The Patriot Ledger
Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to transfer a federal probe of the Karen Read murder investigation out of Massachusetts, citing potential conflicts of interest, Boston 25 News reported Monday.
25 Investigates' Ted Daniel reported that Morrissey’s letter to the Department of Justice confirms that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts is looking into the arrest and prosecution of Read, who is accused of killing Braintree native John O'Keefe, a Boston police officer, with her car outside a Canton home Jan. 29, 2022.
Read, of Mansfield, is accused of hitting O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV and leaving him to die in a snowstorm. Police charged her with second-degree murder.
Read’s lawyers say she is being framed by local and state law enforcement and witnesses for the prosecution.
Several people who attended a gathering at the home that night have been called to testify before a federal grand jury, sources told Daniel.
FBI agents have been questioning people in the Canton area and reviewing documents from the district attorney's office and the Canton Police Department, according to Daniel's report.
Morrissey told 25 Investigates that he is not concerned about the federal investigation.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office does not have jurisdiction over a state murder case, so this is an extraordinary step on their part,” Morrissey said in an emailed statement to the TV station. “I am unconcerned because I have confidence in what we’ve done and what people have told us.”
Sources allege potential conflicts of interest
Two sources who asked not to be named told 25 Investigates that Morrissey’s request to have the federal probe moved to another region is based on at least two conflict-of-interest claims.
Morrissey's letter to the Department of Justice alleges that Rachael Rollins, who was the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts when the federal probe began, held a personal grudge against him and his office, Channel 25 reported.
Rollins resigned May 19 after government watchdog agencies accused her of abusing her authority and committing ethics violations.
Two sources said Morrissey’s letter also referenced a prosecutor in the U.S. attorney’s public corruption unit in Boston who is married to a former assistant district attorney from his office. 25 Investigates said it has been unable to determine what the conflict could be.
The TV station asked for a copy of Morrissey’s letter but his office denied the request, saying the document is not a public record, 25 Investigates reported.
25 Investigates has asked Secretary of State William Galvin’s office to force Morrissey to release the letter. Galvin's office has ordered the DA’s office to provide the letter or issue a new response to 25 Investigates by Dec. 13.
Probe began before "Free Karen Read" movement
The federal probe beganbefore Read’s lawyers went public with their claims of a cover-up and before the “Free Karen Read” movement began.
On April 12, Read’s lawyers announced a “dramatic” turn in her murder case and claimed new evidence “establishes her innocence” in O’Keefe's death.
Read’s lawyers pointed a finger at witnesses in the case, including a party attendee who Googled how “long to die in cold.”
On April 10, people identified as witnesses for the prosecution of Read had received subpoenas to appear before the federal grand jury, according to a source with direct knowledge of the proceedings.
Allegations of a cover-up in Karen Read case
Read’s lawyers claim prosecutors failed to investigate other suspects, including party attendees.
The defense says O’Keefe entered the home and was beaten up, a dog attacked him, and he was dragged outside and left to die in the cold.
Read’s defense is arguing that party attendees used their law enforcement connections in Canton to frame Read.
Another of Read’s attorneys, David Yannetti, has said the detective who had custody of O’Keefe’s clothing and other evidence from Read’s SUV had close ties to the Canton homeowner’s family that left him “conflicted and corrupt.”
Prosecutors deny there's a cover-up
Prosecutors say they’ve amassed evidence that implicates Read, including witnesses who said she was asking if she hit O’Keefe the morning his body was found; conflicting statements Read made to witnesses including O’Keefe’s niece; forensic evidence of skull fractures that led to bruising on his face; and voicemails and texts suggesting discord in their relationship.
Prosecutors have denied any conflicts of interest among police who investigated O’Keefe’s death.
Morrissey took the unusual step of releasing a video in August condemning what he called the “absolutely baseless” harassment of witnesses in the Read case.
A Holden-based blogger who supports Read, Aidan Kearney, who calls himself "Turtleboy," has been charged with intimidating witnesses in the case.
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