Right here’s what to know concerning the case.
- Learn — a former fairness analyst and adjunct professor at her alma mater Bentley School, in Waltham, Mass. — is charged with second-degree homicide, which carries a most penalty of life in jail. She can be charged with manslaughter whereas working drunk, which carries a possible penalty of 5 to twenty years in jail, and leaving a scene of non-public damage and dying, which has a most penalty of 10 years imprisonment. She denies all prices.
- Learn, 44, and her boyfriend O’Keefe, 46, had been consuming closely and barhopping with buddies on the night time of Jan. 28, 2022, based on court docket testimonies reported by the Related Press. Learn dropped O’Keefe off on the home of his good friend — fellow Boston police officer Brian Albert — for a celebration within the city of Canton simply earlier than 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 29.
- The prosecution argues Learn and O’Keefe have been in a rocky romance and that she had argued with O’Keefe earlier than dropping him on the occasion. The prosecution contends that Learn hit O’Keefe together with her Lexus SUV whereas making a three-point flip after which drove away, and argued that car knowledge from Learn’s SUV together with a damaged taillight and hair on the car’s bumper help this.
- The protection argues that O’Keefe was overwhelmed up on the home occasion in Canton and wounded earlier than being thrown exterior onto the garden in a snowstorm and framed to look as if struck by Learn. They contend that Albert’s home was by no means looked for indicators of a struggle involving O’Keefe, and level to conflicts of curiosity amongst investigators of the case and people on the occasion. The prosecution denies any police coverup or conspiracy.
O’Keefe, who had been a Boston police officer for 16 years, was discovered unresponsive exterior Albert’s dwelling and later pronounced lifeless at a hospital on Jan. 29, 2022. An post-mortem discovered he had died of hypothermia and blunt power trauma. Learn and O’Keefe dated for about two years earlier than his dying.
Central to the prosecution’s case was testimony from a number of first responders that that they had heard Learn yell: “I hit him. I hit him. Oh my God. I hit him.” Prosecutors, based on the AP, additionally level to offended cellphone messages that Learn allegedly despatched to O’Keefe hours earlier than he died, and a voice message she left O’Keefe moments after she drove away from the home occasion through which they mentioned she was “seething in rage” and screaming at O’Keefe.
Protection legal professionals for Learn say O’Keefe was overwhelmed up inside Albert’s dwelling and bitten by Albert’s canine earlier than being introduced exterior, citing proof of canine scratches on his physique alongside his accidents. They argue Learn is a “handy outsider” framed for his homicide and the topic of an elaborate legislation enforcement cowl as much as shield the true killer, whom they don’t identify however indicate was on the occasion. Learn didn’t take the stand in the course of the trial. She informed reporters exterior the court docket on Tuesday: “There is no such thing as a case towards me … after eight weeks, it’s smoke and mirrors, and it’s going by way of my non-public life and attempting to contrive a motive that was by no means there.”
One other level of competition has been connections between now retired officer Albert and the state trooper who led the investigation, Michael Proctor — who has acknowledged sending offensive messages about Learn to his buddies, household and fellow troopers in the course of the investigation.
Proctor admitted making feedback to supervisors about not discovering nude images of Learn whereas trying by way of her cellphone, the AP reported. He informed the court docket his remarks had no affect on the investigation and has apologized for his language. Learn’s legal professionals have additionally argued there had been a number of conflicts of curiosity within the investigation of the case, together with that many individuals attending the home occasion knew the investigators.
Medical proof offered to the court docket has been divided. Some consultants testified that they might have anticipated extra bruising if O’Keefe had been hit by a heavy car and instructed he had scratch marks on his arm in step with canine bites, whereas others mentioned the accidents have been in step with being hit by a big automotive.
The case has fascinated these watching nationally and struck a chord within the Massachusetts area. Dozens of Learn supporters have been carrying pink and flocking exterior Norfolk Superior Court docket in Dedham, Mass., in solidarity with Learn.
“She was unjustly charged,” Vicki Walkling, a Learn supporter informed the AP. “This case has enraptured everyone as a result of it’s unfair. It might occur to any certainly one of us. Any certainly one of us may very well be framed for a homicide we didn’t commit.”
Others have been holding placards looking for “Justice for John” and accuse Learn of mendacity and homicide.
Testimony within the trial started on April 29, and the court docket heard from 74 witnesses in complete, based on Courthouse Information Service.
Closing arguments have been heard on Tuesday, and the jury started deliberating on its verdict. It’s anticipated to achieve a conclusion quickly.
