Defense Grills State Police Over Key Evidence in Karen Read Murder Trial

Witness Faces Tough Questions on Glass Fragment Recovery

By [Author's Name]

In a gripping courtroom drama, the defense in the Karen Read murder trial pressed a state police investigator hard on Monday over the handling of key evidence that prosecutors say ties the defendant to the killing of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John OKeefe.

Alan Jackson, one of Read's attorneys, grilled Christina Hanley, a state police crime lab scientist, about the recovery of glass fragments from the scene of the alleged crime. Hanley testified that the fragments were collected from the driveway of the house where OKeefe was dropped off before he was fatally struck by a vehicle.

Jackson challenged Hanley's assertion that the fragments matched the glass from the windshield of Read's SUV, which prosecutors claim she used to hit OKeefe. He suggested that the fragments could have come from another source, such as a broken bottle or lamp.

The defense's line of questioning is part of its strategy to cast doubt on the prosecution's case against Read, who has pleaded not guilty to murder. The trial, which is now in its sixth week, has been closely followed by the public due to the high-profile nature of the victim and the dramatic circumstances surrounding his death.