Murder suspect Karen Read faces new forensic evidence as expert credibility is questioned
Massachusetts murder suspect Karen Read Her ex-boyfriend, Boston policeman John O'Keefe, died in court on Monday to testify as a DNA expert and a digital forensic scientist, testified in prosecution, linking the victim to the only hair sample found on Read's SUV and tightening the timeline of his final moments in his life.
But under cross-examination, there is a witness with a major new evidence that reveals what seems to be an exaggerated resume.
O'Keefe, 46, was found dead on January 29, 2022. His then-girlfriend, Read, 45, was accused of slamming him with her 2021 Lexus Suv and dying on the ground in a snowstorm in Canton, about 20 miles south of Boston.
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Karen Read arrived in Dedham, Massachusetts on May 19, 2025. (Hans Pennink for Fox News Digital)
Mitochondrial DNA tests connect hair on the back of Read vector to O'Keefe, testified, Karl Miyasako, DNA analyst at Bode Technologies, Virginia. However, he testified that the hair was a match for anyone connected to Read’s mother’s maternal line, meaning that his nieces and nephews might also be the source.
He said the sample was too small to test autosomal DNA, which could have been identified for a specific individual link.
Digital forensics analyst Shanon Burgess testified during the May 19, 2025 retrial of Karen Read. (PAT Greenhouse/Boston Globe via AP/Swimming Pool)
But the case changed unexpectedly when Shanon Burgess, a digital forensics expert in smartphone and vehicle in Texas, admitted that his certificate did not match the qualifications on his resume.
He explained the process and analysis of the “black box” data extracted from Read's car at the booth. He said that in the first case, he found it on the micro SD card and was able to extract it, answering questions left by another expert's early analysis.
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Bill Read and his wife Jenny walk with daughter Karen Read, entering Norfolk County Superior Court on May 19, 2025 in Dedham, Massachusetts. (Hans Pennink for Fox News Digital)
However, during cross-examination, defense attorney Robert Alessi questioned Burgess's “caution” or distrust after revealing inconsistencies in the expert resume.
Its several versions and his official Aperture Bio page say he received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama in Birmingham in different years. He admits that none of them are right. He does not have a bachelor's degree.
“I don't have a bachelor's degree,” Burgess told Alessi.
Karl Miyasako of Bode Technology testified at the Karen Read trial on May 19, 2025. (PAT Greenhouse/Boston Globe via AP/Swimming Pool)
“But here,” Alicie said, pointing out one of at least three resumes he introduced as evidence, “You do this on your behalf, right?”
“Yes,” Burgess said. “It’s there.”
Experts say his expertise may not need one, but the appearance of the lies hurts his credibility.
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“He doesn't need a bachelor's degree in science,” said Massachusetts defense attorney Grace Edwards. However, she said the mix could shut down the jury and result in members completely ignoring his findings and could plague other cases that have been completed.
“How many courts did he testify with the 'filled' resume?” she asked, using the abbreviation of his academic resume as the course.
Cross-examination by lawyer Robert Alessi proves that Jessica Hyde was during the May 7, 2025 murder trial of Karen Read. (Greg Derr/Patriot Ledger via AP/Pool)
Testimony about the clock in Read's Lexus and O'Keefe's iPhone may be crucial to the prosecutor's case. He said their difference was 21 to 29 seconds, and the victim interacted with the last record of the phone, pressing the lock button, which happened at 12:32:09 am
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Read testified based on computer logs recovered from Lexus, removing her car from the reverse between 12:32:04 and 12:32:12.
John O'Keefe (Boston Police Department)
Burgess is expected to return to his position on Tuesday. If convicted of the highest crime, reading may face life in prison, Second-degree murder. She was also charged with driving drunk and homicide, fleeing the scene of the fatal accident.
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She pleaded not guilty, and her defense completely denied that her vehicle collided with O'Keeffe.
