Blogger ‘Turtleboy' returns to court in the latest development in the Karen Read case

Developments continue in the high-stakes legal saga over the killing of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, where allegations of a coverup have captured the attention of the community as cases unfold against the girlfriend accused of killing him and a controversial blogger who has run into legal trouble of his own while writing about the case.

Karen Read, of Mansfield, is charged with second-degree murder in the January 2022 death of O'Keefe, her boyfriend. Her attorneys have alleged an extensive coverup in the case, setting off a contentious, closely watched court case. Meanwhile Aidan Kearney, the controversial blogger known as “Turtleboy,” faces witness intimidation and other charges for his coverage of the case.

Kearney appeared briefly in Dedham District Court Thursday for a pretrial hearing, blowing a kiss to the camera as he walked in. The case was continued to Feb. 26.

The Boston Globe reports that on Wednesday the case took another turn when police seized two phones from Read in connection with the witness intimidation case against Kearney. The paper also reports that Special Prosecutor Kenneth Mello made an "extraordinary" request to monitor Kearney's conversations with his lawyer, claiming that the defense misrepresented a woman as another lawyer in the case, giving her access to speak with Kearney unmonitored in jail. Mello told the newspaper that communication involved discussion about "continued harassment online."

Kearney's attorney denies that he intentionally made a false statement and said the woman was a legal aid volunteer.

The background of the case against Karen Read

O'Keefe was found in the snow outside a home in Canton on the morning of Jan. 29, 2022, and later pronounced dead at a hospital. Read was arrested days later on suspicion of hitting him with her SUV and leaving him to die. The home belongs to Brian Albert, which is a key detail of the defense's coverup allegations.

In the hours before O'Keefe's death, he and Read had been drinking at a bar with a group of people, including Albert and his sister-in-law Jennifer McCabe.

Prosecutors have said in the hours before O'Keefe's death he and Read were at C.F. McCarthy's bar in Canton with several friends on the night of Jan. 28, then went to Waterfall Bar & Grille across the street around 11 p.m., where they stayed for about an hour. The group allegedly included Albert and his sister-in-law Jennifer McCabe. They left there and were invited to a party at Albert's home on Fairview Road. Hours later, O'Keefe would be found fatally injured outside that house.

The defense has argued in court that there is a close relationship between the McCabe family, Albert family and Elizabeth and Michael Proctor. Michael Proctor is the state trooper who is the lead investigator in the case, and Elizabeth is his wife. O'Keefe was found dead outside of Brian Albert's home, where Read was said to have dropped him off after a night drinking with friends.

The defense tried to paint a picture of a biased Proctor because of the connection between the families, using that as ammunition to ask for communications between the Proctors, McCabe and Albert.

The background on the case against Aidan Kearney

Kearney, a Holden resident, has been an outspoken critic of the investigation into Read. As he's claimed that Read was framed — which prosecutors deny — he's painted a picture of a vast coverup involving several people who were at the house outside of which O'Keefe was found dead and written more than 150 articles on the subject.

Prosecutors and a grand jury allege that Kearney worked with a police dispatcher to intimidate three people, including a Massachusetts State Police investigator working on the case. He's facing a slew of charges, witness intimidation, picketing a witness and assault and battery.

The dispatcher is also facing a conspiracy charge.

Kearney vehemently denies the allegations against him, and his attorney has said his actions are protected by the First Amendment. He is currently being held without bail over the assault and battery charges.