Karen Read Trial: Defense Scrutinizes 'Mirrored' Video

The defense team in the Karen Read murder trial cross-examined a police officer who analyzed video footage in an effort to discredit the prosecution's central evidence.

As the Karen Read murder trial continues, the defense has launched an aggressive attack on the prosecution's key piece of evidence: a video of the alleged murder.

During cross-examination of Boston Police Officer William McGrath, the defense pointed out that the video had been "mirrored," meaning that it was a reversed image of the actual event. McGrath acknowledged that the mirroring had been done as a standard procedure during the video analysis process.

The defense argued that the mirroring made it difficult to accurately determine the sequence of events in the video, particularly with regard to the position of Read's SUV and her alleged victim, Boston Police Officer Matthew Donohue.

"The mirroring creates an illusion," said defense attorney John Amabile. "It makes it appear that Ms. Read was driving in the wrong direction when she was not."

Amabile also questioned the reliability of the video's timestamps, which he claimed were not precise enough to corroborate the prosecution's timeline of events.

Assistant District Attorney John Pappas defended the video analysis, arguing that the mirroring did not affect its accuracy and that the timestamps were consistent with other evidence in the case.

"The video clearly shows Ms. Read's SUV striking Officer Donohue and leaving him in the snowbank," Pappas said. "The timestamps may not be perfectly precise, but they are close enough to support our case."

The defense also raised questions about the size of the video's pixels, which McGrath acknowledged could affect the clarity of the images. Amabile suggested that the pixel size made it impossible to determine for certain whether Donohue was moving or stationary at the time of the impact.

Pappas responded that the pixel size was small enough to provide a clear depiction of the events and that Donohue's body language showed that he was in distress.

The cross-examination of McGrath is expected to continue, as the defense attempts to chip away at the prosecution's central evidence. The trial is scheduled to resume on Monday, following a recess for the weekend.

- The defense also questioned McGrath about whether he had considered other possible explanations for the events captured on the video.

- McGrath acknowledged that it was possible that Read had accidentally struck Donohue, but he said that he did not believe this was the case.

- The prosecution rested its case on Friday, and the defense is expected to begin presenting its case on Monday.

- Read has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and motor vehicle homicide.

- If convicted, she faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

- The trial is being closely watched by the Boston Police Department and the general public.

- The outcome of the trial will have a significant impact on the community's trust in the police and the justice system.