Karen Read Trial: Crime Lab Expert Testifies Blood Evidence Was Never Tested

A forensic intelligence from nan Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab revealed during Karen Read's execution trial that grounds collected successful reddish Solo cups was ne'er tested successful nan decease of her Boston constabulary serviceman boyfriend, John O'Keefe.

Testimony Wednesday came from O'Keefe's niece, whom he was caring for aft her parents died wrong months of 1 another, arsenic good arsenic forensic experts progressive successful nan hunt of Read's Lexus SUV and crime laboratory testing.

Maureen Hartnett, of nan Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab, testified she recovered broken glass, scratches and astatine slightest 1 dent connected nan backmost of Read's vehicle, arsenic good arsenic humor and debris recovered from O'Keefe's clothes.

She besides swabbed nan grounds that Canton constabulary collected successful reddish Solo cups — though she testified that it had ne'er been tested, and arsenic a consequence she couldn't moreover place it arsenic blood.

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Karen Read leaves tribunal during a short recess during her execution proceedings successful Norfolk Superior Court successful Dedham, Mass., Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Mark Chavous/Enterprise News via AP, Pool)

She collected samples for further testing but testified that she did not execute testing herself. That was personification else's responsibility.

She besides testified that she could not norm retired that immoderate of nan harm connected Read's SUV happened earlier Jan. 29, 2022, nan greeting O'Keefe died.

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

An grounds image of reddish Solo cups utilized by nan Canton constabulary to cod humor grounds is displayed during nan Karen Read trial, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, successful Dedham, Mass.  (Matt Stone/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)

The reddish substance, described arsenic "red-brown" by nan clip she saw it, was collected by Canton constabulary from nan beforehand section of 34 Fairview Road, nether a dusting of snowfall astatine nan spot wherever investigators believed O'Keefe had been found.

"I deliberation you trial it anyway, moreover if location is no chain-of-custody, conscionable to contextualize nan case," said Paul Mauro, a retired NYPD interrogator who is pursuing nan case. "If location was a conflict wrong nan house, presumably O'Keefe would've fought back. If nan humor successful nan snowfall came backmost to 1 of nan Alberts aliases Higgins, if you're nan defense, you're doing backflips."

If nan swabs still exist, however, nan defense could inquire for them to beryllium tested today, he said.

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Officer John O’Keefe poses for his charismatic headshot. O’Keefe’s girlfriend, Karen Reed, is presently connected proceedings for execution aft he was recovered dormant extracurricular of a Massachusetts location successful January 2022. (Boston Police Department)

But constabulary could besides person done a amended occupation collecting and documenting evidence, particularly aft a bid of times erstwhile officers had to take sides making different decisions, including having personification other capable retired nan level of an grounds bag, utilizing a market container alternatively of an grounds bag, and sending personification location to drawback a leafage blower without sending anyone to nan constabulary position to get due evidence-gathering containers.

Other awkward moments included an grounds container pinch nan incorrect number of surgery taillight shards and a little hold aft a authorities constabulary sergeant was asked to unfastened a mislabeled grounds container pinch 1 of nan victim's sneakers inside.

"You don't person to beryllium doing homicide investigations regular to cognize that if you gathered a bunch of worldly from a crime scene, sphere it and make judge it's logged into grounds truthful you tin retrieve it later since you don't cognize wherever this is going," Mauro said. "If they knew capable and cared capable to return samples from nan scene, nevertheless imperfect they did it… and they put each cup successful a abstracted Stop and Shop bag, initialed it, closed it arsenic bully arsenic they could successful a blizzard. It is unorthodox, not perfect, but defensible."

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Defendant Karen Read talks pinch her attorneys during her execution proceedings successful Norfolk Superior Court successful Dedham, Mass., Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Mark Chavous/Enterprise News via AP, Pool)

Defense lawyer Robert Alessi besides asked Hartnett astir 2 photos purported to show nan aforesaid lone hairsbreadth sample recovered from nan backmost of nan SUV. 

"You could reason that nan snowfall sealed it successful there," Mauro said. 

Read faces charges of second-degree murder, drunk-driving manslaughter and fleeing nan segment of a deadly mishap successful relationship pinch O'Keefe's death.

Prosecutors allege she reversed her Lexus SUV into him and near him to dice connected nan crushed during a blizzard.

She has pleaded not blameworthy to each charges, and her lawyers opportunity she ne'er deed him.

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William Read, left, begetter of Karen Read, is greeted by defense lawyer Robert Alessi earlier nan commencement of nan Karen Read execution proceedings successful Norfolk Superior Court successful Dedham, Mass., Friday, May 9, 2025. (Mark Stockwell/The Sun Chronicle via AP, Pool)

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While prosecutors person shown photos of her surgery taillight and investigators person testified that it played a domiciled successful their allegations against Read, her lawyers played a close-up video of her appearing to backmost into O'Keefe's parked car earlier she and 2 different women recovered O'Keefe connected nan crushed extracurricular nan Fairview Road house.

A group of group had been location nan nighttime earlier for an after-party pursuing a nighttime retired drinking.

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Read, speaking pinch reporters extracurricular nan courthouse, claimed she saw O'Keefe spell wrong nan statement earlier she left.

Other witnesses, testifying nether oath, told jurors that he did not travel inside.