I tend to bury the lead, so let me say this up front: I won't get to any of it in this post, but by 12:24:22am on January 29, 2022, John O'Keefe had arrived at 34 Fairview, gone into the house, been incapacitated, and had been dragged down the two short flights of stairs down to the basement, and up the stairs to and through the bulkhead door.
Yes. All of this happened by 12:24:22am. And here's how I started my research this week to figure it out:
When I decided to look at timeline, I didn't think I'd spend all my free time in an entire DAY focusing on the short time frame of 12:11am - 12:21:09. I wanted to go "back to the start" (shoutout to Coldplay!) and figure out what the time discrepancy was really all about. I started with steps:
|
Hyde (report) |
12:11:09 - 12:21:09 |
170 steps |
326 feet |
|
Guarino (testimony) |
12:11:09 – 12:21:05 |
170 steps |
326 feet |
|
Whiffin (report) |
12:11:09 – 12:21:05 |
170 steps |
99.6 meters (same) |
So, it's interesting that all three grouped their findings beginning with pretty much the exact moment John leaves the Waterfall (he's exiting at 12:11:03 based on the bar's surveillance camera. But each expert failed to use an earlier stop-time for this range. Did the Commonwealth instruct this?
Because that would be all too helpful - as then we would know exactly when John and Karen pulled away from the bars and headed toward Fairview.
But we can use some context clues. Karen was parked on Washington Street and hadn't moved her car. Since we don't know her exact location, we can just look at the distance between the Waterfall and CF McCarthy's for a reference.
The WF to CF's is 387 feet and approximately 155 steps, approximately a 2-minute walk away from the Waterfall, and that's IF you go in the opposite direction and head up Washington to use a crosswalk. So, actually much shorter.
Given the feet walked, we can do 326 divided by 387 feet and figure out that he walked about 85% of the distance back to reach Karen's car.
So, John left the Waterfall at 12:11. Let's be generous and say it took 2 full minutes to say goodbye, jaywalk if needed, and get to Karen's car. Then a minute to talk about where they're heading.
But we don't have to rely on context clues. Matt McCabe says during trial 1 that he (Matt) is already in the car with Jen when John sends the "where to?" text to Jen at 12:14:26. Matt instructs Jen to just call John rather than text him back, because Matt and Jen were just starting to drive out of the parking lot. So, Jen calls John at 12:14:31. (This tracks. Matt and Jen would have taken a 4-minute route to Fairview, and this lines up with Jen being on the phone with John as she walked into Brian Albert's house. Their second call was at 2:18:36, just over 4 minutes later.
Jen and Matt Route to Fairview: 12:14:16 - 12:18:36
Right onto Washington St > Left onto Sherman > Left onto Beatty > Right on Chapman > Left on Fairview > Left into the Driveway
Matt tells us that during the 44 second call between Jen and John at 12:14:26 (ends at 12:15:07) that John says, "We're on the way." Let's assume Karen doesn't put the car in drive until right then.
So, the drive to Fairview begins for John and Karen around the same time as Jen and Matt, but for the moment, for us - location data gets really rough. Guarino tells us after being at the Waterfall at 12:12, there's a 7-minute break in location data. That's convenient.
And Whiffin notices the same issue in that timeframe from 12:12-12:19, though he calls it a "lack of high accuracy location records." Did he have some records that he didn't share?
But, small blessings, the location data graces us with its presence at 12:19:33 - as Guarino tells us, Karen and John are pinpointed to an exact location - 138 Dedham Street.
Fantastic! We know that John and Karen left the bar by 12:15:07, and it's now 12:19:33am. John and Karen have been on their journey to Fairview for at least 4 minutes and 26 seconds, and this is the most likely route they would have taken to end up at 138 Dedham:
Right onto Washington Street > Left on to Dedham Street > Pass up Cedarcrest Road continuing straight because you're looking for Sherman > potentially park on the street because you're lost and now y'all are talking to Jen.
John calls Jen at 12:18:47 to clarify directions. They speak for 36 seconds. The call ends at 12:19:23. It would stand to reason that John has explained that they are on Dedham and have just passed Cedarcrest. Jen would no longer be talking about Bella's Mom, because they aren't near Bella's Mom's House anymore, as they have GONE A DIFFERENT WAY. And Jen knows they are close. Wouldn't she just have said,
"Oh, yeah, guys, just turn around and take a right on Cedarcrest. You're low key like 2 minutes away from Fairview right now. So, right on Cedarcrest, take it all the way down (not like HILL down, but down the street) and then turn left onto Fairview."
 |
| BLUE: McAlberts wish this was Karen's route YELLOW: Karen's actual route Pink: Ryan Nagel truck route Black arrows: this is the spot where Ricky was friendly and let Karen turn first. |
No monotonic clocks are needed: Karen and John just didn't GO. THAT. WAY. That route would take 5 minutes. That's why the Commonwealth needed it to seem like the route they took, because John would have arrived in the 12:24ish time frame they wanted. You know, to avoid those pesky steps and stairs. But it didn't happen that way, Jen. And you know it.
Sure - John activated Waze to ensure he was oriented... and what he saw populate was a route that would take twice and long and involve a lot of other roads. What Jen told them was easier. And as he's realizing it, Karen noses into a driveway on Dedham, and she backs out to change direction. She comes to the stop sign at the intersection of Dedham and Cedarcrest. She puts on her right blinker. A car facing them seems to have the right-of-way. That car motions for Karen to go ahead and turn. On to Cedarcrest. Not onto Fairview. Both the SUV and the truck will make another turn before pulling up in front of Brian Albert's house. In around 90 seconds.
