A key witness took the stand for a second day within the Karen Learn homicide retrial and her testimony shocked the courtroom.
Witness Jennifer McCabe testified to listening to Learn repeatedly saying “I hit him” to a primary responder after they found her boyfriend John O’Keefe’s useless physique within the snow, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Article continues under commercial
Learn’s homicide retrial started on April 28.
Article continues under commercial
Learn faces costs of second-degree homicide, manslaughter whereas working a automobile underneath the affect, and leaving the scene of an accident inflicting dying. She is on trial once more after jurors had been unable to return to an unanimous verdict in her first trial.
Prosecutors argued Learn deliberately hit O’Keefe, a Boston police officer, with Lexus SUV on January 29, 2022, after an evening out in Canton, Massachusetts, and left him to die outdoors as a snowstorm approached.
Protection attorneys claimed Learn has been the goal of a biased investigation and the sufferer of a cover-up as they argued another person killed the cop.
Article continues under commercial
Jennifer McCabe recalled Learn being ‘hysterical’ on the morning O’Keefe’s physique was found on her sister’s garden.
Article continues under commercial
McCabe performs a central half within the case attributable to being with Learn at an area bar within the hours main as much as O’Keefe’s dying, in addition to being with the defendant when the officer’s physique was found.
On Tuesday, April 29, McCabe testified to seeing Learn’s SUV outdoors her sister’s house at 34 Fairview Street, however stated the defendant by no means got here inside. She stated she texted O’Keefe to see if he and Learn had been coming inside, the place family and friends gathered after visiting an area bar, however he by no means responded.
Whereas recalling the fateful night time, McCabe stated she acquired a name from O’Keefe’s niece round 5 A.M. and will hear Learn screaming within the background.
The witness claimed Learn instructed her she and O’Keefe had gotten into an argument and she or he left him on the native bar, however he by no means got here house.
Article continues under commercial
McCabe claimed she overheard Learn telling a primary responder ‘i hit him’ after they discovered O’Keefe’s physique.
Article continues under commercial
She then recalled telling Learn she noticed her automobile at her sister’s home hours earlier – and Learn began sobbing.
McCabe stated: “After which she instructed me she did not bear in mind being there. After which she went on to say – she began saying, ‘Might I’ve hit him? Did I hit him?'”
Learn allegedly instructed McCabe she had cracked her taillight earlier that night time.
Shortly after the decision, Learn arrived at McCabe’s house. They, together with a girl named Kerry Roberts, drove to McCabe’s sister’s home in hopes of discovering O’Keefe.
Article continues under commercial
When the group arrived at 34 Fairview Street, the witness stated Learn shouted, “There he’s, let me out,” and exited the automobile.
McCabe’s 911 was performed in court docket and Learn may very well be heard screaming within the background.
She recalled: “Karen was hysterical, irrational. She’s doing lots of screaming, asking ‘Is he useless, is he useless, is he useless.’
“She simply was form of everywhere.”
By no means Miss an
Day by day updates from the guts of Hollywood, proper to your inbox
By getting into your electronic mail and clicking Signal Up, you’re agreeing to allow us to ship you customised advertising and marketing messages about us and our promoting companions. You might be additionally agreeing to our Phrases of Service and Privateness Coverage.
READ MORE ON TRUE CRIME
Article continues under commercial
Learn has pleaded not responsible to costs of second-degree homicide.
On cross-examination, Learn’s protection attorneys tried to focus on McCabe’s connections to police, together with her brother-in-law Brian Albert, a Boston police officer who owned the house at 34 Fairview Street.
Protection legal professional Alan Jackson tried to get McCabe to acknowledge that after O’Keefe’s physique was discovered, police didn’t separate potential witnesses earlier than taking their statements.
McCabe claimed she noticed no want for the witnesses to be separated, most of which had been members of the family.