Karen Read defense calls final witness as Boston cop death trial nears end
Karen Read’s defense team has brought in their expert witness as her trial in the death of Boston cop John O’Keefe comes to a close. The trial, which began back in April, has seen prosecutors accusing Read of ramming O’Keefe in reverse with her Lexus after a night of drinking and leaving him to die outside a house party during a blizzard on January 29, 2022.
Dr. Andrew Rentschler, a biomechanist, took the stand on Tuesday afternoon and is expected to continue testifying on Wednesday before the defense rests. Rentschler, who works for the crash reconstruction firm ARCCA, had previously been retained by the federal government before working for the defense in Read’s retrial. His colleague, Dr. Daniel Wolfe, had testified earlier in the retrial, stating that the damage to both O’Keefe’s clothing and Read’s SUV were inconsistent with a collision between the two.
As a biomechanist, Rentschler specializes in understanding how the forces of physics and engineering apply to the human body. He explained that his work involves analyzing the forces needed to cause specific injuries to the human body, similar to how a mechanical engineer would analyze the properties of materials.
During his testimony, Rentschler discussed the injuries O’Keefe received and how they were inconsistent with a collision with a taillight at 15 mph. He also supported the defense’s theory that scratches and cuts on O’Keefe’s arm were not caused by the collision but were instead inflicted by a dog bite.
Read announced that she would not be testifying in her own defense, with Rentschler being the last witness her team plans to call. Legal experts believe this was the right decision, as facing cross-examination and questions about her drinking habits could have potentially harmed her defense.
The trial has been closely followed by the public, with expert witnesses offering contradictory testimony to the prosecution’s claims. As the trial nears its conclusion, both sides are preparing for the closing arguments that will determine Read’s fate in the death of Officer John O’Keefe.
