Karen Read's Defense Opens Door For Special Prosecutor To Bring In New Evidence: Court Docs

Karen Read's defense squad opened nan doorway to caller grounds from a conflict she sewage into pinch fellow John O'Keefe successful nan period earlier she allegedly killed him successful a drunken hit-and-run that prosecutors opportunity could exemplify nan slaying arsenic a "domestic unit homicide" and that she couldn't judge nan victim's attempts to break up pinch her, according to a caller tribunal filing.

Alan Jackson, 1 of her lawyers, had Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik publication a string of matter messages betwixt nan suspected slayer and a imaginable romanticist interest, ATF Agent Brian Higgins, who was coming astatine a barroom and after-party that Read and O'Keefe, a Boston constabulary officer, visited nan nighttime O'Keefe was past seen alive.

"Where nan suspect has opened nan door, it is particularly important for nan assemblage to understand that it was nan suspect who many times refused to judge nan victim's desire [to] terminate their relationship, nan defendant's made repeated dispute accusations that nan unfortunate was having an affair, and that location was an established shape of hostility, occurring successful nan weeks and days preceding nan murder," typical charismatic Hank Brennan wrote. 

KAREN READ DEFENSE FLOATS THEORY THAT ‘JEALOUS’ BRIAN HIGGINS FOUGHT JOHN O'KEEFE BEFORE DEATH

Karen Read is shown during her proceedings astatine Norfolk Superior Court, May 6, 2025, successful Dedham, Mass. (Matt Stone/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)

Because nan texts discussed claims straight made by Read astir O'Keefe successful Aruba, Brennan is arguing that prosecutors now person a correct to rebut her pinch grounds and witnesser grounds that contradicts her story. 

In nan texts, Read flirted pinch Higgins down her boyfriend's back, referred to herself arsenic single, complained astir O'Keefe's adopted children and claimed he "hooked up" pinch different female successful a edifice lobby.

Without mention of nan Aruba incident, nan prosection wouldn't person had a chance to bring it up astatine trial.

Read nan motion:

"Four weeks anterior to nan murder, nan suspect became enraged astatine nan unfortunate for speaking to a female friend who was connected their group vacation successful Aruba and accused nan unfortunate of having an affair," Brennan wrote successful tribunal filings Monday. "This incident was observed by galore individuals who will attest to their individual observations of nan incident arsenic good arsenic to connection of nan suspect successful nan contiguous aftermath."

Brennan wrote that he expects this grounds to beryllium Read had intent, opportunity aliases mentation up of O'Keefe's death.

KAREN READ'S GOOGLE TIMELINE DERAILED AGAIN AS 2ND EXPERT DISPUTES DEFENSE CLAIMS

John O’Keefe (Boston Police Department)

GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB

Read faces charges of second-degree murder, drunken driving manslaughter and fleeing nan segment of a deadly mishap for allegedly ramming her then-boyfriend pinch nan backmost extremity of her Lexus SUV and leaving him to dice during a blizzard connected Jan. 29, 2022.

"Evidence of nan ‘Aruba incident’ was proffered by nan suspect done a bid of matter messages betwixt nan suspect and Brian Higgins, frankincense opening nan doorway for nan Commonwealth to rebut nan defendant's misleading and inaccurate claims astir what had occurred weeks anterior successful Aruba," Brennan wrote.

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X

Karen Read and John O'Keefe (Karen Read)

SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER

"This incident successful Aruba seems to besides beryllium nan turning constituent successful nan narration arsenic nan suspect told Brian Higgins that her narration pinch nan unfortunate was a ‘very f---ed up situation' arsenic she had observed nan unfortunate ‘all complete [a] friend’s sister successful nan lobby of our hotel' and accused nan unfortunate of ‘having hooked up pinch different girl.’"

Brennan said he plans to telephone 4 witnesses to nan Aruba incident to testify.

Karen Read, beforehand left, joins attorneys for a sidebar pinch Judge Beverly J. Cannone, right, during her execution retrial connected May 12, 2025. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"In a home unit homicide, grounds specified arsenic anterior disputes are applicable to show nan ‘volatile quality of nan relationship,’" Brennan wrote.

He added that he expected their grounds to show Read's "intent and authorities of mind toward nan victim."

"Brennan is smart," said Linda Kenney Baden, a high-profile defense lawyer who squared disconnected pinch Jackson successful 2007 erstwhile he was nan lead charismatic successful nan execution proceedings of euphony shaper Phil Spector. "You don't get to correspond Whitey Bulger for 8 years if you're not."

Still, she said, Jackson whitethorn person been prepared for it.

"I deliberation moreover if nan judge allows him to bring it in, Jackson is fresh for it," she said. "That's why he had nan Aruba matter publication successful nan full Higgins outline."

Read has pleaded not guilty, and her attorneys contradict she ever struck O'Keefe pinch her vehicle.

Four weeks into nan trial, prosecutors person yet to show O'Keefe's autopsy findings to nan assemblage aliases allege specifically really she intended to termination him. 

"This feels hopeless to get nan intent," said Grace Edwards, a Massachusetts defense lawyer who has been pursuing nan case. "I don’t deliberation nan assemblage will attraction to perceive much grounds that location were issues. No narration is perfect."