Did John O’Keefe hear the “last words” from Karen Read before he passed away on January 29, 2022? This was a crucial question for both prosecutors and the defense to address during her retrial regarding the murder charges linked to his death.
Both parties aimed to frame the evidence to support their cases.
After Read, along with Kerry Roberts and Jennifer McCabe, discovered O’Keefe buried in snow outside another officer’s home, she informed the paramedics about an argument she’d had with her boyfriend, a detail both sides agree on.
However, a significant dispute arose during the testimony of Canton firefighter and paramedic Jason Becker.
KAREN READ SAYS SHE ADDED EXTRA SHOTS TO HER DRINKS BEFORE JOHN O’KEEFE’S DEATH
Karen Read consults with her defense team during the trial on April 25, 2025, at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass. (Josh Reynolds /New York Post via AP, Pool)
Prosecutors contend Read deliberately ran over O’Keefe following a drunken dispute and abandoned him in a snowstorm. She has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, manslaughter, and fleeing the scene, with her defense arguing she did not hit him at all.
Outside the courthouse, Read acknowledged that the text messages exchanged between her and O’Keefe, which were presented in court Thursday, reflected an “argument” she found “embarrassing” to disclose publicly.
WATCH: Karen Read speaks to the press at the end of the first week of her retrial
Special prosecutor Hank Brennan suggested that a comment Becker recalled referred to a disagreement between the couple.
KEY WITNESS IN KAREN READ’S CASE ADMITS GRAND JURY TESTIMONY WAS NOT ACCURATE
“When you spoke with the defendant, and she told you that her last words with her ‘husband’ were during an argument, why didn’t you request more details?” Brennan inquired.
Both Becker and his partner, firefighter and paramedic Daniel Whitley, testified they believed she was the victim’s wife when they arrived at the scene.
Canton firefighter and paramedic Jason Becker gives testimony during the trial on April 25, 2025, at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass. (Josh Reynolds /New York Post via AP, Pool)
“I didn’t think it was my role — we approached the call as if we wouldn’t be witnesses in a murder case,” Becker stated. “Our goal was to assist Karen and ensure she reached the hospital safely.”
Defense attorney Alan Jackson questioned if Read’s statement might have had a different context, potentially from a voicemail or from earlier that evening.
WATCH: Massachusetts state trooper reads messages exchanged between Karen Read and John O’Keefe
KAREN READ’S RETRIAL OPENED WITH INTENSE DRAMA, LAWYERS CLASHING IN A TENSE HEARING AFTER JURORS WERE DISMISSED
“Sir, when you drafted your report, did you recall including the word ‘argument’?” Brennan pressed.
“I did,” Becker replied.
Defense attorney David Yannetti makes a point during the Karen Read trial in Norfolk Superior Court on Wednesday, April 24, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, Pool)
“Do you remember her specifically using the word ‘argument’?”
“Yes,” he confirmed.
SIGN UP TO RECEIVE TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER
“Do you recall her mentioning anything about voicemails?” Brennan inquired.
“I do not,” Becker responded.
However, Becker agreed with Jackson’s suggestion that “earlier in the night” could refer to a disagreement with O’Keefe that occurred earlier in the evening, perhaps around 6 or 7 p.m., rather than close to midnight.
Karen Read exits Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., on April 25, 2025, marking the end of the first week of her second murder trial related to the death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe. (David McGlynn for Fox News Digital)
“Did she ever say whether she thought he received her last words?” Jackson asked.
KILLER OR INNOCENT BYSTANDER? ‘UNEXPECTED CELEBRITY’ KAREN READ’S TRIAL ANALYZED IN A NEW FOX NATION SERIES
“Yet, during your exchange about her final comments to him, she indeed pulled out her phone to show you several missed calls to him, right?”
“She attempted to, yes,” he acknowledged.
Karen Read’s parents depart from County Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., on April 25, 2025. (David McGlynn for Fox News Digital)
FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X
“Did you connect in your mind that she was discussing the missed calls and her anger about her last words to him regarding those voicemails?”
“I did not,” Becker replied.
GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB
Dr. Garrey Faller reviews Karen Read’s medical records while testifying during her trial on April 25, 2025, in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass. (Josh Reynolds/New York Post via AP, Pool)
Dr. Garrey Faller also testified that day, having overseen the pathology lab at the time Read arrived on January 29, 2022, the same day O’Keefe was discovered deceased.
Faller revealed that Read’s blood alcohol level was .093% when it was tested just after 9 a.m.
She and O’Keefe left the Waterfall Bar and Grille in Canton around midnight. Prosecutors presented a segment from an interview where she admitted to adding extra shots to her drinks.
Before the day’s testimony commenced, jurors were taken to the scene of the incident at 34 Fairview Road in Canton. Police also brought Read’s Lexus SUV to the location so jurors could see it parked outside the residence, specifically noting a broken taillight.
The initial week of testimony has concluded. The trial was originally estimated to last six to eight weeks.
