Karen Read trial live updates: Neurosurgeon testifies after judge resolves jury 'issue'

Karen Read’s second murder trial resumed with testimony from a neurosurgeon, after the judge in the case met with all jurors.

Judge Beverly Cannone told jurors at the start of court on May 21 that an issue had arisen that made it necessary for her to meet with each of them. She did not explain the issue and asked jurors not to speculate, but paused testimony for the interviews. The "issue" did not appear to effect the trial, and testimony resumed before 11 a.m.

Prior to the judge's announcement, Christina Hanley, a forensic scientist at the Massachusetts State Crime Lab, was expected to take the stand. Hanley briefly testified on May 20 about the evidence she reviewed, including shards of glass found on Read’s Lexus SUV and a broken cocktail glass discovered near the body of Read’s Boston police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe.  

But before Hanley returned, Miami-based Neurosurgeon Aizik Wolf briefly took the stand to weigh in on the potential causes of O'Keefe's head and brain injuries.

Prosecutors say Read, 45, struck O’Keefe with her car in a fit of drunken rage and left him to die outside the Canton, Massachusetts, home of another Boston cop during a massive snowstorm in January 2022. Read’s attorneys say she was framed for the murder by the owner of the home, Brian Albert, and other Massachusetts police officers.  

Wolf said the trauma to O'Keefe's head was consistent with a fall backward onto hard ground and did not appear to be from a weapon.

His testimony comes a day after Read’s lawyer, Robert Alessi, clashed with a key digital forensics' expert, Shanon Burgess, over allegations that he misrepresented his college degree achievements. Burgess developed a timeline using data from O'Keefe's cell phone and Read’s SUV that suggests Read's Lexus could have hit O'Keefe.

But that analysis, and Burgess' credibility, came into question after he admitted to not having a bachelor's degree despite listing one as part of his education history on LinkedIn and elsewhere.

The Norfolk County case is the second time Read has been on trial for O’Keefe’s death after a 2024 trial ended in a hung jury. For years, the whodunnit legal saga has transfixed true-crime fans across the country, spurring an array of podcasts, movies and television shows.    

Read all the latest updates from Day 20 of the trial.  

Do red pieces of plastic found in O'Keefe's clothes match Read's taillight?

Hanley, the forensic expert, resumed testimony about pieces of evidence she analyzed, including pieces of Read’s taillight, O’Keefe’s clothing and a broken glass.  

She testified that six of nine shards of glass found in the street near 34 Fairview Road matched the broken cocktail glass discovered by O’Keefe’s body nearby 

Red plastic pieces found in O’Keefe’s clothing could have originated from Read’s taillight or “another source with the same characteristics,” Hanley said, based on her analysis.  

Brain surgeon testifies on O'Keefe injuries

Prosecutor's called Aizik Wolf, a Miami-based neurosurgeon, to the stand. Wolfe testified in Read's first trial about O'Keefe's brain injuries.

Wolf reviewed and described photos of the cuts found on the back of O’Keefe’s head, including an inch and a half laceration, contusion, abrasions, fractures to the base of his skull. O’Keefe also had brain bruising, he said.  

Wolf told jurors that such injuries can occur when someone falls backward and their skull hits the ground, “gets smashed a little bit,” and the brain jostles forward. O’Keefe’s injury did not appear to be from a weapon, such as a baseball bat, because he did not have a “depressive skull fracture,” Wolf said.  

It is “impossible to know” whether O’Keefe became immediately unconscious from his injuries, but Wolf postulated that he “quickly became unconscious.” He said he doesn’t believe O’Keefe died immediately from the brain injury, telling jurors that doctors can’t declare someone dead when they have an internal temperature of around 80 degrees, like O’Keefe did. They would have needed to slowly warm O’Keefe and then assess his condition. 

Wolf also noted that black and blue “racoon eyes,” like those exhibited by O'Keefe, can develop one to three hours after a traumatic brain event.  

During a brief cross-examination, Alessi questioned Wolf’s credentials by asking if any of his workdays in the past few years have included forensic pathology.  

“You could have asked that question very straightforward; I’m not a forensic pathologist, I’m a brain surgeon,” Wolf bit back. “In other words, I see more brains than a forensic pathologist.” 

Alessi then asked if a brain injury can cause a laceration to form on the “racoon eyes,” noting that O’Keefe also had a cut on his upper eyelid. Wolfe said the brain trauma would not have caused the eyelid scratch.  

Court resumes

Court resumed a few minutes before 11 a.m. Cannone did not explain what the "issue" was that she mentioned earlier in the day but stressed to jurors the importance of not discussing the case with anyone or allowing others to talk to them about the case.

"That means each other," she said.

The court will not take a morning break and will take an abbreviated lunch period because of the morning delay, Cannone said.

Judge to speak with all jurors

Cannone told jurors at the start of the day that an issue had come to her attention requiring that she, along with counsel for both Read and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, speak with each one at sidebar.  

She said the process could take some time. Cameras will be shut off in the court room until testimony resumes.  

Forensic scientist analyzed cup, shards of glass found on Read's SUV

Hanley testified on May 20 about the pieces of evidence she analyzed from the crime scene, including a clear glass cup, pieces of glass found on Read’s SUV and glass and plastic found outside the home at 34 Fairview Road, where O’Keefe’s body was discovered. She briefly explained her process for labeling and analyzing the pieces.

How to watch the Karen Read trial   

CourtTV has been covering the case against Read and the criminal investigation since early 2022, when O'Keefe's body was found outside a Canton, Massachusetts home.  

You can watch CourtTV’s live feed of the Read trial proceedings from Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts. Proceedings begin at 9 a.m. ET.