1 week ago
12
Karen Read’s defence team looked to spot distant astatine a clang expert’s credibility by pointing to eye-watering expenditures and alleged inconsistencies successful experiments arsenic the authorities enters the 11th hr of grounds successful their case.
Read is accused of sidesplitting her then-boyfriend, Boston constabulary serviceman John O’Keefe, by striking him with her Lexus SUV extracurricular a location enactment astatine 34 Fairview Road and leaving him to dice successful frigid temperatures soon aft midnight connected Jan. 29, 2022.
The state’s expected last witness, Dr. Judson Welcher, a clang reconstructionist with Texas-based Aperture LLC, held steadfast connected his findings that Read’s conveyance allegedly struck O’Keefe.
Karen Read listens to the cross-examination by Robert Alessi of adept mishap witnesser Dr. Judson Welcher during her retrial astatine Norfolk Superior Court, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, successful Dedham, Massachusetts. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
"[O’Keefe’s injuries are] accordant with being struck by a Lexus and besides contacting a hard surface, specified arsenic frozen ground," Welcher told peculiar authoritative Hank Brennan.
In a sometimes-evasive line of cross-examination, Welcher often provided non-answers to defence lawyer Robert Alessi’s questions surrounding his modifications to a PowerPoint presumption utilized successful Read’s proceedings to picture Aperture’s investigation.
"Assume the proceedings started astir April 22, 2025," Alessi said. "Did you make your updated presumption earlier oregon aft [it began]?"
"I don’t know," Welcher replied.
KAREN READ TRIAL WITNESS FACES BRUTAL CROSS-EXAMINATION OVER VEHICLE DATA
Dr. Judson Welcher, an mishap reconstruction expert, speaks connected the witnesser basal during the Karen Read retrial, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, successful Dedham, Massachusetts. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
Alessi looked to nail down a timeline of erstwhile Welcher whitethorn person made changes to the papers and whether the prosecution communicated with him regarding the alterations.
Welcher yet relented earlier testifying that helium altered the presumption for the archetypal clip connected May 13, with the astir caller alteration occurring "like, 10 minutes ago."
"Half of that was successful effect to objections from the defense," Welcher said. "I had to adhd each the parts to wherever everything was. Then, erstwhile I got retired here, Mr. Brennan asked maine to instrumentality retired references to grounds astir statements that I was not allowed to present. So that would person been wrong the past 3 days. Then I've modified it a mates of times contiguous based connected rulings from the judge."
BRAIN SURGEON TESTIFIES JOHN O'KEEFE DIED FROM FALL ON FROZEN GROUND IN KAREN READ TRIAL
Read lawyer Robert Alessi cross-examines Dr. Judson Welcher during the Karen Read retrial, Wednesday May 28, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
However, Welcher testified connected cross-examination that the amendments helium made to the presumption did not change the wide document.
"I changed 1 slide," Welcher said. "There were 130 slides originally, oregon thing similar that. So fractional of the changes [were] connected that day, which was 1 slide. I added 1 enactment to the bottommost of the erstwhile slide."
"Well then, wherefore did you marque it successful the mediate of proceedings if it wasn't significant?" Alessi asked. "Why didn't you conscionable permission it disconnected and past sermon it successful presumption of testimony?"
EXPERT WITNESS IN KAREN READ MURDER TRIAL CAUGHT WITH 'ERRORS' INFLATING HIS CREDENTIALS
Karen Read, who works with her defence lawyers, attends a "side bar" league with the prosecution and Judge Beverly Cannone astatine Norfolk Superior Court, Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
"So it yet was near disconnected due to the fact that it was insignificant, and I didn't request to person it," Welcher said. "The mode it got presented was precisely the mode it was earlier May 13. So it didn't alteration anything."
On cross-examination, Welcher revealed the territory attorney’s bureau antecedently agreed to wage Aperture astatine slightest $325,000 for the firm’s services, on with covering the outgo of the Lexus SUV utilized successful testing.
"We’re keeping [the vehicle] until the trial’s over," Welcher said. "[Then] we’re selling it and charging the commonwealth the quality successful the terms exactly."
KAREN READ SCORES MAJOR WIN AS JUDGE ALLOWS CRASH RECONSTRUCTION TESTIMONY
Images presented of an mishap reconstruction trial by Dr. Judson Welcher amusement interaction via overgarment transportation from an SUV akin to Karen Read's to a quality taxable astatine Norfolk Superior Court, Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
Aperture has been paid $44,510 for its services to date, with the authorities expected to wage upwards of $400,000 for astir 8 months of work, according to Alessi.
"Dr. Welcher was cleanable connected direction, but lone a B- connected cross-examination," retired Massachusetts Superior Court Judge and Boston College instrumentality prof Jack Lu told Fox News Digital. "He is not answering the questions from Mr. Alessi directly. He whitethorn not beryllium intentionally being evasive, but he’s nary longer a near-perfect illustration of however an adept witnesser should testify."
O’Keefe’s limb injuries were concurrent with being struck by the marque and exemplary of Read’s vehicle, Welcher testified connected nonstop examination. The clang adept pointed to a video showing him coating the taillight of the car earlier brushing up against it to mimic a collision.
FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X
Prosecutor Hank Brennan questions Dr. Judson Welcher during the Karen Read retrial, Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
Alessi looked to make uncertainty surrounding Welcher’s findings, grilling the biomechanical technologist connected the methodology down his experimentation surrounding the origin of the wounded to O’Keefe’s eye.
"I’m trying to marque it clear," Welcher said. "We don’t cognize his nonstop assemblage presumption astatine the constituent of impact, nor bash we cognize the nonstop presumption connected the ground. Which is portion of the crushed wherefore I haven’t tried to precisely simulate this, due to the fact that we don’t person capable parameters to bash that. So I don’t person that information. I’m showing the geometry comparative to idiosyncratic of Mr. O’Keefe’s height."
"So you don’t person the accusation to bash that properly," Alessi said. "So therefore, you can’t preclude that helium had a laceration to the oculus from the spoiler by your ain reply that you conscionable gave, correct?"
Welcher doubled down connected his investigation, asserting connected the basal that Aperture’s experimentation was close based connected the accusation the steadfast had astatine the time, contempt Alessi revealing the conveyance successful Welcher’s trial was moving lone 2 miles per hr — importantly less than the speed of Read’s vehicle.
SIGN UP TO GET TRUE-CRIME NEWSLETTER
"Would you hold that you did a bluish overgarment trial with the conveyance going astatine 2 miles per hour?" Alessi asked.
"Of course," Welcher said.
"You didn’t bash a bluish overgarment trial with the conveyance going astatine 20 miles per hour, correct?" Alessi said.
"That is correct," Welcher said. "I was not going to deed myself with the Lexus astatine 20 miles an hour."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Wednesday marked the 2nd time of grounds from Welcher, arsenic the authorities is expected to remainder its lawsuit this week.
Read pleaded not guilty and is facing the anticipation of beingness successful situation if convicted of the apical charge, second-degree murder.
"The exemplary being followed present is precise bully and professional," Lu said. "What you person present is simply a precise bully justice meets a precise bully lawyer," adding, "This results successful a looser, less-focused cross-examination. It’s moving retired good here, partially due to the fact that the witnesser is not being ace evasive."
Julia Bonavita is simply a U.S. Writer for Fox News Digital and a Fox Flight Team drone pilot. You tin travel her astatine @juliabonavita13 connected each platforms and nonstop communicative tips to julia.bonavita@fox.com.
English (US) ·