Crash professional holds agency on Lexus SUV proof in Karen Learn homicide trial

[ad_1] Karen Learn’s protection staff seemed to chip away at a crash professional’s credibility by pointing to eye-watering expenditures and alleged inconsistencies in experiments because the state enters the eleventh hour of testimony of their case.

Learn is accused of killing her then-boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, by hanging him together with her Lexus SUV exterior a home celebration at 34 Fairview Highway and leaving him to die in frigid temperatures shortly after midnight on Jan. 29, 2022.

The state’s anticipated last witness, Dr. Judson Welcher, a crash reconstructionist with Texas-based Aperture LLC, held agency on his findings that Learn’s automobile allegedly struck O’Keefe.

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Karen Learn listens to the cross-examination by Robert Alessi of professional accident witness Dr. Judson Welcher throughout her retrial at Norfolk Superior Courtroom, Wednesday, Might 28, 2025, in Dedham, Massachusetts. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger through AP, Pool)

"[O’Keefe’s injuries are] in keeping with being struck by a Lexus and likewise contacting a tough floor, resembling frozen floor," Welcher informed particular prosecutor Hank Brennan.

In a sometimes-evasive line of cross-examination, Welcher usually offered non-answers to protection legal professional Robert Alessi’s questions surrounding his modifications to a PowerPoint presentation utilized in Learn’s trial to depict Aperture’s investigation.

"Assume the trial began roughly April 22, 2025," Alessi mentioned. "Did you create your up to date presentation earlier than or after [it began]?"

"I don’t know," Welcher replied.

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Dr. Judson Welcher, an accident reconstruction professional, speaks on the witness stand through the Karen Learn retrial, Wednesday, Might 28, 2025, in Dedham, Massachusetts. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger through AP, Pool)

Alessi seemed to nail down a timeline of when Welcher could have made adjustments to the doc and whether or not the prosecution communicated with him relating to the alterations.

Welcher ultimately relented earlier than testifying that he altered the presentation for the primary time on Might 13, with the newest change occurring "like, 10 minutes in the past."

"Half of that was in response to objections from the protection," Welcher mentioned. "I had so as to add all of the components to the place the whole lot was. Then, once I obtained out right here, Mr. Brennan requested me to take out references to proof about statements that I used to be not allowed to current. So that will have been inside the final three days. Then I've modified it a few occasions right this moment based mostly on rulings from the decide."

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Learn lawyer Robert Alessi cross-examines Dr. Judson Welcher through the Karen Learn retrial, Wednesday Might 28, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger through AP, Pool)

Nevertheless, Welcher testified on cross-examination that the amendments he made to the presentation didn't alter the general doc.

"I modified one slide," Welcher mentioned. "There have been 130 slides initially, or one thing like that. So half of the adjustments [were] on that day, which was one slide. I added one line to the underside of the earlier slide."

"Effectively then, why did you make it in the course of trial if it wasn't important?" Alessi requested. "Why did not you simply depart it off after which talk about it when it comes to testimony?"

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Karen Learn, who works together with her protection legal professionals, attends a "facet bar" convention with the prosecution and Choose Beverly Cannone at Norfolk Superior Courtroom, Wednesday, Might 28, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger through AP, Pool)

"So it finally was left off as a result of it was insignificant, and I did not must have it," Welcher mentioned. "The way in which it obtained offered was precisely the best way it was earlier than Might 13. So it did not change something."

On cross-examination, Welcher revealed the district legal professional’s workplace beforehand agreed to pay Aperture at the least $325,000 for the agency’s companies, together with overlaying the price of the Lexus SUV utilized in testing.

"We’re retaining [the vehicle] till the trial’s over," Welcher mentioned. "[Then] we’re promoting it and charging the commonwealth the distinction within the worth precisely."

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Photographs offered of an accident reconstruction take a look at by Dr. Judson Welcher present affect through paint switch from an SUV much like Karen Learn's to a human topic at Norfolk Superior Courtroom, Wednesday, Might 28, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger through AP, Pool)

Aperture has been paid $44,510 for its companies to this point, with the state anticipated to pay upwards of $400,000 for round eight months of labor, in accordance with Alessi.

"Dr. Welcher was excellent on route, however solely a B- on cross-examination," retired Massachusetts Superior Courtroom Choose and Boston Faculty legislation professor Jack Lu informed Fox Information Digital. "He isn't answering the questions from Mr. Alessi immediately. He is probably not deliberately being evasive, however he’s now not a near-perfect instance of how an professional witness ought to testify."

O’Keefe’s arm accidents have been concurrent with being struck by the make and mannequin of Learn’s automobile, Welcher testified on direct examination. The crash professional pointed to a video displaying him portray the taillight of the automobile earlier than brushing up towards it to imitate a collision.

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Prosecutor Hank Brennan questions Dr. Judson Welcher through the Karen Learn retrial, Wednesday, Might 28, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger through AP, Pool)

Alessi seemed to create doubt surrounding Welcher’s findings, grilling the biomechanical engineer on the methodology behind his experiment surrounding the reason for the harm to O’Keefe’s eye.

"I’m attempting to make it clear," Welcher mentioned. "We don’t know his actual physique place on the level of affect, nor do we all know the precise place on the bottom. Which is a part of the explanation why I haven’t tried to precisely simulate this, as a result of we don’t have sufficient parameters to try this. So I don’t have that info. I’m displaying the geometry relative to somebody of Mr. O’Keefe’s top."

"So that you don’t have the data to try this correctly," Alessi mentioned. "So due to this fact, you'll be able to’t preclude that he had a laceration to the attention from the spoiler by your personal reply that you simply simply gave, appropriate?"

Welcher doubled down on his investigation, asserting on the stand that Aperture’s experiment was appropriate based mostly on the data the agency had on the time, regardless of Alessi revealing the automobile in Welcher’s take a look at was shifting solely two miles per hour — considerably lower than the pace of Learn’s automobile.

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"Would you agree that you simply did a blue paint take a look at with the automobile going at two miles per hour?" Alessi requested.

"After all," Welcher mentioned.

"You didn’t do a blue paint take a look at with the automobile going at 20 miles per hour, appropriate?" Alessi mentioned.

"That's appropriate," Welcher mentioned. "I used to be not going to hit myself with the Lexus at 20 miles an hour."

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Wednesday marked the second day of testimony from Welcher, because the state is anticipated to relaxation its case this week.

Learn pleaded not responsible and is going through the potential for life in jail if convicted of the highest cost, second-degree homicide.

"The mannequin being adopted right here is superb {and professional}," Lu mentioned. "What you've here's a very good decide meets a really good lawyer," including, "This ends in a looser, less-focused cross-examination. It’s understanding effective right here, partially as a result of the witness will not be being tremendous evasive."

Julia Bonavita is a U.S. Author for Fox Information Digital and a Fox Flight Crew drone pilot. You'll be able to comply with her at @juliabonavita13 on all platforms and ship story tricks to julia.bonavita@fox.com.