DEDHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - The judge in the Karen Read murder case is tasked with determining whether an expert witness should testify in Read’s second murder trial.
In a pretrial hearing Tuesday, a prosecutor revealed the state has examined a German shepherd named Chloe, a dog that has been at the center of the defense’s theory that victim John O’Keefe was killed in a fight at a party in January 2022.
“Do you know that Chloe exists? We provided notice to you that we went up and saw Chloe and took molds. Did you know that?” special prosecutor Hank Brennan asked the defense expert in court.
Brennan questioned Dr. Marie Russell, a retired California emergency room doctor who says she’s qualified to be an expert on identifying dog bites.
Judge Beverly Cannone, who allowed Russell to testify in Read’s first trial, is now reevaluating whether Russell is qualified to giver her opinions again. Read’s first trial ended in a hung jury.
Brennan questioned Russell about doctors hired by the U.S. Attorney’s office in a separate federal probe who gave the opinion O’Keefe’s injuries were not caused by a canine bite.
“They don’t have my experience,” Russell said in response.
Brennan pushed back, asking if she really knew whether she had more experience than them.
Read is charged with second-degree murder and two other felonies in connection with the death of O’Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend.
While the state says a drunken Read backed into O’Keefe and left him outside to die in the snow, Read claims she dropped off O’Keefe at a Canton home and that he died in a fight at a party.
The defense says Chloe, the family dog at the Canton home, bit O’Keefe and caused wounds to his right forearm.
While Brennan argued the judge should keep Russell off the stand because she relies solely on her opinion, the defense says that’s not the case.
“You couldn’t come up with a more perfect witness for the subject matter of this testimony,” said defense attorney Robert Alessi.
Cannone told the lawyers Tuesday she wants to make sure the retrial begins April 1. It was originally scheduled to begin in three weeks.
“April 1, 2026 would be better, but I’m glad for the continuance,” Read joked outside the courthouse.
Cannone will take time for the decision regarding Russell testifying.
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