A woman accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend was framed, her attorneys say

BOSTON -- A highly anticipated proceedings began successful Massachusetts past week involving a pistillate accused of striking her Boston constabulary serviceman fellow with her SUV and leaving him for dormant successful a snowbank.

John O’Keefe died successful the Boston suburb of Canton connected Jan. 29, 2022.

The lawsuit has garnered nationalist attraction due to the fact that the defence alleges that authorities and section instrumentality enforcement officials framed Karen Read and allowed the existent slayer to spell free.

A look astatine the facts and ineligible arguments:

For the past fewer days, Read's defence squad has focused heavy connected connections betwixt constabulary and the household that owned the location successful the Boston suburb of Canton wherever O'Keefe's assemblage was found. They are trying to reason that these relationships biased the probe and blinded authorities and section instrumentality enforcement officials to the anticipation that idiosyncratic other killed the 46-year-old O'Keefe.

Defense attorneys archetypal went aft Katie McLaughlin, a firefighter who responded to the country and who had been friends with household subordinate Caitlin Albert. The location was owned astatine the clip by Albert's father, Boston Police Officer Brian Albert.

McLaughlin confirmed connected Friday that she and Caitlin Albert went to precocious schoolhouse together, were friends connected societal media and were photographed unneurotic astatine a section formation astir a decennary ago. But she insisted they were lone acquaintances and that she didn’t cognize it was Albert’s location erstwhile she responded to the call. She besides said she hadn’t talked to Albert for a fewer years.

Read's defence lawyer Alan Jackson repeatedly tried to amusement that the brace were person than McLaughlin wanted to admit, pointing retired different formation photos successful which the 2 appeared together.

By Monday, helium and different defence attorneys were doubling down connected that connection.

Before the assemblage arrived, the attorneys told Judge Beverly Cannone that they had received galore much photos implicit the play of McLaughlin and Caitlin Albert together, including astatine a babe shower. They besides learned the 2 had been connected the way squad unneurotic successful precocious school. Cannone said she would code the contented later.

Defense attorneys besides questioned Canton Police Lt. Paul Gallagher, the archetypal witnesser up Monday, asking him wherefore helium didn't hunt the household location for immoderate carnal evidence. They noted that pieces of a breached cocktail solid had been recovered extracurricular the house, and indicated that akin pieces mightiness person been recovered wrong the location with a search.

Did constabulary not behaviour a hunt "because that location belonged to a Boston constabulary officer?” Jackson asked Gallagher.

Gallagher responded that a hunt would person required probable cause, which helium said constabulary didn't have.

Jackson past asked Gallagher if the crushed that Canton Police Chief Kenneth Berkowitz recused himself from the probe "was due to the fact that of the narration betwixt the Albert household and the Canton constabulary department?”

Gallagher said no, that it was due to the fact that a member of Brian Albert works successful the Canton police's investigative unit.

On Tuesday, the defence focused connected the narration that Canton Police Lt. Michael Lank had with Brian Albert's member Christopher Albert, a precocious schoolhouse classmate.

Lank said helium had been drinking disconnected work 1 nighttime successful 2002 erstwhile Christopher Albert approached him for help, saying helium had been successful a scuffle earlier, and that "some threats had been made to him and his family.”

Defense attorneys suggested Lank helped Albert due to the fact that of their agelong relationship but helium denied it.

“It was maine coming to the assistance of a national who was terrified and frightened for him and his household connected that nighttime who happened to beryllium Chris Albert," helium told the court.

Read and O'Keefe had been to 2 bars the nighttime of the officer's death, and were past headed to a enactment successful adjacent Canton, constabulary said. Read said she did not consciousness good and decided not to attend, they said. Once astatine the home, O’Keefe got retired of Read’s vehicle, and portion she made a three-point turn, she struck him and past drove away, according to prosecutors.

Read aboriginal became frantic erstwhile she couldn’t scope O’Keefe, returned to the party, and on with 2 friends recovered his assemblage covered successful snow, the prosecutors said.

So far, they are leaning into Read's comments astatine the scene, including grounds from respective archetypal responders who recalled Read telling them loudly and repeatedly that she “hit him,” though she ne'er said it was with her SUV. They besides person enactment witnesses connected the basal who person testified that the mates had a strained relationship.