DEDHAM, MA – Day 2 of the Karen Read retrial delivered a seismic blow to the Commonwealth’s case as key prosecution witness Kerry Roberts openly admitted under oath that her grand jury testimony – a cornerstone of the original indictment was false.
Under intense cross-examination by defense attorney Alan Jackson, Roberts acknowledged that she had told the grand jury in 2022 that she personally heard Read as Jennifer McCabe to “Google hypothermia” as well as “how long to die in cold.” But Roberts now says that she did not hear the statement firsthand, a critical reversal. When pressed further by Jackson, she admitted: “I did [make a false statement]. Not intentionally”
The moment was so striking that Bias Bev aka Judge Beverly Cannone interjected directly as she does, leading the witness with the direct comment “Did you lie?” Roberts looked away and replied, “Not intentionally” claiming she “misunderstood.”
The Falsehood That Launched an Indictment
This false statement by Roberts, later walked back as a “misunderstanding” formed a central element in the prosecution’s theory and was cited in the grand jury proceedings that led to Read’s indictment for second-degree murder. The defense, however, now maintains that Roberts’ revised admission constitutes perjury and further evidence of a conspiracy to frame Read.
As Jackson stated in court, “You didn’t say you were told. You said you heard it.” The contradiction was stark and unambiguous. When Jackson quipped, “Technically pregnant,” in response to her characterization of the lie as “technical” courtroom observers noted the prosecutions credibility hemorrhaging.
Not the Only Witness Caught Lying
Kerry Roberts is not alone.
Canton firefighter and paramedic Katie McLaughlin is now also under scrutiny after photos emerged of her at multiple events with Caitlin Albert, daughter of Brian Albert– who’s home at 34 Fairview Road, Officer John O’Keefe’s body was found on the front lawn the morning of January 29, 2022. McLaughlin claimed under oath that “she went to high school with a Caitlin Albert” but it was later revealed that she went on day trips, overnight trips, weddings, showers and more with Caitlin Albert, directly contradicting her sworn testimony.
Star witness Jennifer McCabe’s credibility has also come under intense scrutiny. Although she went through a demeanor change likely at the suggestion of Hank Brennan the special prosecutor hired to retry this case for the Commonwealth, cell phone forensic data shows she Googled “hos [sic] long to die in cold” at 2:27 a.m. before O’Keefe was reportedly discovered which contradicts her testimony that the search occurred later allegedly at the request of Karen Read.
Two forensic experts, Jessica Hyde and Ian Whiffin, have since testified that McCabe’s search was in fact conducted at 6:24 a.m., after O’Keefe’s body was already found, not before. However, upon cross examination it was revealed that this data is not 100% accurate and its a guesstimate and there was no way for them to definitively say that this search in fact did not occur at 2:27 and only at 6:24.
In just two weeks, the prosecution’s case has seen a majority of their witnesses undermined by contradictory evidence, exposed fabrications, direct admissions of falsehoods, botched investigations or lack thereof, and much more that seriously calls into question why Karen Read is actually on her second trial.
As Jackson emphasized in his opening statement, “there was no collision.” And now there may be no credibility left in the state’s case.
This retrial, already under a national and now worldwide microscope, increasingly appears not just to be a murder trial, but an expose of institutional misconduct, police corruption, and prosecutorial overreach just to name a few.
Kristin Kay: Legal Research Consultant/Paralegal at Stratford Lapeer Consulting and Sr. Executive Editor Stratford News Network
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