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Hey everyone, it's Vanessa. If you're enjoying killer Minds, you'll love a new Crime house show. I'm part of Crime House Daily. Twice every weekday, host Katie Ring brings you the biggest crime stories as they unfold. In the morning, get the latest updates. At night, dive into the moments that matter. And on Sundays, I'm looking back with true crime this week, exploring unforgettable cases from the coming week in history. All with a common theme. A Follow Crime House Daily wherever you listen or catch us on YouTube so you never miss an episode. Hey everyone, it's Vanessa. If you're enjoying killer minds, you're gonna love another show from the crime House family. Crime House Daily. Hosted by self defense instructor and victims advocate Katie Ring, Crime House Daily is your twice a day true crime companion, keeping you plugged into the biggest stories as they unfold. In the mornings, Kat gets you caught up fast. The latest headlines, breaking updates and where the case is headed next. In the evenings, she slows it down and digs deeper into the people, the evidence and the moments that matter most. And every Sunday I host an episode called True Crime this week, so please support us. We'll explore unforgettable cases from the coming week in true crime history tied together by chilling themes like serial killers, disappearances and more. It's everything you love about crime house storytelling, but in real time, so you never miss a twist. Follow Crime House Daily wherever you listen. So you never miss an episode or watch full episodes on YouTube. And now check out this episode.
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This is Crime House.
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No police square line. What is your emergency? Yes, I need someone to come to 34 can't 34 fear view road and can't map. There's a man passed out in the snow. I think he's dead. You need like you got to get here asap. Okay, I'm going to transit the cabin.
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Was she framed in an elaborate cover up involving corrupt cops? Or did she put her car in reverse in a fit of rage, hit her boyfriend and and leave him for dead? This is the story of Karen Reed and why her trial captivated and divided the nation. Welcome to the very first episode of Night Watch, part of my new show Crime House Daily. My name is Katie Ring, but if you're here this early, you may know me as the self defense girl. If this is our first time meeting. Hi, I'm Katie Ring. I'm a true crime analyst, self defense instructor and fierce advocate for victims. For those of you who found me from my coverage of the Karen Reed trial and asked for more True Crime Coverage this is Crime House Daily, your new true crime fix every morning and night, powered by Pave Studios. My favorite part about true crime by far is the investigation. So for this show we wanted to lean into the investigative side of true crime. On Crime House Daily, we will be covering the cases and the trials making headlines now where justice is still in motion, arrests are still being made, and where new evidence is still coming to light. Every morning, we'll make sure you're up to speed on today's biggest crimes with our First Watch episodes. And every night we will be going deeper with our Night Watch episodes. So if you want to follow a case from the first 911 call to the final verdict, you're in the right place. Make sure to follow Crime House Daily wherever you get your podcasts, leave a review hit five stars. And for ad free listening, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. For video content, head to our YouTube channel, Rimehouse Daily. Okay, let's get into it. For our evening show, Night Watch, we will typically cover one case per episode. But for this week, I wanted to pay homage to the case that reeled me in and launched me into the world of true crime. The Karen Reid trial. Over the next five nights, we'll unpack the trial that divided a nation. We'll review timelines, present the arguments, cover the investigation, and discuss all of the insane behaviors and details that captured the nation's attention and mine. I have been covering this case from the very beginning, sharing updates and analysis on on my social media. But here we're going much further. Past the headlines, past the viral clips, and into the evidence, the witnesses, and the unanswered questions that still keep me up at night. Tonight, we're starting from the very beginning. Join me on the Crime House couch as we go. All hands on deck for Karen Reed.
