Karen Read’s Last Shot—Will Her Defense Crush the Prosecution’s Case?

Karen Read’s second murder trial reaches its climax on June 13, 2025, with closing arguments set to begin at 9 a.m. in Norfolk Superior Court, Dedham, Massachusetts. The defense, led by Alan Jackson, rested its case Wednesday after biomechanical engineer Andrew Rentschler testified that John O’Keefe’s injuries were inconsistent with a car crash, bolstering claims Read didn’t hit him with her SUV.

Facing charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene, Read’s team aims to dismantle the prosecution’s narrative in a 75-minute argument before Judge Beverly Cannone sends jurors to deliberate.

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Biomechanical Evidence Steals the Spotlight

Rentschler’s testimony, echoed by former Rhode Island chief medical examiner Elizabeth Laposata, is the defense’s ace. Both experts argue O’Keefe’s injuries, found outside a Canton home on January 29, 2022, suggest a beating, possibly by a dog, not a vehicle collision.

The defense dropped plans to pin the death on Brian Higgins or Brian Albert, focusing instead on forensic inconsistencies and a potential law enforcement cover-up.

A late-submitted prosecution report, alleging a time discrepancy between Read’s SUV and O’Keefe’s phone, drew sharp criticism from attorney Robert Alessi, who called it an “ambush.”

Prosecution’s Data-Driven Counterattack Looms

Special prosecutor Hank Brennan will counter with 75 minutes of arguments, leaning on O’Keefe’s phone data showing a “health event” at 12:32 a.m. and Read’s alleged statements to paramedics, “I hit him.” The prosecution claims Read, intoxicated after a night of drinking, struck O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV and left him to die in a snowstorm.

Despite no rebuttal witnesses, Brennan insists forensic evidence, including taillight fragments matching O’Keefe’s shirt, seals Read’s guilt. A prosecution misstep on O’Keefe’s sweatshirt holes, admitted by Brennan, could give the defense an edge.

Did you know?
Karen Read’s first trial in 2024 was Massachusetts’ most-watched case since Aaron Hernandez’s 2015 murder conviction.

Jury Faces a High-Stakes Verdict

With 31 days of testimony, 38 prosecution witnesses, and 11 defense witnesses, the 12 jurors, drawn from 18 after alternates are selected, face a daunting task. The first trial's hung jury, deadlocked on manslaughter but reportedly unanimous on acquitting murder, remains a significant concern.

Read, confident outside court, said her case is “stronger this year” with more witnesses exposing prosecution flaws. Jurors must navigate a polarized Dedham community, where Read’s supporters, now free to protest across the street, clash with O’Keefe’s backers.

Will Read Walk Free or Face Conviction?

As closing arguments unfold, Karen Read’s fate hinges on whether her defense can plant enough doubt to overcome the prosecution’s data. Will the jury see a frame-up or a fatal collision?