Medical examiner details skull fractures in Karen Read murder trial testimony

A therapeutic examiner testified she could identify John O'Keefe's cause of death as a head injury and hypothermia but could not determine whether it was homicide accidental or any other manner Thursday during the murder trial of Karen Read in the death of her boyfriend a -year-old Boston police officer Dr Irini Scordi-Bello a forensic pathologist with Massachusetts' Office of the Chief Biological Examiner performed the autopsy on O'Keefe Jan While Scordi-Bello exposed that O'Keefe had died from head trauma and hypothermia the manner of death how he suffered those injuries was undetermined The blunt impact to his head was the primary cause of death she testified but hypothermia contributed He had a deep cut and bruising to the back of his head Once she looked at it from the inside she exposed multiple skull fractures and brain bleeding And his body temperature when he arrived at the hospital was degrees compared to a normal body temperature of KAREN READ TRIAL CRIME LAB EXPERT TESTIFIES BLOOD EVIDENCE WAS NEVER TESTEDShe discussed the external examination first saying she detected similar injuries to his face head hand arm and knee that other bystanders including paramedics and police have already described to the jury He had superficial scrapes and cuts on his arm which did not penetrate the skin or expose fat or muscle tissue she testified She also performed an internal examination and looked at additional injuries At the back of his skull she exposed multiple fractures from a cut on the right side of his head That injury is consistent with falling backward and landing with his head on the frozen ground she testified during cross-examination from defense attorney Robert Alessi who petitioned Scordi-Bello if O'Keefe should have sustained a circular wound instead of the linear one revealed at autopsy KAREN READ'S DEFENSE OPENS DOOR FOR SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO BRING IN NEW EVIDENCE COURT DOCS There's nothing inconsistent with this injury and a fall on someone's on the back of the head with a blunt surface she testified A fall backwards where the person impacts the back of their head on flat frozen ground would you expect that type of a laceration from that type of a fall Alessi followed up Not just a general fall backwards but specifically a fall backwards where the back of the head hits flat frozen ground Would you expect that I could Scordi-Bello announced Yes However she also announced she unveiled no signs of grass on the back of O'Keefe's head GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUBKILLER OR CONVENIENT OUTSIDER UNEXPECTED CELEBRITY' KAREN READ'S TRIAL EXPLORED IN NEW FOX NATION SERIESAlessi also grilled her on the hypothermia finding asking if internal injuries to O'Keefe's stomach and pancreas could have been caused by factors other than the freezing temperatures She testified it is workable that his pancreas could have hemorrhaged from a device used to assist paramedics with CPR efforts but that wouldn't have damaged his stomach However she later testified that the stomach ulcers could have been caused by O'Keefe drinking alcohol without taking his antacid medicine The toxicology analysis located no drugs or prescription medications in his system at the time of his death He had a blood alcohol level And he had been prescribed an antacid to prevent gastric ulcers FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME BAND ON XEven after an amended death certificate was issued O'Keefe's manner of death remained undetermined Scordi-Bello testified Thursday she stands by her findings as to the cause head trauma and hypothermia SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTERAfter Judge Beverly Cannone sent jurors home for the day Alessi argued that new disclosures about expert testimony from Aperture which conducted reports for the prosecution would put the entire defense at hazard if allowed this late in the contest The disclosure was dated May but was received by the defense May he noted I don t like to use hyperbolic words but the word has been used against us ambush ambush ambush Alessi mentioned If there s ever an example of an ambush this is it In a heated back and forth Brennan described the disclosure as evidence of a key variance between the internal clocks in Read s Lexus SUV and John O Keefe s cellphone input Cannone did not announce a decision before adjourning court for the day Read is due back Friday at a m She could face life in prison if convicted of the greater part serious charge