Karen Read makes final court date before murder trial. Here's what happened in court

DEDHAM – Karen Read was in court Friday for the final time before she stands trial for second-degree murder and other charges in the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer and Braintree native John O'Keefe, WCVB reports.

The judge, defense attorneys and prosecutors needed to work through 40 motions ahead of the trial, which begins Tuesday, April 16, in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, according to WCVB.

The station said dozens of supporters of Read had gathered outside the courthouse in the heavy rain to continue their show of support for the 44-year-old Mansfield resident.

The courtroom was filled with people in support of Read, who has been charged with second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter while driving under the influence and leaving the scene of a collision causing injury and death following her indictment in June 2022.

Family members of O'Keefe, whose Jan. 29, 2022, death is the center of the case, were also present for the hearing, WCVB said.

The hearing focused on what evidence will be included at trial.

Prosecutors allege Read backed into O'Keefe with her SUV during a snowstorm, leaving him to die in front of a Canton home owned by another Boston police officer.

The defense said Friday they will argue someone else killed O'Keefe that night.

"It is not our job to solve this case for the prosecution," WCVB reported defense attorney David Yannetti as saying in court Friday. "It's our contention they had the opportunity to do that, but they failed. It is not our job to name a specific third-party culprit. We do not have to prove that Brian Albert or Collin Albert or Brian Higgins or some combination of them, intended to kill John O'Keefe. We don't have to prove that any of them attacked John O'Keefe, such that he eventually died. They have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they didn't."

More: Karen Read is going to trial. What to know and what to expect

The prosecutors say they need more specific information about Read's defense, that someone else killed O'Keefe.

"I'm not seeking to preclude counsel from making arguments or from counsel asking questions. What I'm seeking clarification on is what exactly, and again, this is from a position of operating without any information whatsoever, as to what a defense may be," prosecutor Adam Lally said.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Final pre-trial conference held ahead of Karen Read murder trial