Not needing it, John closes Waze at 12:20:08. And Jessica Hyde told us that he did.
No later than 12:21:10, John starts heading inside.
***
If you're hate-reading this, and maybe even if you aren't - you may be saying to yourself, "Well, what about the testimony of Ricky D'Antuono, Ryan Nagel, and Heather Maxon? The beautiful thing about it is, their testimony actually helps us to determine that my theory is fairly airtight. Let's explore.
RICKY
Yuriy Bukhenik interviewed Ricky D'Antuono on 9/2/23 at his home, as stated in a report Yuriy dated the day prior. Quote, "Richard stated he did not remember the drive there, but upon arrival at the home, a dark in color SUV was parked in front of the home facing up toward Chapman Street."By trial, Ricky somehow got his memory refreshed about the route he would have taken from the Hillside to Fairview.
He testifies December 20, 2024: Yeah, I would have taken 138, which I believe is Turnpike Street, a right on to Washington Street, and then a right on to Dedham Street, and then a left onto Cedarcrest, and I believe a left onto Fairview.
Lally asked, "Those last couple of turns you took as far as the left was that something that you knew ahead of time or was someone in the trust directing you?"
Lally is trying to get in the fact that Ricky may have hesitated when taking one of those last couple of lefts.
Ricky says, "I knew up until Cedarcrest."
Huh. So that's the first spot where he wasn't sure which way to turn.
HEATHER
Heather's testimony at trial 2 reinforces the spot of the four-way-spot. Hank generically asks her about the route.
HANK: When they turned and then Ricky turned after them, how far ahead of Ricky were they?
HEATHER: Maybe 100 feet.
HANK: And could you see them the entire time?
HEATHER: No.
HANK: When you drove to Fairview, how long did it take after the turn?
HEATHER: Uh, a couple minutes.
HANK: It took a couple minutes to get from Cedarcrest to Fairview?
HEATHER: Oh, - pulls a weird face - uh, yeah, maybe... I'm not sure.
She smiles and laughs uncomfortably. Her trial 2 testimony is worth a rewatch. It's only 13 minutes long.
RYAN
Ryan was interviewed by Yuriy Buhkenik on 2/7/22, according to Yuri's report dated on the same date. Yuri does write that Ryan recalls that as the truck approached Fairview, Ryan remembers seeing a set of headlights of a mid-size black SUV - coming from the opposite direction of Cedarcrest. He recalls, according to Yuriy, the SUV stopping on the right-hand curb toward the left side of the property. (This would be the mailbox.)
Ryan further states, according to Yuriy, that he remained in front of the house for a period of time that was no longer than 5 minutes, at which time his sister Julie came out... as Julie went back in, Ryan noticed the SUV pulled up "a few feet to the far edge of the property line between #34 and the neighboring property where the flagpole was located."
Hmmm. Somebody got their wires crossed. Jen saw the SUV straight out front after Ryan was gone. How would Ryan have even known to say it had moved to the flagpole? Somebody didn't have their stories straight. Yet. This interview was conducted too early. Poor form, Yuriy. Come on, man.
Trial 2 is actually really funny when it comes to Hank and Ryan's interaction. Hank asks Ryan what road intersects Fairview Rd, and Ryan can't think of the name of that road for the life of him. Hank is just trying to get Ryan to tell the jury that Cedarcrest "loops around" so that you can get to Fairview from Cedarcrest from two different directions. This is to make the Waze route plausible, but it's never expanded upon.
Then, Hank actually messed up with an own goal so utterly amazing that I can't believe I've never caught before now.
HANK: (Series of questions about whether the SUV stopped at the driveway that Ryan can't recall.) Then - this silly man...
HANK: Did you WAIT before you got to Fairview or did Ricky drive directly to Fairview after he took the left?
RYAN: (Those. Eyebrows. The scrunching of them. The confusion. Go watch!) Well, he turned left on to Fairview.
HANK: Ok.
No interest in cleaning that up, presumably. HE JUST KEEPS GOING!
HANK: Did he wait, or did he drive directly to Fairview?
HANK: So, I'll ask the question again. Did you ever see the SUV stop at the foot of the driveway?
RYAN: No, but I did see the brake lights, it looked like it moved, but it wasn't, it, so the brake lights were on, it released them and then stopped again, so it probably moved another car length up.
Sounds like John getting out at the foot of the driveway while Karen has her foot on the brake, and then she releases the brake pedal and moves up past the mailbox and through the invisible Jeep Plow.
One last little nugget of information from Ryan Nagel:
HANK: When you pulled up to the driveway, did you go in to see your sister?
RYAN: No.
HANK: What did you do?
RYAN: I texted her saying we're here...
Wait. LAST ONE, I swear. This time I mean it:
Hank: Before your sister came out of the house, do you remember how long you waited for her?
RYAN: Roughly two minutes.
HANK: In its entirety, how long was that truck parked at the foot of the driveway?
RYAN: Closer to 5, 5 minutes.
Let's recap:
John and Karen were on their way to 34 Fairview by NO later than 12:15:09am. They got turned around, called Jen, considered Waze, but instead used the easiest and quickest route which she'd just given them. They met the F-150 truck at the intersection of Dedham and Cedarcrest. Ricky let John and Karen turn right, and Ricky took a left.
Heather, Ricky and Ryan Nagel followed them down Cedarcrest to Fairview. At one point, the truck could not see the SUV. Karen pulls up, puts her foot on the brake, and John bounds out. The truck pulls up just after. And, as Ryan says under oath, he waits 2 minutes and then texts Julie at 12:23.
We've arrived at Fairview. Next time, I'll get you all a little further into the midnight hour.
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