The Karen Read trial resumed Monday morning after last week’s intense testimony of key prosecution witness Jennifer McCabe.
Hannah Knowles, a forensic scientist with the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory, took the stand as the next witness before the courtroom adjourned Friday.
Witnesses at the house party also testifed on the events that unfolded that night.
Read is accused of striking her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, with her SUV on Jan. 2022 and leaving him to die in the snow outside a house party in Canton.
Follow along for live updates as the case unfolds.
Sarah Levinson, friend of Julie Nagel and Brian Albert Jr., is called to the stand — 11:10 AM EST
Judge Cannone and the jury return from morning recess.
Katie McLaughlin was supposed to be the next witness to testify. Instead, Brennan called another witness, Sarah Levinson.
Levinson, 26, is a friend of Julie Nagel and Brian Albert Jr. Levinson and Julie went to 34 Fairview Road on the night in question to celebrate Albert Jr’s birthday.
Katie McLaughlin, Canton firefighter and paramedic, is next to take the stand — 10:40 AM EST.
Katie McLaughlin, an EMT who testified during the first trial, said she heard Karen Read say, “I hit him,” after responding to 34 Fairview Road, where John O’Keefe was found unresponsive in the snow.
She is also questioned by the defense about her ties to Caitlin Albert, the homeowner’s daughter.
The judge calls for morning recess. McLaughlin is expected to testify when the proceedings resume.
Heather Maxon is called to the stand — 10:37 AM EST
Heather Maxon, former girlfriend of Brian Nagel, recounts the events of Jan. 29, 2022.
The 31-year-old said she was with Nagel and their friend Ricky that night, and the group drove together to pick up Nagel’s sister, Julie. Maxon sat in the back seat of the truck.
She recalled noticing an oncoming SUV turning onto Fairview Road ahead of them. She claimed she saw a woman driving and a man in the passenger seat.
Maxon remembered the brief conversation with Julie and did not see anyone exit the SUV or appear in the driveway during that time. She adds that the dome light in the SUV turned on “as we were leaving,” and only saw the driver.
During cross-examination, Yannetti asked Maxon whether she might have been distracted. She admitted she couldn’t recall if she was using her phone while waiting for Julie and wasn’t actively watching the SUV.
Yannetti begins cross-examination — 10:18 AM EST
Yannetti asked again about the SUV at the intersection of Cedarcrest Road.
Nagel agreed that the vehicle appeared to be driving at a safe speed and stayed in its lane. He says he did not see a man in the SUV, only the female driver, and heard no arguing or screaming.
Brennan returned for a redirect about the snow conditions that night. Nagel says there was just a coating.
He says there could have been someone in the passanger seat or standing near the side, but his view would have been blocked by the SUV. Nagel says he did not see no one lying by the flag pole.
Nagel testifies, recalls seeing a black SUV at 34 Fairview Road — 10:07 AM EST
Nagel was at CF McCarthy’s with his friend, Ricky, and ex-girlfriend earlier in the night of Jan. 29, 2022. His sister, Julie, asked Nagel to pick her up from Brian Albert Jr.’s home.
Nagel says he went to 34 Fairview Road with Ricky and recalled encountering another vehicle, a black SUV, at the intersection of Cedarcrest Rd and Fairview Rd.
Nagel estimated that he and Ricky arrived at the location around 12:30 a.m. The two waited for Julie to go back into the house after they declined to come in for a drink.
Nagel said they noticed a light on in the SUV, which was in front of the house and about a car’s length from the flag pole. He noticed a woman in the SUV with her hands on the wheel at 10 and two.
He claimed he did not see anyone get out of the SUV, cross the front yard or enter the front door.
Next Prosecution Witness is Called — 9:51 AM EST
Ryan Nagel, 32 from Canton, is called to the stand.
He is direct examined by Special Prosecutor Hank Brennan.
Redirect by Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally — 9:48 AM EST
Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally returns to the podium for redirect questions, revisiting some of the questions asked on Friday. He asks Knowles to describe the processes the lab uses to determine BAC and the variables accounted for in the ranges used for calculations.
Knowles repeats her conclusion that Read’s estimated blood alcohol level at the time of the alledged collision, 12:45 a.m., was between 0.14 and 0.28.
Yannetti questions Knowles on BAC calculations and a “confirmatory” test — 9:40 AM EST
Knowles acknowledges that the confirmatory test helps guard against false positives, but says her lab did not conduct it. She says she cannot speak to the procedures used at Good Samaritan.
Yannetti presses further, raising multipe factors that could impact someone’s blood results and the accuracy of calculations.
Knowles, who previously explained the serum-to-whole blood conversion formula, confirms that serum and plasma samples typically show higher alcohol levels than whole blood. She reiterates that a conversion range is applied based on best practices to account for population variability.
Knowles returns to the stand — 9:17 AM EST
Defense attorney David Yannetti begins questioning Knowles, having her confirm that she had no direct knowledge of the procedures Good Samaritan Hospital, where Read’s blood was drawn for the BAC testing.
Court is in session — 9:15 AM EST
Judge Beverly Cannone opens Monday’s proceedings by asking all 18 jurors whether they have avoided exposure to any outside information about the case since Friday.
Special Prosecutor Hank Brennan notes that the defense still needs to complete its cross-examination of forensic scientist Hannah Knowles, who was on the stand when court adjourned last week.
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