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Payment of $45 for 3 month plan $15 per month equivalent required New customer offer first 3 months only then full price plan options available Taxes and fees extra. See mint mobile.com if there was ever a personification of the phrase running around like a chicken with its head cut off, it would have been Karen Reed the morning of January 29, 2022, when she realized her boyfriend, John O' Keefe had never returned home. After their night out, Karen had fallen asleep on the couch waiting for him. But when she woke up to the realization that he had never come home, she immediately knew something was wrong. Her relationship with her boyfriend John o' Keefe was far from perfect, but she knew one thing beyond a shadow of a doubt. John would never leave his niece home alone. In fact, the night before, she tried to bait him with a SFAC to get him back home There are two types of cops in this world. Those who are passionate about what they do, who want to make a real impact, and who join the force to genuinely serve their communities. And then there are those who join simply because it gives them power over others. John o' Keefe was the kind of cop who genuinely wanted to make a difference. His grandfather was a cop and from a young age he knew he wanted to follow in his footsteps and serve his community. John had been a Boston cop for 16 years. He was well respected on the force, and he was known as the kind of guy who just stepped up for his community and the people he loved. In fact, despite not having plans of ever being a father himself, John took legal guardianship of his niece and nephew after his sister and her husband passed away just months apart. Taking on the role of a single father, John stepped up again after he lost one of his best friends and fellow police officers to suicide. He accepted the responsibility of becoming his son's godfather, and he was even there for the birth of the child. It was selfless acts like this that led John's girlfriend, Karen Reid, to call him the patron saint of Canton. Karen and John originally met in 2004 and dated for a few weeks, but it wasn't really anything serious, more of a fleeting romance that fizzled out when Karen got a job in Ireland and Life just took them separate ways. They didn't stay in touch after they ended things, but one fateful Facebook message sent 16 years later rekindled everything. Hey, blast from the past. How's things? John sent this line to Karen in 2020, and it ended up working and their spark reignited. Karen was also successful and very intelligent. She went to Bentley University, one of the top universities in Massachusetts. She earned both her undergrad degree and master's degree in finance. She became a financial analyst for a company called Fidelity Investments, and she taught finance at her alma mater. But like John, Karen had faced some hardships of her own. In 2005, she was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and went through 10 surgeries in 18 months. Then, seven years later, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Unlike their first relationship in 2004, their second relationship seemed like it might work out. And although Karen didn't plan on becoming a mom either, she loved John and the kids. Karen was able to work from home and she started becoming a solid figure in their lives, watching them and cooking for them while John was working. But on January 28, 2022, when Karen, John and a group of friends decided to go out to local bars in Canton, Massachusetts, tragedy struck once again and nothing would ever be the same.
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Okay, if you've followed my coverage of this case, you know that the amount of important details and main players is enough to create an entire Netflix series and everything can get a little confusing. I even covered both of these trials and I would find myself getting distracted explaining this case because a crazy detail would pop up in my head and I would go on a complete tangent. So for this series I wanted to start with a timeline to give you a bird's eye view and then we will get down to the nitty gritty. While we go over this timeline, I will be mentioning a few names and if you don't know who I'm talking about, don't worry, we will be diving into the main players in the next episode. Also for for our listeners, if you're a visual learner like me, you'll be able to see the timeline on our YouTube video on our page at Crime House Daily if you want to pop over there and check that out. So that said, let's get into it on January 28, 2022 news channels warned residents in Boston and the surrounding towns to prepare for a record setting nor' easter that was going to bring blizzard conditions and heavy snowfall. I'm in California where people barely go out if it's raining, but people from Massachusetts are built a little different and this is business as usual for them. So in classic New England fashion, John, Karen and their friends decide to prepare for this storm by heading out to the local bars and drinking heavily. The night begins at 6 7:57pm When John meets a friend for a drink at a local Irish bar in Canton called C.F. mcCarthy's. About an hour later, his girlfriend Karen reed arrives at McCarthy's to meet up with him and his friend. By the way, if you're listening to the show, we're playing some of the security footage on our YouTube channel at crime House Daily. They throw a few back at McCarthy's and then decide to head to another local Canton bar called the Waterfall Bar and Grill. The after they get a text from a man named Chris Albert inviting them to join their group, they are seen leaving CF McCarthy's around 10:40pm and Karen is captured on CCTV bringing her drink out of