5 Shocking Details in Karen Read’s Trial: A Body in the Snow

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Three-Night Television Event: The Trial of Karen Read – Unraveling the Tragic Death of Boston Cop John O’Keefe and the Ensuing Legal Drama

This three-night television broadcast is shedding light on the harrowing events surrounding the death of police officer John O’Keefe, and the subsequent trial of his girlfriend, Karen Read. The series delves into the intricate details of this disturbing case.

Much like the Idaho murders or Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard, the Karen Read case sparked a media frenzy. It began in January 2022, when – just three days after O’Keefe was killed – Read was arrested for manslaughter, which was later bumped up to include second-degree murder. 

However, with new evidence coming to light, Read built up a strong following of supporters, who believe she’s the victim of police corruption and a conspiracy to frame her. The new true crime docu-series examines all of this and more, with five episodes unpacking the evidence and speaking with key figures.

Delving into the Courtroom Drama: An Inside Look at Karen Read’s Trial

Starting March 17th (tonight), we bring you a recap of key moments from this gripping series, as it unfolds over five episodes spread across three nights. Here’s a preview of the most shocking revelations. Be advised that some parts may be disturbing, and if you’re not well-versed in the case, there will be spoilers ahead.

Jennifer McCabe’s Google search

In the true crime documentary series, one of the most debated pieces of evidence presented during the trial was a Google search made by Jennifer McCabe, who is the sister-in-law of Brian Albert. The controversial search term was “how long to die in cold.

That night, O’Keefe was discovered dead on the front yard of 34 Fairview Road in Boston. Earlier that evening, O’Keefe and Read had gone out drinking together. They later joined Brian Albert, a retired Boston police sergeant, his spouse Nicole Albert (McCabe’s sister), and a gathering of their friends and relatives.

The Alberts invited everyone for an afterparty at their house – 34 Fairview Road. According to those at the party, O’Keefe never made it to their home. However, Read claims that since she didn’t know the Alberts and their group, she got O’Keefe to go and check it was okay for them to go in.

According to Read, she saw O’Keefe walk in and never come back out, at which point she drove home and left him an angry voicemail questioning why he abandoned her. After noticing he was still missing, Read called McCabe just before 5am, and at around 6am, they went out looking for him.

McCabe’s phone data reveals that she conducted several Google searches at approximately 6:23 a.m., all of which were related to the question “how long can someone survive in cold weather”. Given that O’Keefe’s body was found outside in the snow, this line of inquiry seems relevant.

However, as Read’s defense team explains in A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read, they sought the help of a computer forensics expert to analyze McCabe’s cellphone records. 

Since he didn’t know much about the case, he didn’t realize the gravity of what he discovered: it appeared McCabe had searched how long it takes to die in the cold at 2:27am on the morning of O’Keefe’s death, January 29, 2022, before deleting it – hours before his body was found. 

“If Jen McCabe knew at 2:27am that John was about to be or was placed in the cold, that’s highly incriminating,” says Read. 

The defense team’s counterargument, presented by their experts, was that she indeed conducted the search after 6 am, as instructed by Read. However, they pointed out that she had an open tab since 2:27 am, which seems to suggest that she may have looked at it earlier than the actual time of search.

As a passionate follower of this case, I believe t27 am. This discrepancy could potentially impact the case’s outcome, so it’s crucial to ensure all the facts are accurate and properly addressed.

As is said in A Body in the Snow, it became a “battle of the experts,” and will no doubt come up again when Read’s second trial unfolds in April 2025. 

Karen Read & Brian Higgins’ “flirty” texts

A significant development in the trial featured Brian Higgins, who played a crucial role in this case. Higgins is a federal agent from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and he operates out of the Canton Police Department in Boston.

In response to accusations of a cover-up, the Canton Police Department is among several entities currently under a federal inquiry. Earlier this month, the conclusion of the investigation was made public, but the findings have not been disclosed as of yet.

Regarding Higgins, he had been drinking at the Waterfall bar and ended up at the Albert home on the night in question. But, as was revealed through testimony, he and Read had been exchanging “flirty” text messages, and Higgins claimed Read unexpectedly kissed him a couple of weeks before O’Keefe’s death. 

