Forensic expert talks about what he'll be watching in Karen Read trial
Joseph Scott Morgan, who has worked in the field for over 20 years, provides his thoughts on the contentious Massachusetts case.
Karen Read's lawyer dropped bombshell accusations during opening statements in Read's murder trial, including an investigator's search for nude photos of her and "revealing texts" to friends on his personal phone.
Read allegedly killed her boyfriend - Boston police officer John O'Keefe - when she backed over him with her car after an alcohol-fueled fight during a snowy night on Jan 29, 2022, outside a home in Canton, Massachusetts, according to prosecutors.
Not only has Read pleaded not guilty to murder, among other charges, her legal team argued Read was framed by an influential family who lived in the Canton, Massachusetts, home, as part of a top-to-bottom cover-up.
The lead investigator, Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor, a friend of the homeowner, allegedly "searched (Read's) phone (for) nude photos" without a warrant and texted his friend on his personal phone that he "hoped (Read) would kill herself," Read's lawyer, David Yannetti said Monday morning.
Karen Read departs Norfolk Superior Court following a day of jury selection, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
KAREN READ MASSACHUSETTS TRIAL: 3 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT WOMAN CHARGED WITH OFFICER BOYFRIEND'S MURDER
Leading up to the trial, Proctor and the Massachussetts State Police have denied any wrongdoing.
The Massachusetts State Police didn't immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment about the accusations levied in court Monday morning.
Read's lawyers argued O'Keefe was attacked by a dog during a fight with someone in the house.
"Karen Read was framed," Yannetti said during opening statements. "Someone not named Karen Read ambushed John. Somebody probably didn't mean to kill him, but somebody went too far."
The judge ruled last week that Read's defense team will be allowed to argue someone else killed O'Keefe, but not during opening statements.
Karen Read appears in Norfolk County Superior Court for a pre-trial hearing. She is charged with the murder of her boyfriend, John O'Keefe. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
O'Keefe's body was found in the snow, and he was pronounced dead in the hospital, despite life-saving measures.
Since then, the case has conjured divisive rhetoric that split the Boston suburb, and included conspiracy-fueled side spectacles, like the arrest of local blogger Aidan Kearney, also known as "Turtleboy."
Kearney has been a staunch supporter of Read and led "Free Karen" rallies, but prosecutors allege he crossed the line and charged him with several counts of witness intimidation.
The judge ruled Kearney can attend the trial. He said it was a "complete victory" in a Facebook live stream after the hearing last week.
Officer John O’Keefe poses for his official headshot. O’Keefe’s girlfriend, Karen Reed, is currently on trial for murder after he was found dead outside of a Massachusetts home in January 2022. (Boston Police Department)
O'Keefe suffered multiple wounds, including skull fractures consistent with blunt-force trauma that led to bleeding in the brain, swollen black eyes and several lacerations and abrasions to his right arm and hands.
But the autopsy has been under lock and key, which is why forensic expert Joseph Scott Morgan told Fox News Digital that the autopsy and the forensic investigator's testimony will be pivotal in the trial.
LAW PROFESSOR REACTS TO KAREN READ'S OPENING STATEMENTS: VIDEO
Read's high-powered defense team, including Alan Jackson, who helped Kevin Spacey get acquitted on sexual assault charges in 2019, said in court documents the investigation was "sloppy" and concealed a complex web of personal and romantic relationships.
Last week, 19 jurors were selected from a pool of about 400 potential jurists after a two-week process.
WATCH: Morgan previews potential arguments for O'Keefe's injuries
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A local law professor said an impartial jury, with the media hype and speculation, was paramount.
"The influence of media, social media, the sidebars with the turtle blogger. All the information that's been going back and forth from the DA's office and the defense team, I think it's going to be a long road to pick an impartial jury," Suffolk University Law Professor Christopher Dearborn told CBS News.
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