the bar with her, which will later be dissected by the prosecution. About 14 minutes later, Karen and John arrive at the Waterfall Bar and Grill where they continue to drink and socialize with their friends. At midnight, the waterfall closes, but the group wants to keep the party going, so Brian and Nicole Albert invite everyone back to their house because their son Brian Albert Jr. Is having a 23rd birthday party at home with some of his friends. They walk to Karen's car and at 12:14am John texts Jen McCabe where to. A few seconds later, Jen calls John, presumably to clarify the directions. A minute later, at 12:15, Canton Library cameras show Karen's SUV driving by. Then something odd happens that will be debated later on. Between 12:21am and 12:24am, John's Apple Health data records him going up three flights of stairs. At 12:27, Jen texts John here. A few minutes later, she says she sees the car arrive and texts John, pull up behind me. Between 12:31:56 and 12:32:16am John's Apple Health data records him taking 36 steps, covering a distance of 83ft. Again, that sounds very specific, but it will be important. At 12:32 and 9 seconds, John's phone is manually locked for the last time. At 12:33am, Karen calls John from her car as she is driving home. At 12:36, Karen's phone connects to the WI fi at John's house at 1 Meadows. This will also be important later. At 12:37am, Karen leaves her first voicemail for John. From 12:33 to 6:03am, Karen will call John a total of 52 times and will leave eight voicemails. At 12:40am Jen texts John hello? Two minutes later, where are you? At 12:42am Karen leaves another voicemail, but this time you can only hear her footsteps and it sounds like she's walking into the house from the garage. At 12:45am, Jen texts John hello. And says that she remembers seeing the black SUV pull away right after she sent that text. And with Jen's testimony of that, the prosecution originally claims John was hit right around 12:45am but this will change more than once At New Balance, we believe if you run, you're a runner.
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Between 12:29 and 12:51am Jen McCabe calls John's phone seven times in a row and Claims they were all butt dials. At 12:55, Karen texts John a few times in a row. I'm going home. See you later. Your kids are cucking alone. I'm back in Mansfield. The kids are Home alone. At 1:30am The McCabes Drive Julie Nagle and Sarah Levinson home. Brian Higgins also leaves around 1:30am and after a night of drinking, heads to the Canton Police Department where he has an office. About an hour later, at 2:22am Brian Higgins misses a butt dial from Brian Albert Higgins then butt dials him back and they butt speak for 22 seconds. And at 2:27am Jen McCabe used her phone to Google Hoss Long to die in cold. According to the defense, at 2:45am the plow driver, Brian Luckey Loughran made his first pass by the house at 34 Fairview Road. A little less than an hour later, Lucky does his second pass and observes a Ford Edge SUV parked outside of the address. He notes this because if a car is parked on the street during a snowstorm and they're plowing, he's supposed to report that car to the authorities. And then they call the homeowner to move the car. And if they don't, then the car gets towed. But Lucky knows the Alberts personally and since they are first responders, he just lets it slide. Around 4am, Karen wakes up and starts freaking out when she realizes John has never returned home. At 4:53am Karen, he, Karen and John's niece Kaylee called Jen McCabe, a friend of John's that was one of the partygoers the night before. Jen testifies that when she answered, she could hear Karen screaming her name in the background. And when Karen got on the phone, she told her that John didn't come home, that they got into a fight the night before, and that she left him at the waterfall. Jen tells her she will call Julia Albert and see if John came home with her husband Chris. But while calling Julie, Jen says that her husband Matt McCabe reminded her that they saw Karen and John outside of her sister's house the night before. This conversation is important, so flag it. At 5am Karen then calls one of John's longtime friends, Carrie Roberts. She wasn't at the party, but her husband Kurt Roberts was having drinks with John the night before when Karen met up with them at CF McCarthy's. Carrie Roberts testified that when she answered the phone and Karen screamed, carrie. Carrie, Carrie, John's dead. And then just hung up. At 5:05am, Karen and Jen speak again. Jen tells Karen that she saw her outside of her sister's house that night. Jen testifies that Karen then said she didn't remember going there. And she started yelling, jen, Jen. And then she was saying, did I hit him? Could I have hit him? And then she proceeded to say that she had a cracked taillight. At 5:07am, Jen's cell records show that she called her sister Nicole Albert, and The call lasted 38 seconds. But despite those phone records, Jen claimed she never spoke to her sister at that time. And it was another butt dial. At 5:07am, John's Ring camera shows Karen backing out of the driveway. And it also captured Karen's car hitting John's car. And then Karen drives to Jen McCabe's. Karen and Carrie speak again, and Carrie testifies that Karen said, I think something happened to John. I think he got hit by a plow. He didn't come home last night. Kaylee was home and he would never leave her by herself. And I was not supposed to stay last night, so I think something happened to him. We drank so much. I don't remember anything from last night. Carrie told Karen that she shouldn't be driving. And so she met up with Karen and Jen at Jen's house, where they all decided to check John's house together. Karen, Jen and