Karen Read is looking for the return of her SUV as well as three cellphones, key pieces of evidence that are still in law enforcement custody.
She was acquitted last month of killing her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, with her vehicle.
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WATCH HEREHer attorney Steven Boozang said he contacted the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office more than three weeks ago looking to get the items back.
He says he didn’t get an answer, so he’s asking the court to get involved.
“You have to formally bring a motion asking the court to return what’s been received in evidence as part of the court record,” NBC10 Boston Legal Analyst Michael Coyne.
Boozang said he was negotiating with Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally about getting the items back, but never received a response.
“You would want the court to approve the return of that evidence because then it would no longer be part of the evidentiary record,” Coyne said.
Read, 45, was charged with hitting and killing her Boston police officer boyfriend with that vehicle after a night of drinking and leaving him to die in a blizzard. After two trials, she was acquitted of the most serious charges.
She’s still facing a civil lawsuit and the SUV and one of the cellphones might be needed for that trial. The other phones are related to witness intimidation charges that never went anywhere.
The black 2021 Lexus LX570 may be the most significant piece of evidence in the criminal case. It was damaged and the focus of forensic investigators. One estimate we got for the vehicle without any issues was $65,000.
“This vehicle may well sell for well in excess of its original retail value to have Karen Read’s Lexus as part of your showroom of cars," Coyne said.
We reached out to the Norfolk District Attorney's Office for comment - they declined.
