAM, Mass. — The prosecution in Karen Read’s murder retrial could rest its case this week after the 45-year-old Mansfield woman said last week that she believes they have just one witness left to call to the stand.
Read 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 following a night of drinking.
Before testimony resumed Tuesday in Dedham’s Norfolk Superior Court, Read’s lawyers added four new names to the list of witnesses whom they could call on to testify when they ultimately begin presenting their case. Dr. Judson Welcher was then called to the stand.
NOW ON THE STAND: Dr. Judson Welcher, Aperture LLC
Follow Boston 25’s Ted Daniel for live updates from court:
Dr. Judson Welcher testifying about "trigger event" he says was recorded by KR's Lexus:
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) May 27, 2025
JW: "this is three quarters of full throttle in reverse."
JW: the acceleration is actually dropping...that's a telltale sign that the tire spinning because the vehicle's not being…
That's new. Dr Welcher says he bought a Lexus to do testing on it. Bluebook is about $69k.
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) May 27, 2025
JW: "I ultimately purchased a 2021 LX-570, the exact year make and model of Ms. Read's vehicle and conducted testing of that vehicle, as well as doing a whole bunch of research and…
Jury is brought in. Special Prosecutor Hank Brennan begins direct examination of Dr. Judson Welcher.
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) May 27, 2025
Prior to the jury entering, Dr. Welcher confirmed he adjusted his presentation to reflect the revised timeline from his colleague Shanon Burgess.
Burgess analyzed data from…
Dr. Judson Welcher (ax reconstructionist from Aperture) is called to the stand - without the jury.
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) May 27, 2025
Robert Alessi is questioning him.
Ok, I'm told ppl on of the defense supplemental witness list have been added for the sole purpose of authenticating former Trooper Michael Proctor's texts.
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) May 27, 2025
A new filing hit the docket this morning:
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) May 27, 2025
"Defendant 's Supplemental List of Prospective Witnesses"
I'll share the document when it becomes available.
Good morning. It’s the 6th week of testimony in the Karen Read trial.
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) May 27, 2025
Dr. Judson Welcher, a biomechanical engineer and accident reconstructionist from Aperture (same firm as Shanon Burgess) still needs to testify for prosecution. (Pictured)
Prosecution expected to finish this… pic.twitter.com/6uJxdTXSdH
Welcher is a biomechanical engineer and accident reconstructionist at Aperture LLC.
“I believe that to be the last one, that is my understanding,” Read said of Welcher after court last Wednesday. There was no court on Thursday, Friday, or Monday due to the Memorial Day weekend.
The defense tried to get testimony from Welcher excluded during pre-trial hearings, but Judge Beverly Cannone denied that motion. Similar to his collegue Shanon Burgess, Welcher could desribe his conclusions about data from Read’s SUV from the morning of O’Keefe’s death on Jan. 29, 2022.
If Welcher is the final witness for the prosecution, we could see the case turned over to the defense later this week.
Read said she is feeling “anxious” to present a “more robust” case. When asked if her team planned to call Michael Proctor, Brian Albert, and Brian Higgins to the stand, Read simply said, “TBD.” All three of them testified at length in her first trial.
When the court was last in session, Dr. Aizak Wolf, a Miami brain surgeon, testified that O’Keefe’s head injury was from a fall backwards. Christine Hanley from the Massachusetts State Police lab also said she found tiny pieces of taillight in O’Keefe’s clothes.
Prosecutors allege Read intentionally backed into O’Keefe after she dropped him off at a house party and returned hours later to find him dead. The defense has claimed that she was a victim of a vast police conspiracy and that O’Keefe was fatally beaten by another law enforcement officer at the party.
A mistrial was declared last year after jurors said they were at an impasse and deliberating further would be futile.
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.
Get caught up with all of the latest in Karen Read’s retrial.
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