Did Cellphone Data Just Clear Karen Read?
By James Seidel | Crime and Cask News Network
Published: March 30, 2025
BOSTON, MA — Karen Read: In the high-profile case against Karen Read, newly analyzed cellphone data from John O’Keefe’s iPhone may be the strongest evidence yet that the Canton woman did not kill her Boston police officer boyfriend. The Apple Health data shows he walked after she dropped him off—strongly suggesting he was alive and mobile, contrary to the prosecution’s theory.
Timeline: What the Phone Shows
Below is a condensed timeline of O’Keefe’s activity from the night of January 28 into the morning of January 29, 2022:
Timeline of Events
(All times in Eastern Standard Time – UTC-5)
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 12:11 a.m. – 12:21 a.m. | 170 steps recorded (walking activity) |
| 12:14 a.m. | Last answered call (44 seconds) |
| 12:24:12 – 12:24:46 a.m. | 36 steps recorded — believed to be O’Keefe walking after being dropped off |
| 12:32:09 a.m. | Phone shows “user-initiated lock” event |
| 12:34 a.m. – 5:32 a.m. | Series of unanswered calls |
| 6:04 a.m. | First movement detected again – during recovery by first responders |
Court Transcript: What the Record Shows
In a recently unsealed motion, Dr. James Welcher, an expert for the prosecution, claimed:
“Most notably, all device lock events, including the final Lock event at 00:32:09 (12:32:09 a.m.), were user-initiated by the user pressing the side button.”
— Dr. James Welcher, Redacted Presentation, Slide 102
But that claim is being challenged. The same court document notes:
“There is [n]o physical evidence to indicate the taillight was broken as of approximately 5:08 a.m.”
— Welcher Presentation, Slide 102 (emphasis in original)
Critics argue these conclusions go beyond Dr. Welcher’s expertise, with the court document stating:
“As Dr. Welcher is not [a] medical examiner, forensic pathologist, nor a cell phone forensics expert, these conclusions are beyond the scope of his expertise.”
— Defense Motion, Page 6
Expert Witness Speaks Out
Several forensic phone analysts we consulted have said basically the same thing:
“The Apple Health data is very specific. When it records steps, it means the phone was moving with the body. You can’t fake 36 steps unless someone was literally walking around with the phone in a believable gait. And that’s highly unlikely.”
They add, “This supports the idea that John O’Keefe walked away from the car, meaning Karen Read did not injure him at that time.”
No Movement After 12:24 a.m.
Following the 36 steps recorded at 12:24:46 a.m., there is a complete absence of movement on the phone until 6:04 a.m., when first responders recovered his body. The phone logs show a barrage of unanswered calls, including several placed between 12:45 and 5:30 a.m.
“This is consistent with someone who was unresponsive or unconscious—possibly deceased—during that entire window,” Cahill explained.
Prosecution’s Theory in Trouble?
The lock event at 12:32 a.m., cited by prosecutors as evidence O’Keefe was alive, has now become a point of contention. With no health data to support activity at that time, it’s unclear if O’Keefe himself initiated the lock or if it was caused by someone else—or even by an impact.
Legal analysts say this could spell trouble for the case against Read.
“This is a case built on circumstantial evidence and weak forensics,” said Grace Carleton, a former prosecutor. “If you show a jury that the alleged victim walked away after being dropped off—and then never moved again—it shifts suspicion away from the person who dropped him off and toward where he went next.”
What Happened at the Albert House?
Read’s defense has long suggested that something occurred inside or near the Albert home, not at the curb outside. The cellphone data supports this theory, indicating O’Keefe was mobile after exiting Read’s vehicle and only became incapacitated sometime afterward.
The defense has also raised concerns about the integrity of the investigation and whether all key individuals inside the house were thoroughly questioned.
It’s just been revealed that Officer John O’Keefe’s cellphone’s last activity was user manipulation to lock the phone at 12:32:09am, by the user pressing the side “lock” button briefly.
To believe that John was hit by Karen Read’s car and killed, you’d have to believe that in… https://t.co/H0xG1JrC5v pic.twitter.com/O6plvO4Wt8
— Olivia (@OliviaLambo_) March 30, 2025
A Chilling Parallel: The Murdaugh Case
This isn’t the first time cellphone data has quietly exposed cracks in a high-profile prosecution. In the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial, digital forensics revealed that Maggie Murdaugh’s iPhone remained completely motionless between 9:06:20 and 9:08:58 p.m., even as Alex’s own phone was clearly moving during that time.
Yet, prosecutors want the public to believe that Alex was in possession of Maggie’s phone—a claim the data flatly contradicts.
If Alex’s phone was moving and Maggie’s wasn’t, then he didn’t have her phone. And if he didn’t, someone else did.
Someone else who may have killed her and possibly planted the phone on the roadside—where it was later found.
Just like in the Karen Read case, the digital truth doesn’t lie—but it does ask questions the prosecution doesn’t seem eager to answer.
Final Thoughts
With trial proceedings looming, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The digital breadcrumbs left behind by John O’Keefe’s phone may be the most objective witness in the case—one that can’t be coached or cross-examined.
If steps don’t lie, Karen Read may be one step closer to being cleared. The same appears to for Alex Murdaugh.
James Seidel is the founder and lead investigative journalist at Crime and Cask News Network. Follow him on X @CrimeAndCask or visit www.crimeandcask.com for exclusive updates.
James Seidel – Publisher, Journalist, Author. Investigator, Podcaster, Radio Talk Show Host, and Music Producer.
Connect with CC News Network
Over 1,500,000 Million likes of Tiktok alone!
Join Our 100,000+ Social Media Fans:
- Follow Us on X: @CCNewsNetwork
- Follow Us on TikTok: @CCNewsNetwork
- Facebook: CC News Network
- Talk Radio: 97.7FM WVFF – Listen to Our Hit True Crime Talk Radio Show
- Follow Us on Amazon Books: Click here to follow
- Hire Us on Cameo: @CC News Network
- Follow Us on Spotify: @CC Records
- Follow Us on Bluesky: @ccnewsnetwork.bsky.social
- Follow Us on Mastadon: @CrimeandCask
- New Book: Trumped Up, by Josh Pruitt and James Seidel
2 thoughts on “Did Cellphone Data Just Clear Karen Read?”