Karen Read trial shows stark contrast between parents’ courtroom behaviors

John O’Keefe’s mother sent a solemn message to Karen Read, his suspected killer, in court last week during her trial on murder and other charges, according to a body language expert.

Read, 45, is accused of slamming into O’Keefe with her 2021 Lexus SUV and leaving him to die on the ground in a blizzard on Jan. 29, 2022.

Her attorneys deny that a collision happened and assert that something else killed O’Keefe, a 46-year-old Boston police officer.

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Throughout the bitter court battle of her second trial, the sides have been called to sidebar repeatedly as lawyers on both sides object to one another’s questioning.

As Read walked to the bench with her legal team, Peggy O’Keefe, seated every day front and center, gave the defendant a grim look, video shows.

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“It was so overt that she didn’t even hide it, because the mom shows every expression on her face throughout this trial,” Susan Constantine, the expert, told Fox News Digital. “There’s no love lost there. She does not like Karen Read, doesn’t trust her, doesn’t believe her, thinks she’s killed her son.”

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She called the look “stalker eyes” – like a lioness – and was a way of speaking to Read without saying a word, she said.

“She was following her as if she was sending the message, ‘I’m watching you, I see you, I’m following you,'” Constantine said. “She’s doing what she normally would do as a protective mother.”

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O’Keefe could not immediately be reached for comment. She was back in the front row, observing the proceedings, the next day.

“She’s the mother,” Constantine said. “She has every right to believe what she believes.”

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The relationship between O’Keefe and Read had been deteriorating in the weeks before his death, his niece, a juvenile, testified earlier.

Texts between Read and a potential romantic rival, Brian Higgins, showed she complained about having to deal with O’Keefe’s adopted children.

He was caring for his young niece and nephew after their mother and father died within months of each other.

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Similar to O’Keefe, Karen Read’s father, William Read, has been in court every day as both parents look to cement a sense of solidarity with their children. 

“The jury misses nothing about family and friend activity in the audience area,” retired Massachusetts Superior Court Judge and Boston College law professor Jack Lu told Fox News Digital.

But in a stark contrast, Read’s father has been mingling with her fans and chatting with the press in an apparent bid to win public sentiment over to his daughter. On Friday, he was seen shaking hands and posing for photos with her supporters shortly before arriving for the first day of the defense team’s testimony. 

“I’m always the oldest one in these shots,” he told the group as he smiled for the camera. “I guess it’s better than the alternative, huh?” 

WATCH: Karen Read’s father greets supporters outside daughter’s trial

Read’s father’s demeanor directly conflicts with the behavior of O’Keefe, with experts pointing to key differences between the parents. 

“He’s very cordial,” Constantine told Fox News Digital. “There’s a stark contrast from the opposing side and [O’Keefe’s] mom. [She] is distressed, angry and disgusted. The sneering and all that, we don’t see in Karen Read’s father at all. I mean he is certainly a trooper, standing in the gap for his daughter and he’s standing strong.”

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William Read has frequently stopped to speak to reporters on the steps of the courthouse as his daughter’s entourage is leaving for the day, and previously said he would like to be called as a witness in her trial.

“What this state is doing is a persecution of Karen Read,” her father said on the courthouse steps earlier this month. “And this collection of actors [and] witnesses is disgraceful.” 

Constantine points to his confidence as another indicator of how the family feels about Read’s case. 

“I think that he feels that he’s got a great case,” Constantine said. “They’ve obviously had great counsel, and you could tell that he feels very confident having his daughter being represented by this team. I think he feels that she’s fairly represented.”

Hours after her father made his appearance with supporters outside the courthouse, Read spent Friday’s lunch recess shaking hands and thanking those who came to show solidarity – a move that mirrors her own father. 

“You can see a lot of Karen in her father,” Constantine said. “You could see that they were waving at everybody. I saw a picture of Karen [and] she’s waving at everybody as the car’s pulling up. It reminded me of Michael Jackson – he did the same thing in his case. But [William Read] was resting his arm out, and he’s waving at everybody as if they’re a celebrity. I don’t think he is doing it in a showy way or in a narcissistic way at all. I see him as being very, very supportive and cordial with everyone, trying to connect with other people out there and Karen’s supporters, and I think he’s very appreciative of it.”