Karen Reed’s murder trial got off to an explosive start Monday in Massachusetts, with her defense team making shocking allegations of abuse of police power in opening statements.
Reed’s defense claimed that the lead investigator in the case “searched for nude photos on his cell phone” and sent text messages to friends he “wanted.” [Read] He would commit suicide. ”
Prosecutors said first responders said Reed struck his partner, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, with his car during a drunken argument in the early morning hours of January 2022, shortly after dropping the partner off at a house party. He claimed that he had admitted it.
In opening statements in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Ms. Reed’s defense team said that as part of an elaborate cover-up, Ms. O’Keefe was murdered by a powerful family who lived outside the Canton home where her body was discovered. He claimed to have been framed.
Reed’s attorney, David Yannetti, said in court that Massachusetts State Police Officer Michael Proctor, also a friend of the homeowner, “searched a high school friend for nude photos of Karen Reed” without a warrant. “I told him that he was doing so,” he said.
Mr. Yanetti also claimed that Mr. Proctor sent a text message to a friend on his cell phone saying he “hoped (Mr. Reed) would kill himself.”
When one of her friends responded that the homeowner would be “very sad” that a body was found on his property, Proctor replied, “No, because the homeowner was also a Boston police officer. ” he answered.
“His fingerprints are on all federal evidence,” Yanetti said.
“Michael Proctor predetermined the outcome of this case,” he later added.
Leading up to the trial, Proctor and the Massachusetts State Police have denied any wrongdoing, but it is known that the FBI is conducting a public investigation into local authorities’ handling of the entire ordeal.
Reid’s lawyers argued that O’Keefe was not killed by Reid’s car, but was attacked by a dog during a fight with someone inside the house.
“Karen Reed was framed,” Yanetti said in her opening statement. “Someone not named Karen Reed ambushed John. Maybe someone didn’t intend to kill him, but someone went too far.”
“In short, you will find that the police have not conducted any serious investigation into this case and you will wonder why…you will wonder why they focused solely on Karen Reid.
“Karen Reed was a convenient outsider.”
Prosecutors allege that Reed got into a drunken argument with O’Keefe, a 16-year police veteran, and became enraged and intentionally hit O’Keefe with his Lexus SUV.
O’Keefe was pronounced dead at a local hospital, and a subsequent autopsy concluded that she died from hypothermia and head trauma.
Prosecutors said that about six hours after Reed allegedly punched O’Keefe, she returned to the scene with two other women and that Reed confessed when first responders arrived, prosecutor Adam said.・Larry said this in his opening statement.
“The defendant repeatedly stated, ‘I hit you, I hit you, I hit you,'” Lally told jurors.
Later that day, Canton Police Officer Steve Saraf, who was first on the scene, testified that Reed was hysterical when O’Keefe was found without a pulse.
“She kept saying, ‘This is all my fault, this is my fault, I did it.’ She was so hysterical. She kept asking, ‘Is he dead?’ Ta. is he dead? ” Saraf said on the stand.
Video from Saraf’s patrol car also showed Reed acting erratically and yelling “No!”
Larry also claimed that O’Keefe’s DNA was found on Reid’s taillight and one of his hairs was found on Reid’s bumper.
“You are the sole arbiters of the facts in this case, and you are the ones who will find out the facts, again, the facts, that the evidence in this case shows,” Larry continued.
“The defendant crashed John O’Keefe with his car, pushed him to the ground, smashed his head against the ground, causing a brain bleed, and then left him there for several hours in a blizzard with winds and temperatures in the teens.” snow was accumulating on his body. ”
O’Keefe’s body was discovered on January 29, 2022, in the snow outside her home in suburban Canton, 14 miles south of Boston.
The case also involves the state of Massachusetts.Many local stories say O’Keeffe’s death was “It divided the town.” and tore it apart Several months have passed since Reed’s arrest.