WBZ reporter Kristina Rex describes it as a “pivotal moment” in the courtroom. The docu-series then shows Higgins’ testimony, as he reads out his text exchange with Read. She wrote, “You’re hot,” to which Higgins replied, “Are you serious or messing with me?”

She emphasized that she was being sincere, and Higgins acknowledged that he felt the same way too. He then inquired about her preferences, to which she replied, “I find you reminiscent of someone from my hometown, and I think you’re attractive.

In simpler terms, Flint McColgan claims that the text messages reveal a growing romantic connection between Brian Higgins and someone else, which eventually led to a kiss.

Jennifer Coffindaffer points out, “It’s no surprise that she decided against attending the afterparty. After all, she was aware that Brian Higgins would be present, as she had been chasing him.

Higgins had a motive to engage in conflict with O’Keefe, rather than intending to kill him.

In the movie War Room, Alan Jackson, Read’s lawyer, states, “When John and Karen enter the bar, Brian Higgins wasn’t anticipating their arrival. Brian sends Karen a secret text message with John saying, ‘Um, well…’ This suggests that Brian has a reason to dislike John.

Again, since the court case ended with a mistrial, none of these allegations have been confirmed, but they are examined in great detail in A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read.

Trooper Michael Proctor’s “dehumanizing” texts

Pretty much anything related to Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor is contentious at this stage. But the most jaw-dropping evidence is the collection of “dehumanizing” text messages he sent about Read. 

For context, Proctor took over the investigation as homicide cases are usually under the jurisdiction of state police, and because of the conflict of interest between Brian Albert and his brother Kevin Albert, who himself is a Canton Police detective. 

He faced scrutiny not just over how the investigation was managed, but also because of his connections with the police officers.

Jackson explains that he was responsible for the “integrity of the investigation,” adding, “The problem is Trooper Proctor was connected to the Albert family, through his sister, through his mom, through his dad, and he should have been conflicted off the case. I couldn’t wait to get him on the cross.”

In the true crime documentary, we shift to the courtroom as he’s being questioned about text messages discussing a case that coincided with the beginning of his investigation. These texts were shared in a group chat with eight of his high school friends.

On January 29 – the day O’Keefe died – one of Proctor’s friends asked in the chat just before 11pm, “She hot at least?” Proctor replied, “Yep, she’s a babe. Weird Fall River accent, though. No ass. She’s a whack job c**t.”

After a friend asked if the homeowner (Albert) would “receive some sh*t,” Proctor said, “Nope, homeowner is a Boston cop, too.”

He additionally made an offensive comment referring to her medical condition and called her a slur, while his friend messaged him saying, “F**k her, b*tch,” after she claimed O’Keefe had been killed by the Alberts. 

After he had gone through Read’s attorney David Yannetti’s phone, Proctor wrote to his friend, “Funny, I’m going through his r******d client’s phone. No nudes so far. I hate that man, I truly hate him.”

But arguably the most shocking exchange of all came when Proctor messaged his sister, “Hopefully she kills herself,” referring to Read.

Ted Daniel, investigative reporter at WFXT-TV, is interviewed in A Body in the Snow, where he states, “There have been a number of jaw-dropping moments in this trial, but Proctor’s text messages were probably the most kind of, like, ‘Wow, are you kidding me, dude?’”

On the stand, Proctor agreed that his messages “dehumanized” Read, but he maintained that while they were “juvenile,” they didn’t impact his investigation. However, he was suspended from the force pending investigation, and is facing allegations of misconduct. 

Read herself says about the messages, “I’ve read posts on social media just about how humiliating it must’ve been for me, and degrading. I didn’t feel any of those things. I felt bad that we all had to listen to it because it was disgusting, but I didn’t feel humiliated at all. I didn’t say those words, he did.”

Pig DNA found in O’Keefe’s injuries

In A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read, one contentious aspect that’s sparked debate among onlookers revolves around the nature of O’Keefe’s injuries, with some questioning if they stemmed from a car collision.

