DEDHAM, MASS. (WHDH) – Defense attorney Alan Jackson ended his closing argument in the Karen Read murder trial with a simple statement — “Karen Read is innocent. Do justice and find her not guilty.”
His words harkened back to the opening statement from his colleague David Yannetti and an overarching allegation by Read’s team as they fight charges against their client — “Karen Read was framed.”
Read is facing charges including second degree murder after prosecutors said she hit her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, with her SUV and left him to die outside the Canton home of Brian and Nicole Albert in January 2022.
After two months of testimony and a delay Tuesday morning while a juror was dismissed from the trial, Read and her defense team left Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham with smiles on their faces as jury deliberations got underway.
Asked how she felt about the closing arguments, Read responded — “Great.”
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Alan Jackson delivers closing argument in Karen Read trial
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“You have been lied to in this courtroom,” Jackson said in his argument. “Your job is not to look the other way. Your job is to look at the evidence.”
Read’s team has argued O’Keefe was beaten in the Alberts’ basement and attacked by a dog. They claim he was then dragged outside and left in the snow.
“How long does it take to have a fight? How long would it take for Brian Higgins to say to John ‘You know your girl has been texting me’?” Jackson said. “A push, a punch, a fall, pull Chloe [the Alberts dog] off his arm, and now it’s done. What is that? Five seconds? 10?”
“It doesn’t take long at all,” Jackson continued. “And then the panic sets in. It wasn’t intended to go that far. But what’s done is done.”
In his argument, Jackson also touched on evidence he said does not add up, such as a video of Read’s car at Canton police headquarters after O’Keefe died.
When shown, the prosecution inferred the video showed the passenger side of Read’s car. But the defense revealed the video was actually inverted, showing the driver’s side.
“They’ll show you a video and tell you left is right and right is left,” Jackson said. “They’ll magically turn three pieces of glass into five right before your eyes. And even when they’re caught with their own eyes, they don’t blink, they don’t sweat. They’ll just look you in the eye and demand, ‘Pay no attention. You folks, look the other way.’”
“Ladies and gentlemen, there was a cover-up, plain and simple,” Jackson continued.
Jackson then gave his closing message to the jury.
“You have the most powerful tool,” he said. “You have your vote. You have agreed to give your community your best. What will you do with this moment? Will you say you will not ever look the other way?”
Himself asked how he thought closing arguments went, Jackson shared his thoughts.
“I thought mine went well,” he said.
Within a crowd of Karen Read supporters outside the courthouse, Read’s father shared a similar outlook.
“I thought Jackson was fantastic,” he said.
Jury deliberations began early Tuesday afternoon.
Deliberations ended shortly before 4:30 p.m.
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