Karen Read's trial for the murder of her boyfriend, Boston cop John O'Keefe, has revealed new evidence through flirty text exchanges with an ATF agent.
Read, 44, claims she was framed by law enforcement after her boyfriend, a 16-year veteran of the Boston police force, was found dead on January 29, 2022, and the messages with the aforementioned Biden administration agent may shed light on what occurred, as the Daily Mail reports.
Prosecutors allege that Read backed her SUV over O'Keefe following a heated dispute, while her defense argues that other attendees of the party beat O'Keefe and left him outside.
During the trial, messages between Read and Brian Higgins, an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), were presented. These texts were flirtatious, painting a picture of a potentially strained relationship between the defendant and her deceased boyfriend. Read had even kissed Higgins after a football game attended by O'Keefe.
Higgins took the stand, expressing confusion over Read's intentions: “Was the defendant interested in me? Was she at the end of her relationship with John? Was she trying to weaponize me against John and put me in the middle?” This incited a pointed exchange between Higgins and defense attorney Alan Jackson, who suggested Higgins might be feeling slighted from being "ghosted" by Read.
Prosecutors argued these flirtations indicate a deteriorating relationship between Read and O'Keefe, adding another layer of complexity to the case. They presented evidence that Read's actions on the night of O'Keefe's death were suspicious, including broken taillight fragments suggesting she reversed into O'Keefe.
John O'Keefe was discovered lifeless outside a house in freezing conditions, suffering from skull fractures, swollen eyes, and hypothermia. The brutally cold 23-degree temperatures and significant snow accumulation were factors in his tragic demise. Read discovered his body around 4:30 a.m. and enlisted the help of Jennifer McCabe to search for him.
The court saw a screenshot of texts between Allison McCabe and Colin Albert during this time, showcasing Read's desperate attempts to locate O'Keefe. Allison McCabe later broke down in court, detailing the harassment her family endured throughout the trial.
An important facet of the trial was the state of Read and O'Keefe's relationship on the night of his death. Witnesses from a Boston bar where the couple was seen earlier, celebrating the acceptance of O'Keefe's niece into a private school, testified that they appeared content and that no one was excessively intoxicated.
In a startling revelation, Read texted Katherine Camerano early the next morning, saying, “He's dead.” Camerano's response, “What? Karen are you serious?” was met with Read's reply, “he was in the snow.” According to prosecutors, Read made self-incriminating statements such as “I hit him!” and “What if he's dead? What if a plow hit him? I don't remember anything from last night, we drank so much I don't remember anything."
Defense lawyers counter this narrative, noting that police did not initially observe broken taillight pieces at the scene, casting doubt on the prosecutors' timeline and evidence. Witnesses described Read as devastated and attempting to revive O'Keefe when emergency personnel arrived.
As both sides present their arguments, the defense heavily criticizes the police investigation, pointing to alleged conflicts of interest and potential tampering with evidence. Alan Jackson emphatically stated, “Not only Karen Read deserves this. John O'Keefe deserves this and has deserved this from moment one. And that's why they're not going to rest.”
This trial, rich with emotional testimonies and contentious evidence, underscores the complexity of seeking justice for John O'Keefe while considering the potential framing of Karen Read.