Carrie then arrive at 1 Meadows Ave. Which is John's house. But they don't find him anywhere. So they end up heading to Jen's sister's house, the location Jen says she last saw Karen and John. Karen is still frantic, screaming and moving between the backseat and in between the two women. Carrie is screaming at her to shut up and calm down and and buckle up because they are driving in the middle of a blizzard. At 6am the women arrive at 34 Fairview. Before they even stop the car, Karen starts screaming her head off. According to Jen, she starts kicking at the door and yells, quote, there he is. Let me out. Karen races over to the flagpole in the yard and she sees a mound. And it's John lying on the ground, partially covered in snow. Snow. Both Jen and Carrie claim not to have seen the body. Granted, it was pretty dark out, but John was a big guy, over 200 pounds, and he was wearing dark clothes. And many locals said it didn't snow enough for him to be completely buried. When Karen and Cari got to John and brushed the snow off of him, they realized he was in pretty bad shape. There was blood on his face, near his nose and mouth. His right eye was swollen to about the Size of a golf ball. There was a small cut on his upper right eyelid and he had abrasions on his nose, cuts along his right arm and a large gash on the back of his head. The two women started resuscitation efforts and wrapped him in blankets to warm him up. At 6:04am A surprisingly calm and collected Jen McCabe calls 911 but you can hear the chaos in the back.
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901 that's on your emergency. Hello? Yes, I'm sorry. Can you come to 34 View Road in Canton? 34 Fairview. Yes. There's a man unresponsive in the snow. Okay, is he?
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Officers and EMTs arrive shortly after and John is taken to the hospital. Karen was also taken to the hospital after being section 12 because she told her dad that she didn't want to live if John dies. At 6:23am, 20 minutes after the body was discovered, Jen finally calls her brother in law Brian Albert. She then uses her phone to search Hoss Long to die in the cold. According to the state police and the Commonwealth. At 6:24am Sergeant Michael Link arrives and at 7:59am John O' Keefe is unfortunately pronounced dead at Good Samaritan Hospital. Julie Albert will later tell a grand jury that she arrived at 8:30am at Fairview Road to drop off donuts for her nephew Brian Albert Jr's birthday. She says that this is when she learned that John was dead. At 9am Jen calls Sergeant Link and asks him to return to 34 Fairview so she can add information to her statement. Link returned and Jen tells him that she recalls Karen saying something about hitting him while she was driving around with Cari looking for John. At 9:08am Karen's blood is drawn at the hospital and shows an ethanol reading of 93 milligrams per deciliter from that, a forensic toxicologist estimates that her BAC that morning was.07 to 0.08 and anywhere from 0.13 to 0.29. Around 12:45am at 11:00am, five hours after John was discovered, Massachusetts State Police, Trooper Michael Proctor and Sergeant Buchanak arrived at 34 Fairview and interviewed witnesses later that day. Around 4:30pm Trooper Proctor and Sergeant Buchenik interview Karen in her parents home and tow her car back to Canton. Massachusetts State Police move quickly. They seized her car and her phone less than 12 hours after John was declared dead. Karen hired a local defense lawyer, David Yannetti, who told her to prepare for an arrest. Karen Reed was arrested on February 1, 2022, on charges of manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide, and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle collision causing Viol death. The morning after her arrest, cameras rolled as she was escorted in handcuffs to her arraignment. She pleaded not guilty to all charges and was released on $50,000 bail. But after her arraignment, her defense lawyer, David Inetti, received a call that would change everything. A mystery man called Yanetti and told him that things aren't as they seem. The man on the phone had a gravelly voice and and claimed to have a background in Boston law enforcement, but did not give a name. The man told Yannetti that his client was innocent and that Brian Albert and his nephew had beaten up John o' Keefe inside of the house, and that when John o' Keefe didn't come to Albert and an unnamed federal agent put his body on the front lawn. In cases like this, you can get some crazies claiming to have insider details. But this particular tip stood out to Yannetti because at the time of the call, photos of John o' Keefe had not been publicly released and he had details only someone on the inside would have access to. But when Jannetti called the man back for a more thorough interview, the man recanted and claimed he was only speculating. However, that did not stop Yannetti and his client, Karen from digging deeper and uncovering details that would change the entire trajectory of this case and Karen Reed's life. Tomorrow, we're continuing our coverage of the Karen Reed trial. The anonymous call starts David Yannetti on a wild goose chase to clear his client's name. Part 2 of 5 In our Karen Reed Extended series drops tomorrow, so make sure to tune in to see how it all goes down. In the meantime, make sure to drop your facts, theories and anything you have in the comments. I want to hear it all. And what should we cover next? Tell us at crimehouse24.7 on TikTok and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube crimehousedaily for ad free listening and more. Join Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. Until then, you stay curious and I'll stay on the case. We'll see you tomorrow.
