Medical Examiner Details Skull Fractures In Karen Read Murder Trial Testimony

A aesculapian examiner testified she could place John O'Keefe's origin of decease arsenic a caput wounded and hypothermia but could not find whether it was homicide, accidental aliases immoderate different mode Thursday during nan execution proceedings of Karen Read successful nan 2022 decease of her boyfriend, a 46-year-old Boston constabulary officer.

Dr. Irini Scordi-Bello, a forensic pathologist pinch Massachusetts' Office of nan Chief Medical Examiner, performed nan autopsy connected O'Keefe Jan. 31, 2022.

While Scordi-Bello recovered that O'Keefe had died from head trauma and hypothermia, nan mode of decease — really he suffered those injuries — was undetermined.

The blunt effect to his caput was nan superior origin of death, she testified, but hypothermia contributed. He had a heavy trim and bruising to nan backmost of his head. Once she looked astatine it from nan inside, she recovered aggregate skull fractures and encephalon bleeding. And his assemblage somesthesia erstwhile he arrived astatine nan infirmary was 80.1 degrees compared to a normal assemblage somesthesia of 98.6.

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Defendant Karen Read, right, speaks to her attorney, Alan Jackson, earlier nan commencement of her proceedings successful Norfolk Superior Court Thursday, May 15, 2025, successful Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell, Pool)

She discussed nan outer introspection first, saying she recovered akin injuries to his face, head, hand, limb and knee that different witnesses, including paramedics and police, person already described to nan jury.

He had "superficial" scrapes and cuts connected his arm, which did not penetrate nan tegument aliases expose fat aliases musculus tissue, she testified. 

Dr. Irini Scordi-Bello, nan aesculapian examiner who conducted nan autopsy connected execution unfortunate John O'Keefe, testifies during nan proceedings of Karen Read successful Norfolk Superior Court Thursday, May 15, 2025, successful Dedham, Mass.  (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell, Pool)

She besides performed an soul introspection and looked astatine further injuries.

At nan backmost of his skull, she recovered multiple fractures from a trim connected nan correct broadside of his head.

That wounded is accordant with falling backward and landing pinch his caput connected nan stiff ground, she testified during cross-examination from defense lawyer Robert Alessi, who asked Scordi-Bello if O'Keefe should person sustained a information coiled alternatively of nan linear 1 recovered astatine autopsy.

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Defense lawyer Robert Alessis questions Massachusetts State Police forensic intelligence Maureen Hartnett during nan proceedings of Karen Read successful Norfolk Superior Court Thursday, May 15, 2025, successful Dedham, Mass.  (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell, Pool)

"There's thing inconsistent pinch this wounded and a autumn connected someone's — connected nan backmost of nan caput — pinch a blunt surface," she testified.

"A autumn backwards wherever nan personification impacts nan backmost of their caput connected flat, stiff crushed … would you expect that type of a laceration from that type of a fall?" Alessi followed up. "Not conscionable a wide autumn backwards, but specifically a autumn backwards wherever nan backmost of nan caput hits flat, stiff ground. Would you expect that?" 

"I could," Scordi-Bello said. "Yes."

However, she besides said she recovered nary signs of writer connected nan backmost of O'Keefe's head.

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John O'Keefe pictured successful an undated photo. O'Keefe died Jan. 29, 2022. His girlfriend, Karen Read, was charged pinch hitting him pinch her Lexus SUV and fleeing.  (Courtesy of Karen Read)

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Alessi besides grilled her connected nan hypothermia finding, asking if soul injuries to O'Keefe's tummy and pancreas could person been caused by factors different than nan freezing temperatures. 

She testified it is imaginable that his pancreas could person hemorrhaged from a instrumentality utilized to assistance paramedics pinch CPR efforts, but that wouldn't person damaged his stomach. However, she later testified that nan tummy ulcers could person been caused by O'Keefe drinking alcohol without taking his antacid medicine.

The toxicology study recovered nary narcotics aliases medicine medications successful his strategy astatine nan clip of his death. He had a .21% humor intoxicant level. And he had been prescribed an antacid to forestall gastric ulcers. 

Dr. Irini Scordi-Bello, nan aesculapian examiner who conducted nan autopsy connected execution unfortunate John O'Keefe, explains to nan assemblage nan quality of an autopsy during nan proceedings of Karen Read successful Norfolk Superior Court Thursday, May 15, 2025, successful Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell, Pool)

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Even aft an amended decease certificate was issued, O'Keefe's manner of death remained undetermined. Scordi-Bello testified Thursday she stands by her findings arsenic to nan cause, caput trauma and hypothermia.

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After Judge Beverly Cannone sent jurors location for nan day, Alessi based on that caller disclosures astir master grounds from Aperture, which conducted reports for nan prosecution, would put nan "entire defense" astatine consequence if allowed this precocious successful nan game.

The disclosure was dated May 8 but was received by nan defense May 11, he said.

Karen Read listens to nan grounds of Jennifer McCabe during Read's execution proceedings successful Norfolk Superior Court successful Dedham, Mass., Wednesday, April 30, 2025.  (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)

"I don’t for illustration to usage hyperbolic words, but nan connection has been utilized against america — ambush, ambush, ambush," Alessi said. "If there’s ever an illustration of an ambush, this is it."

In a heated backmost and forth, Brennan described nan disclosure arsenic grounds of a important variance betwixt nan soul clocks successful Read’s Lexus SUV and John O’Keefe’s cellphone data.

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Cannone did not denote a determination earlier adjourning tribunal for nan day.

Read is owed backmost Friday astatine 9 a.m.

She could look life successful situation if convicted of nan astir superior charge.