DEDHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - The medical examiner who performed Boston police officer John O’Keefe’s autopsy took the witness stand Thursday in the Karen Read murder retrial.
Dr. Irini Scordi-Bello walked the jury through O’Keefe’s injuries, showing photos and describing a laceration to the back of his head, skull fractures, a cut above his right eye, abrasions on his nose and arm, two black eyes, and a scratch on his right knee.
Read is accused of killing O’Keefe, her boyfriend, by hitting him with her SUV and leaving him to die in a snowbank. Her lawyers argue she is being framed in a police coverup.
Her first trial last year ended in a mistrial.
Scordi-Bello concluded that head trauma was the primary cause of death, with hypothermia contributing to his death. However, she said she could not determine a manner of death.
“The cause of death was determined to be impact injuries of head and hypothermia,” Scordi-Bello said.
“In the absence of head trauma, hypothermia is a cause of death, but I’m not able to make that determination in this case because we do have the blunt impact injury,” Scordi-Bello continued.
“That injury to the right eyelid, that laceration, could not be caused by someone falling back and hitting their head, correct?” defense attorney Robert Alessi asked.
“Correct,” Scordi-Bello replied.
The jury also viewed several autopsy photos including images of O’Keefe’s arm and bruises on his hand.
Scordi-Bello noted a number of injuries O’Keefe suffered, including a laceration to the back right side of his head, multiple skull fractures originating from the laceration area, a cut above his right eye, abrasions to his nose and right arm, two black eyes, and a small scratch in his knee.
A toxicology report found O’Keefe had not used any drugs, including prescriptions, but his blood alcohol level was high, between .21 and .28. .08 is considered legally drunk in Massachusetts.
“Were you able to reach a conclusion as to the manner of Mr. O’Keefe’s death to a reasonable degree of medical certainty?” Hank Brennan asked.
“No I was not,” Scordi-Bello responded.
It was a blow to the prosecution that Scordi-Bello did not rule this as a homicide. Read is charged with second-degree murder.
Scordi-Bello testified O’Keefe’s head injury is consistent with falling backwards on a hard flat surface, such as a frozen lawn.
Robert Alessi cross examined her.
“Would you expect to see any grass at all on the injury site?” Alessi asked.
“It’s possible to have grass,” said Scordi-Bello.
But the pathologist did not see dirt or grass on O’Keefe’s head.
The defense theory is that he was beaten to death inside of 34 Fairview and his body was later put on the lawn.
Scordi-Bello also testified she looked for evidence O’Keefe was hit by a car.
“I did examine his legs, and I did not see any evidence of an impact site,” said Scordi-Bello.
Maureen Hartnett, a scientist with the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory, also resumed her testimony Thursday. Attorneys asked her questions about the evidence that was collected by investigators, including the clothing worn by O’Keefe when he died in January 2022.
Read’s defense team is insinuating that officers did not follow proper protocol.
This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)