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Follow Crime House Daily A Crime House original now new episodes release twice every weekday. Again, that's Crime House Daily. Follow now wherever you get your podcasts or check us out on YouTube and for early ad free access, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts Limu.
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Mike and Alyssa are always trying to outdo each other. When Alyssa got a small water bottle, Mike showed up with a 4 liter jug. When Mike started gardening, Alyssa started beekeeping.
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Episode: From Crime House: Your First Look at Crime House Daily
Release Date: September 14, 2025
Hosts: Vanessa Richardson, Dr. Tristin Engels, Special Crossover Host: Katie Ring
In this special crossover episode, the Killer Minds team introduces listeners to "Crime House Daily," a new show hosted by self-defense instructor and victims’ advocate Katie Ring. The focus is on Crime House Daily's in-depth, real-time approach to covering high-profile crime stories, with a deep dive into the Karen Read trial—a case that has divided the nation and captivated true crime fans due to its complex evidence, tangled relationships, and allegations of police corruption and cover-ups.
The episode sets the stage for a five-night series on the Karen Reed trial, reconstructing the events with a timeline, analysis, and hints at the unanswered questions that persist. The tone is investigative, emotional, and designed to pull listeners into the evolving mystery.
“If you want to follow a case from the first 911 call to the final verdict, you’re in the right place.” – Katie Ring (04:17)
“Despite not having plans of ever being a father himself, John took legal guardianship of his niece and nephew... It was selfless acts like this that led Karen Reed to call him the patron saint of Canton.” – Katie Ring (08:30)
“Between 12:33 and 6:03 a.m., Karen will call John a total of 52 times and will leave eight voicemails.” – Katie Ring (13:24)
Katie Ring on Case Complexity:
“If you’ve followed my coverage of this case, you know that the amount of important details and main players is enough to create an entire Netflix series. … A crazy detail would pop up in my head and I would go on a complete tangent.” (11:13)
On John’s Character:
“John was the kind of cop who genuinely wanted to make a difference. … Despite not having plans of ever being a father, John took legal guardianship of his niece and nephew.” (07:45)
Karen’s Nightmare Realization:
“If there was ever a personification of the phrase running around like a chicken with its head cut off, it would have been Karen Reed the morning of January 29, 2022, when she realized her boyfriend had never returned home.” (06:12)
On the Timeline’s Significance:
“At 2:27am, Jen McCabe used her phone to Google How Long to Die in Cold. According to the defense...” (18:25)
Karen’s Anxiety:
“When Karen got on the phone, she told her that John didn’t come home, that they got into a fight the night before, and that she left him at the waterfall.” (19:00)
“Tomorrow, we’re continuing our coverage of the Karen Reed trial. … Tune in to see how it all goes down. Until then, you stay curious and I’ll stay on the case.” – Katie Ring (27:45)
This episode is packed with facts, context, and mystery—an essential primer for anyone interested in the Karen Reed case or the investigative approach of Crime House Daily.