DEDHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - Jurors were not present in court Thursday as attorneys in the Karen Read retrial worked out the jury rules and instructions ahead of Friday’s closing arguments.
Read’s defense team rested its case Wednesday and the prosecution chose not to call any rebuttal witnesses.
Read, 45, is accused of killing Boston police officer John O’Keefe, her boyfriend, by backing into him with her car after a night of drinking and leaving him to die in the snow in January 2022. Read’s defense argues she is being framed in a police coverup.
On Thursday, Judge Beverly Cannone decided each side will have one hour and 15 minutes to sum up their cases.
Special prosecutor Hank Brennan will give the closing statement for the commonwealth.
The defense, once again, argued there isn’t enough evidence for a conviction and she should enter a directed verdict of not guilty.
“Both witnesses from ARCCA drove a stake through the heart of the commonwealth’s case,” said defense attorney David Yannetti.
Cannone denied the motion.
A jury of 12 will be selected Friday morning; six others who listened to the evidence will serve as alternates.
Read’s first trial ended in a hung jury, and some jurors came forward to say there were two unannounced not guilty verdicts.
The defense says changes to the verdict slip are necessary, to make the process simpler, considering Read faces three charges and there is the possibility of lesser included offenses up for their consideration.
Cannone said she does not think those changes are necessary, but she will consider the request.
“I will make it crystal clear, though. I think it was, and I was upheld on it,” Cannone said.
Read’s defense team also abandoned a “third party culprit” strategy. The courts set a high bar for a defendant directly blaming someone else for O’Keefe’s death.
“Is the defense going to argue that Brian Higgins did this?” Cannone asked.
“No. We are going to argue that the police failed to investigate whether Brian Higgins did it,” Yannetti responded.
“Okay,” Cannone said.
This is called a Bowden defense. Claiming the police made mistakes does not require as much evidence.
After the jury is charged, deliberations will begin. The judge wants the jurors to stay until 5:30 p.m. Friday.
This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
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