The prosecution in Karen Learn’s trial regarded to cement its narrative surrounding the dying of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe by turning to a crash skilled’s information putting Learn on the crime scene throughout O’Keefe’s last actions on the morning of his dying.
Learn, 45, is accused of hitting her boyfriend, 46-year-old O’Keefe, along with her Lexus SUV in a drunken rage within the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2022, earlier than leaving him to freeze to dying within the entrance yard of a fellow officer’s dwelling in Canton, Massachusetts.
On Tuesday, particular prosecutor Hank Brennan referred to as the state’s probably last witness to the stand. Dr. Judson Welcher, an accident reconstructionist and biomechanical engineer with Aperture LLC, testified that the black field information inside Learn’s automobile didn’t register a collision on the morning of O’Keefe’s dying, however he insisted the shortage of knowledge is predicted as a result of the system solely registers car-to-car crashes, not pedestrians.
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Karen Learn is proven throughout her homicide trial at Norfolk Superior Courtroom in Dedham, Mass., on Might 27, 2025. (Matt Stone/Boston Herald by way of AP/Pool)
“Had been you shocked that there was no details about a collision within the (black field)?” Brennan requested.
“No,” Welcher mentioned. “(It was) precisely what I anticipated.”
Welcher testified that he was in a position to match Techstream information from Learn’s Lexus SUV to the automobile’s infotainment clock utilizing reviews from his colleague, Shanon Burgess, displaying the second Learn’s automobile was turned on.
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Proof photographs from Dr. Judson Welcher’s investigation are proven throughout Karen Learn’s trial on Might 27, 2025. (Pool)
“So we’re going from the operating clock to a real-world clock,” Welcher mentioned. “In the event you take when (the automobile) was turned on from Burgess’ report, you may see that the Lexus was turned on at 12:12:36 a.m.”
The Techstream clock inside Learn’s automobile was 21 to 29 seconds behind O’Keefe’s cellphone clock, requiring investigators to advance the information to match the cellphone, Welcher defined.
“That’s why it’s good to have an apples-to-apples comparability,” Welcher mentioned. “You want to get them on the identical time clock.”
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Dr. Judson Welcher testifies through the Karen Learn homicide trial on Might 27, 2025. (Matt Stone/Boston Herald by way of AP/Pool)
Roughly 19 minutes after the ignition was turned on, Learn’s automobile registered a second set off occasion, in response to Welcher. Pointing to revolutions per minute, acceleration and shifting information from the black field, Welcher testified that Learn’s automobile drove ahead 34 toes earlier than backing up 53 toes at a 74% throttle, with information indicating the automobile was touring at 23 mph by the top of the set off occasion.
Welcher pointed to information from O’Keefe’s cellphone, telling Brennan the speedy acceleration of Learn’s automobile matched with the timestamp of O’Keefe’s last interplay with the machine.
“(The set off occasion) matches the window of the cellphone information for O’Keefe,” Welcher mentioned. “That places (the automobile) in entrance of 34 Fairview.”
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Prosecutor Hank Brennan questions a witness through the Karen Learn homicide trial on Might 27, 2025. (Matt Stone/Boston Herald by way of AP/Pool)
The info corroboration additional solidifies the prosecution’s timeline surrounding what allegedly triggered O’Keefe’s dying outdoors the Massachusetts dwelling.
“At greatest for the defendant, this witness is reasonably damaging,” retired Massachusetts Superior Courtroom Decide Jack Lu advised Fox Information Digital. “Seventy-four p.c acceleration, no brake; Welcher is likable {and professional} however not excessive, kind of humble.”
Welcher turned his consideration to surveillance footage displaying Learn pulling out of O’Keefe’s driveway shortly earlier than discovering his lifeless physique within the snow, testifying that his investigation concluded the bumper of Learn’s automobile did are available contact with O’Keefe, however the taillight didn’t.
“I hate to see any get together get harm, however this was a foul day for Ms. Learn,” Lu mentioned. “She (was) driving a really high-end luxurious Lexus SUV and pushed the throttle past 70% with no braking. That Lexus SUV will need to have taken off like a SpaceX rocket ship. That’s the nature of the beast – a really dangerous search for Ms. Learn.”
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Protection legal professional Robert Alessi confers with Superior Courtroom Decide Beverly Cannone as Karen Learn, left, seems to be on at Norfolk Superior Courtroom in Dedham, Mass., on Might 27, 2025. (Matt Stone/Boston Herald by way of AP/Pool)
“So the one proof of contact is nowhere close to the higher taillight,” Welcher mentioned. “I emphasize the phrase ‘higher taillight’ as a result of it’s proper in step with the decrease taillight, however but the decrease taillight was additionally not damaged.”
The crash skilled testified he carried out his personal experiment with a automobile that’s the identical make and mannequin as Learn’s SUV to analyze the attainable reason for scratch marks discovered on O’Keefe’s arm.
Upon studying he was roughly the identical top and weight as O’Keefe, Welcher coated the taillight in paint earlier than reenacting a automobile strike, with video footage indicating the paint left marks on his arm in the identical space as O’Keefe’s accidents.
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“The situation orientation of the laceration on O’Keefe’s proper forearm and arm are per the geometry and orientation of the fitting taillight of (Learn’s SUV),” Welcher mentioned.
Welcher testified he additionally studied the character of accidents sustained by assaults, telling Brennan his investigation led him to conclude that O’Keefe was struck by Learn’s SUV.
“Primarily based on all of the proof you thought-about,” Brennan mentioned, “might you share with the jury what your opinion is, to an inexpensive diploma of engineering certainty, about whether or not the defendant’s Lexus struck Mr. O’Keefe on Jan. 29, 2022, round 12:32 a.m.?”
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“Primarily based on the totality of the proof, DNA, every part I’ve talked about, that’s per that taking place,” Welcher mentioned. “With an inexpensive diploma of scientific certainty, that’s what occurred.”
Welcher’s testimony served to additional solidify the information findings by Burgess and Cellebrite skilled Ian Whiffin, who beforehand took the stand as witnesses for the prosecution in Learn’s case.
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The prosecution is predicted to relaxation its case this week after a complete day of Welcher’s direct examination. If convicted of the highest cost, second-degree homicide, Learn faces the opportunity of life in jail.
“Thus far, with out cross-examination, the protection is having a foul day,” Lu mentioned.
Julia Bonavita is a U.S. Author for Fox Information Digital and a Fox Flight Workforce drone pilot. You’ll be able to comply with her at @JULIABONAVITA13 on all platforms and ship story tricks to julia.bonavita@fox.com.
