A medical examiner said that she could identify the cause of the death of John O'Keefe as head injury and hypothermia, but could not determine whether it was a homicide, in an accidental manner or any other way on Thursday during the trial of murder of Karen Read In the death in 2022 of his boyfriend, a 46 -year -old Boston police officer.
Dr. Irini Scordi-Bello, a medical-legal pathologist at the Massachusetts Legalist's office, carried out the autopsy on O'Keefe on January 31, 2022.
While Scordi-Bello noted that O'Keefe was dead head trauma and hypothermiaThe mode of death – how he suffered these injuries – was indeterminate.
The baking impact on his head was the main cause of death, she said, but hypothermia has contributed. He had a deep cut and bruises at the back of his head. Once she looked at him from the inside, she found several skull fractures and cerebral bleeding. And his body temperature when he arrived at the hospital was 80.1 degrees compared to a normal body temperature of 98.6.
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The defendant Karen Read, on the right, talks to his lawyer, Alan Jackson, before the start of his trial before the Norfolk Superior Court Thursday, May 15, 2025 in Dedham, Mass. (AP photo / Mark Stockwell, swimming pool)
She first discussed the external examination, saying that she had found similar injuries to the face, head, hand, arm and knee than other witnesses, including paramedical and police, have already described to the jury.
He had scratches and “superficial” cuts on his arm, which did not penetrate the skin or exposed of fat or muscle tissue, she said.
Dr. Irini Scordi-Bello, the medical examiner who directed the autopsy on the victim of the murder John O'Keefe, testified during the trial of Karen Read at the Superior Court of Norfolk on Thursday May 15, 2025 in Dedham, Mass. (AP photo / Mark Stockwell, swimming pool)
She also carried out an internal examination and examined additional injuries.
At the back of her skull, she found multiple fractures of a cut on the right side of his head.
This injury is consistent with fall back And landing her head on the frozen soil, she testified during the counter-examination of the defense lawyer Robert Alessi, who asked Scordi-Bello if O'Keefe should have undergone a circular injury instead of that linear found at the autopsy.
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Defense lawyer Robert Alessis questions the judicial scientist of police police from the Massachusetts State, Maureen Hartnett, during the Karen Read trial at the Norfolk Superior Court Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (AP photo / Mark Stockwell, swimming pool)
“There is nothing inconsistency with this injury and a fall from someone – at the back of the head – with a blunt surface,” she said.
“A fall backwards where the person has an impact on the back of their head on a flat and frozen floor … Would you expect this type of laceration of this type of fall?” Alessi followed. “Not only a general fall back, but in particular a fall backwards where the back of the head strikes a frozen soil flat.
“I could,” said Scandi-Bello. “Yes.”
However, she also said that she had found no sign of grass at the back of O'Keefe's head.
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John O'Keefe illustrated in an un dated photo. O'Keefe died on January 29, 2022. His girlfriend, Karen Read, was accused of having struck her from his SUV Lexus and Flye. (Gracieuse of Karen Read)
Alessi also toasted it on the observation of hypothermia, asking him if internal injuries in the stomach of O'Keefe and the Pancreas could have been caused by factors other than freezing temperatures.
She testified that it is possible that her pancreas can have a hemorrhage from a device used to help paramedical paramedics with RCR's efforts, but that would not have damaged her stomach. However, she later said that stomach ulcers could have been caused by O'Keefe drinking alcohol without taking her antacid medication.
The toxicology report did not find any prescription medication or drugs in his system at the time of his death. He had a blood alcohol level .21%. And he had been prescribed an antacid to avoid gastric ulcers.
Dr. Irini Scordi-Bello, the medical examiner who led the autopsy on the victim of the murder John O'Keefe, explains to the jury the nature of an autopsy during the trial of Karen Read at the Superior Court of Norfolk Thursday, May 15, 2025 in Dedham, Mass. (AP photo / Mark Stockwell, swimming pool)
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Even after the issue of a modified death certificate, O'Keefe mode of death remained indeterminate. Scordi-Bello testified on Thursday that she is resistant to her conclusions on the cause, head trauma and hypothermia.
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After judge Beverly Cannone returned the jurors to their homes for the day, Alessi argued that new disclosure on the testimonies of aperture experts, who led reports for the accusation, would put the “whole defense” in danger if it was authorized at the end of the game.
The disclosure was dated May 8 but was received by the defense on May 11, he said.
Karen Read listens to the testimony of Jennifer McCabe during the murder trial of Read at the Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday April 30, 2025. (Greg derr / The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
“I don't like to use hyperbolic words, but the word has been used against us – ambushes, ambush, ambushes,” said Alessi. “If there is never an ambush example, that's all.”
In a heated back and forth, Brennan described disclosure as proof of a significant variance between the internal clocks of Lexus SUV from Read and mobile phone data from John O'Keefe.
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Cannone did not announce a decision before postponing the court for the day.
Reading is due on Friday at 9 a.m.
She could incur life imprisonment if she was found guilty of the most serious accusation.