Notably, O’Keefe had lacerations on his arm that appeared to be caused by a dog or another animal. When swabs were taken from the wounds, forensic science analysis found no dog DNA present – however, there was evidence of pig DNA. 

When Brian Albert took the stand, he was questioned about his pet, a 70-90 pound German Shephard, who was nicknamed “not great with strangers” and was inside the house that night. Additionally, the Alberts rehomed the dog around half a year after O’Keefe’s death. 

With these facts in mind, the defense argued that the Alberts’ dog may have tried to attack O’Keefe, especially if a fight broke out at the residence. As for the pig DNA, they suggested the dog may have eaten a pig’s ear or another pork snack. 

The issue is that it’s very hard to prove these details. As Jackson points out, to this day, no investigator on the case has never walked into the Alberts’ home. And although the photos of O’Keefe’s injuries were taken on January 30, 2022, they weren’t released to Karen and her team until “sometime in May.”

With so much time passed and zero evidence from inside the home, it’s impossible to paint a clear picture of how O’Keefe sustained those wounds. But Jackson says the prosecution does “not have a theory that they can reasonably advance” about how they were caused by a motor strike. 

Ronald “Ronnie” Estanislao, a juror on the first trial, previously told TopMob that the jury actually did reach a unanimous verdict on the second-degree murder charge: not guilty. However, since they weren’t informed that they could treat each charge separately, they said they couldn’t agree on the case overall and the judge declared a mistrial. 

The count they were divided on was manslaughter, but from a personal standpoint, Estanislao said he believed there was enough reasonable doubt to find Read not guilty. When asked about the most compelling evidence that led to this conclusion, he said the injuries played a major part.

“It was essentially the medical examiner’s report on the cause of death and the injuries, which seemed to be inconsistent with the cause of death,” he told us. 

As a paramedic himself, Estanislao found the medical evidence particularly compelling. 

The individual stated that during their group discussion, they had medical experts present, and they debated whether the injuries sustained by the person in question were consistent with the cause of death. Some members found it difficult to accept that the injuries matched the cause of death due to doubts about its consistency.

Turtleboy and the impact of the case

In Episode 2 of the docu-series, we learn more about Aidan Kearney, aka Turtleboy, the YouTuber who broke key details about the case and ultimately sparked the #JusticeForKarenRead movement. 

Although social media has played an increasingly significant role in true crime (for better or worse), this instance is particularly surprising in terms of the speed at which it spread, and how it came from this one unconnected source. 

Turtleboy took a significant part in influencing public perception by releasing investigative findings, distributing court papers, and examining the prosecution’s evidence, as well as engaging in direct conversations with Read.

Soon enough, hundreds of people started showing up outside the courthouse to share their support for Read, dressed in pink after she announced it as her favorite color. This led to opposing crowds appearing to support the theory that Read is responsible.

Turtleboy has faced controversy over allegations that he intimidated witnesses, leading to his arrest in October 2023. Despite being released on bail, the case is still ongoing, with a resolution not anticipated until late this year. The legal proceedings continue as the court system processes the case.

Although Kearney isn’t interviewed for the docu-series, he is discussed by other Read supporters, including Richie Keough. “Turtleboy is the primary reason that there are people out in front of that courthouse every single day right now,” he says. 

Meanwhile, Coffindaffer asserts, “He’s overstepped the mark in terms of jury selection and potentially contaminating the jury panel,” which Kearney persists in denying.

Ultimately, the convergence of citizen journalism, social media outrage, and courtroom drama transformed this from a standard criminal trial into a nationwide spectacle – one that will continue to unfold as Read heads into her second trial in April 2025.

A Body In The Snow: The Trial Of Karen Read will premiere across three nights beginning Monday, March 17 at 9/8c on ID, and episodes will be available to stream on Max.

To find out about recent developments in true crime news, you can read articles discussing topics such as whether Alec Baldwin served time in prison, updates on the American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden delay, and discovering what Ruby Franke is up to now.

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2025-03-18 04:30