‘Repeated misrepresentations’: Judge admonishes Karen Read’s lawyers as 2nd murder trial nears

DEDHAM, Mass. — Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone admonished Karen Read’s legal team on Tuesday for “repeated misrepresentations” in front of the court, two weeks before the Mansfield woman’s second murder trial is slated to start.

Read is accused of hitting her Boston police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV in Canton on Jan. 29, 2022, and leaving him to die after a night of drinking. The defense has sought to portray Read as the victim, saying O’Keefe was actually killed inside the Albert family home at 34 Fairview Road in Canton and then dragged outside and left for dead.

“I find that there have been repeated misrepresentations made to the court by defense counsel, and I conclude that they were deliberate concerning the relationship with ARCCA witnesses,” Cannone said at the start of Tuesday’s hearing.

Despite warning the defense team of the “flagrant violation,” which initially caused “graved concern,” Cannone said she’d allow all of Read’s high-powered lawyers to stay on the case.

“A lawyer is only as good as his or her word. And I need to be able to take counsel at their word,” Cannone explained. “So, I’m not going to tolerate false statements, any stretching of the truth, no misleading distortions. There’s no place for that in the courtroom.”

The federal investigation was focused on local and state law enforcement, as well as allegations that Read had been set up for the murder of O’Keefe.

ARCCA witnesses Daniel Wolfe and Andrew Rentschler, a pair of accident reconstruction experts hired by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as part of a now-closed federal investigation into the murder case, testified at Read’s first trial that O’Keefe’s injuries were not consistent with being struck by a car.

Special prosecutor Hank Brennan had attempted to block them from testifying at Read’s second trial, but Cannone ruled in favor of the defense, informing the court that she’d allow them back when witness testimony began.

Brennan also asked Cannone to establish a buffer zone outside the Dedham courthouse. The prosecution also wants to enforce a dress code to restrict people gathering outside from wearing clothes or holding signs related to the trial.

Brennan also revealed that come trial, he’ll need three to four weeks to present his case against Read. The defense said it will likely need between a week and a half to two weeks.

Cannone didn’t rule on the following requests:

• The prosecution wants to call Dr. Aizik Wolf, a Florida neurosurgeon, to talk about the cause and manner of John O’Keefe’s death.
• The prosecution doesn’t want Read’s Lexus brought to the jury view of 34 Fairview Road at Read’s re-trial. It was brought there for the 1st trial.
• Karen Read’s defense argues to keep certain prosecution witnesses from attending closing arguments, including members of the Albert and McCabe families.
• Karen Read’s defense asks for the April 1 trial date to be pushed back, citing an ongoing federal appeal.

Read is charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in injury or death. She has pleaded not guilty.

Last week, a U.S. District Court judge refused to dismiss Read’s second-degree murder charge. Her attorneys had argued double jeopardy, claiming deadlocked jurors in the first trial told them that they were never going to convict her on that charge. In July 2024, Cannone declared a mistrial after the jurors deadlocked.

The prosecution and defense are due back in court for another hearing on Thursday.

Read’s upcoming retrial is slated to start with jury selection on April 1.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

©2025 Cox Media Group