DEDHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - The Karen Read murder retrial got back underway Tuesday after five days off for the sixth week of testimony.
The prosecution called its final witness to the stand Tuesday, the last of more than 30 who have testified so far.
Accident reconstructionist Judson Welcher explained to the jury his inspection of Read's SUV, including his analysis of what happened the morning of Jan. 29, 2022.
Welcher walked the jury through a series of experiments he conducted.
In one experiment, he looked into whether the damage to Read's taillight could have been caused by her backing into John O'Keefe's car as the defense claims.
Welcher used an animation to testify Read's Lexus made a three point turn on Cedar-Crest Street 11 minutes after Read and O'Keefe left the Waterfall Bar and Grill.
He testified eight minutes after that, the car traveled to the area of 34 Fairview, moving forward 34 feet, before stops, then backing up 53 feet. He said it was a fast acceleration.
Welcher performed a series of tests, even buying the same model Lexus to perform his own accident reconstruction.
"Considering all the data and analysis you did, did you come to a conclusion to a reasonable degree of certainty whether the right rear taillight of Miss Read's Lexus was broken or damaged during the contact with Mr. O'Keefe's car at around 5:07 a.m. on January 29, 2022?" Welcher was asked.
"That impact did not break or crack that taillight," said Welcher.
"That's your opinion?" Welcher was asked.
"That's my opinion," said Welcher.
Welcher says he also performed an experiment to determine if Read's SUV could have caused the scratches to O'Keefe's arm.
Using himself as a test subject, he covered the taillight of his Lexus in paint and reenacted the collision.
He says he found that the location of the taillight's impact to his arm lined up with the location of O'Keefe's injuries.
Welcher's testimony is expected to continue on Wednesday.
Some key witnesses have not yet been called, including Brian Higgins and Brian Albert, both of whom the prosecution fought to keep from the trial, and disgraced state trooper Michael Proctor, who was the lead investigator in the death of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe.
Read is accused of killing O'Keefe by hitting him with her car and leaving him to die in the snow after a night of drinking during a snowstorm in January 2022. Her lawyers argue she is being framed in a police coverup.
Proctor was called by the prosecution during last year's proceedings, which ended in a mistrial. He has since been fired from the force for misconduct and for sending vulgar text messages about Read.
At one point last week, Judge Beverly Cannone paused the trial to speak to each juror individually; it is still unclear why.
And at the end of court on Wednesday, Read said the defense's case will be more robust than it was last year, and that she is anxious for the public to learn what she knows.
This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
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