The homicide trial of Karen Learn entered its second day in Massachusetts Tuesday with two witnesses whose testimony appeared at odds with elements of the prosecution’s narrative.
Learn, 44, faces second-degree homicide fees for allegedly reversing her automotive into boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, then leaving him for useless within the early hours of Jan. 29, 2022.
Monetary analyst and faculty professor Learn says she returned to the scene later that morning with two different girls and located his physique, at which level she turned hysterical.
Prosecutors have claimed Learn made responsible admissions on the scene as police and first responders arrived, however that wasn’t borne out by witnesses heard Tuesday.
Responding police officer Steve Saraf admitted he didn’t initially attribute the phrases “that is all my fault. I did this,” to Learn till months after the dying of O’Keefe, when he was a witness for the grand jury that indicted her.
When pressed by the protection throughout the trial, Saraf admitted it “was an oversight” that he didn’t embrace these phrases in his authentic report.
Canton Police Officer Stephen Mullaney additionally testified he by no means heard Learn say “I did it,” or “I hit him. I hit him. I hit him.” on the dying scene that morning.
O’Keefe’s physique was discovered mendacity within the snow outdoors a home within the Boston suburb of Canton. Learn had dropped him off for a home social gathering with different police officer friends after an evening once they had each been consuming.
Prosecutors say Learn and O’Keefe, 46, engaged in a drunken argument in her automotive whereas she was dropping him off then she deliberately backed her Lexus SUV into O’Keefe in a match of rage then left him to die within the snow.
Learn has pleaded not responsible to second-degree homicide, manslaughter whereas working below the affect and leaving the scene of against the law.
She denies killing O’Keefe and claims she’s being framed by a strong conspiracy which runs via varied branches of Massachusetts legislation enforcement. Her protection claims O’Keefe was killed by another person on the home social gathering after which proof has been fumbled or doctored to make her look responsible.
Since Learn has been charged it has emerged there’s a parallel federal probe of a potential police cover-up associated to the dealing with of O’Keefe’s dying.
“I’ve by no means seen something like this earlier than,” a supply near the case beforehand informed The Publish concerning the federal probe.
“It’s fairly loopy and but the Norfolk District Lawyer goes forward with the trial and nobody’s stopping it. To me the [prosecutors] are on a suicide mission.”
In keeping with Learn, she dropped of O’Keefe that night time round 12:30 a.m. at his pal Jennifer McCabe’s home, who she didn’t know effectively, the place a few dozen folks have been partying. She then drove the three miles to his residence in Canton and went to mattress.
Learn says she awoke round 4:30 a.m. nervous her boyfriend had not come residence. She tried calling him, then McCabe in addition to an outdated pal of O’Keefe’s, Kerry Roberts.
Learn mentioned she went to McCabe home in hysterics and the 2 girls, together with Roberts, drove again to O’Keefe’s residence after which to Albert’s in search of him.
Once they finally arrived on the Albert residence it was nonetheless darkish outdoors however Karen noticed O’Keefe’s physique on the garden and rushed to manage CPR.
Learn has disputed saying she hit O’Keefe along with her automotive, telling ABC Information final August: “I mentioned, ‘I hit him’? It was preceded by a ‘Did,’ and proceded by a query mark.
“I didn’t kill John O’Keefe. I’ve by no means harmed a hair on John O’Keefe’s head,” Learn informed ABC.
Learn’s Lawyer Alan Jackson requested concerning the assertion throughout the trial Tuesday whereas questioning Canton Firefighter Timothy Nuttall, asking him if his shopper mentioned mentioned “may I’ve hit him?” on the crime scene.
”I heard ‘I hit him, I hit him,” Nuttall mentioned.
Nuttall testified he requested Learn “are you aware him,” about O’Keefe and he or she responded by saying “I hit him, I hit him.”
The trial continues Thursday.
Supply hyperlink
