John O’Keefe’s grieving mother took the stand in the case against his accused killer, Karen Read. We break down her testimony and hear from Karen Read’s father outside of court.
Plus, legal analysis on defense attorney Alan Jackson’s challenge to witness Kerry Roberts during cross-examination and a deep look at the end of the Canton police chief’s time leading the department.
The second day of testimony in Karen Read's second murder trial included testimony from the mother of John O'Keefe.
Read is charged with the murder of O'Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend. Prosecutors say she hit him with her SUV in Canton, Massachusetts, leaving him to die in the snow in 2022. She has long held that she has been framed in a coverup.
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WATCH HEREKerry Roberts returned to the stand, a day after the prosecution questioned her about her memories of the discovery of O'Keefe's body, including damage to the taillight of Read's vehicle.
On Wednesday, Roberts testified that Read pointed out the taillight damage and confirmed that Read said, "Do you think I hit him?" in reference to the damage. Roberts also testified about receiving a panicked phone call from Read on the morning O'Keefe was found dead.
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SIGN UP "When she first called she said, 'John's dead, Kerry, Kerry,' and she hung up," Roberts said.
The defense also questioned Roberts on Wednesday and sought to portray her as having changed her story and made false statements to a grand jury.
Prosecutors then called O'Keefe's mother, Peggy O'Keefe, to the stand. She gave emotional testimony about learning of her son's death.
O'Keefe explained that she lost her daughter, Kristen, to a brain tumor in 2013, and Kristen's husband, Stephen Furbush, died of a heart attack shortly thereafter. The pain of losing another child at a young age was devastating, she said.
She cried on the witness stand while relaying the story of seeing her son in the hospital after he was found lifeless in the snow.
"He was bruised up. His eyes were closed. Just not a good scene," she said.
O'Keefe's mother also briefly testified about her interactions with Read. She said Read told her she had left her son at a party.
Defense attorney Alan Jackson expressed sympathy to O'Keefe and declined to cross-examine her.
"Mrs. O'Keefe, I'm very, very sorry for your loss. I have no questions for you," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
