Court Transcript Notes: Witness Testimony of Brian Albert
Introduction
- Brian Albert called to the stand.
- Details of oath-taking process were noted.
Personal Background
- Brian Albert, resident of Norwood, Massachusetts for about a year.
- Lived previously in Canton, Massachusetts for about 45 years.
- Married to Nicole for approximately 29 years, known each other since age 13-14.
- Has five children, ages ranging from 20 to 29.
- Retired member of the Boston Police Department after 30 years, last assignment in the fugitive unit.
Event Details: January 28th, 2022
- Attended funeral of a New York City police officer in New York.
- Traveled with Eddie Hernandez, Brian Higgins, and his brother Kevin.
- Return trip involved driving due to a snowstorm, flight was canceled.
Evening of January 28th, 2022
- Went to the Hillside restaurant with Brian Higgins.
- Later joined family and friends at the Waterfall in Canton.
- Noted presence of a band, socializing with family and friends.
- John O'Keefe and Karen Reed made an appearance around 11 PM.
- Described the general mood as fun and pleasant.
Return Home and Events at 34 Fairview Road
- Returned home around 12:10 AM with wife Nicole and daughter Caitlyn.
- Brian Higgins arrived first and plowed the driveway.
- Mentioned conversations about possible attendance at son's birthday celebration.
- At home, interacted briefly with family, let the dog Chloe out.
- Chloe, a German Shepherd mix, out briefly in the fenced backyard.
- Described Chloe as not aggressive, but not great with strangers.
Morning of January 29th, 2022
- Woken by sister-in-law Jen McCabe, who was upset and mentioned John's condition.
- Described chaotic scene at home with presence of police.
- Did not go outside due to assumption that John was already taken to hospital.
House and Property Details
- Descriptions of house layout, including bulkhead and train tracks behind the house.
- Mentioned an electrical box and flag pole area in the front yard.
- No significant lighting in the area of where police activity was noted.
Testimony Cross-Examination
- Discussed interactions with John O'Keefe and Karen Reed at the Waterfall and Hillside.
- Questions raised about their acquaintance and interactions.
- Clarification on previous statement during grand jury regarding knowing Karen Reed.
- Detailed about the phone activities and call logs on the night of the incident.
- Explanation about the phone upgrade prior to receiving notice about preservation.
- Clarified no forensic investigation occurred inside the house post-incident.
Conclusion
- Brian Albert expressed regret about the incident and wished John and Karen had visited his home.
- Closing statements reinforced the absence of John and Karen at 34 Fairview during the critical time.
These notes summarize the key points from the testimony of Brian Albert, capturing important details about the events of January 28-29, 2022, as well as the witness’s personal background and subsequent cross-examination.