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Karen Read’s trial in the case of the death of Boston police officer John O’Keefe is wrapping up as her defense team presents its final witness.
According to prosecutors, Read allegedly struck O’Keefe in reverse with her Lexus after a night of drinking and left the scene, leaving him to die outside a house party during a severe blizzard on Jan. 29, 2022.
Dr. Andrew Rentschler provided brief testimony on Tuesday afternoon and is scheduled to take the stand for a more extended period on Wednesday before the defense concludes its case.
Rentschler joined Laposata and another defense witness, Dr. Marie Russell, in the opinion that scratches and cuts on O’Keefe’s arm were not caused by an impact with the taillight. The defense theory is that they were inflicted by a dog bite.
Read told reporters Tuesday that she would not be testifying in her own defense – and that Renstchler is the last witness her team plans to call.
“It’s the right move,” said Grace Edwards, a Massachusetts trial attorney who is closely following the case. “It is the sole decision of the defendant whether to take the stand. In this case, Karen would have to withstand a rigorous cross-examination by Brennan, which would include clips from the documentary and any other evidence they have that we don’t know about from other statements she made.”
She would also have to face questions about her drinking, Edwards said, which could break the “upward momentum” of her defense as expert witnesses have repeatedly contradicted prosecutors’ claims.
