Kelly Dever, a controversial witness within the Karen Learn homicide retrial who testified to having a “false memory,” has resigned from the Boston Police Division.
Dever’s resignation grew to become efficient on Sept. 1, in line with a personnel order the division simply launched. The order doesn’t element the circumstances of the officer’s departure.
“The resignation of Police Officer Kelly Dever, ID# 173471, assigned to BAT/Leave of Absence Section, Org. #36135, after being presented, is hereby effective September 1, 2025,” the order states.
Dever, who earned $143,561.65 in whole pay final yr, per metropolis payroll information, didn’t testify within the first Learn homicide trial. Her testimony within the retrial this previous spring, although, forged doubt on her truthfulness.
Dever was working as a patrol officer in Canton when Learn’s Boston police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, died within the early morning of Jan. 29, 2022.
Learn’s protection lawyer Alan Jackson introduced Dever to the stand, questioning her over how she initially informed federal investigators that she noticed witness Brian Higgins and then-Canton Police Chief Kenneth Berkowitz enter the police division storage and spend a “wildly long time” with Learn’s SUV.
This gave credence to the protection’s idea that police tampered with the proof, together with the busted taillight, items of which had been later discovered on the crime scene, at 34 Fairview Highway.
Dever mentioned she later recanted this assertion as a “false memory” after being proven a timeline of occasions that proved that it wasn’t attainable.
In a letter to Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox, Jackson demanded that the division place Dever on its Brady checklist, which tracks officers whose credibility has been hit resulting from alleged misconduct.
Jackson mentioned Dever’s “false memory” declare “irreparably compromised” her credibility as an officer. The lawyer mentioned that the division would have needed to disclose data surrounding the assertion for future circumstances during which she is a witness.
“Her reports, statements, and testimony can no longer be presumed accurate, and any case — current or prior — involving Officer Dever must be reviewed accordingly,” Jackson wrote within the letter this summer season.
“In either case,” he added, “her credibility and reliability as a law enforcement officer are irreparably compromised. If she lied under oath, Officer Dever is guilty of perjury. If she truly suffers from false memories, she is unfit to serve as a police officer.”
Learn, 45, had confronted as much as life in jail if convicted of second-degree homicide, the top-level offense charged in opposition to her. She was additionally charged with manslaughter whereas working a motorized vehicle underneath the affect of liquor and leaving the scene of an accident leading to dying.
Prosecutors accused Learn of backing up into O’Keefe, her boyfriend of two years, together with her SUV, leaving him to freeze and die on the entrance yard of a Canton house the place the pair was presupposed to proceed an evening out after the bars closed that chilly, snowy early January morning.
The jury cleared Learn of killing O’Keefe, charging her with simply drunken driving.
Dever’s testimony additionally led to Cox going through backlash because the BPD commissioner. In July, he informed reporters that he “didn’t know” that one in all his officers was related to the Karen Learn case, contradicting his subordinate, who testified within the retrial that he informed her to “tell the truth up here.”
Cox additionally mentioned he had “nothing to do with Karen Read,” denying accusations from the protection that he influenced Dever’s testimony.
Throughout her direct examination, Dever testified that Cox referred to as her into his workplace and that the commissioner informed her the division would help her and to inform the reality.
“As a matter of fact, I didn’t even know this person was associated with the Karen Read case,” Cox mentioned of Dever. “You realize, I’ve a corporation filled with over 3,000 folks, and we help all our of us.
“And the reality is that I get information passed on, whether those people are high or low, and I encourage everyone,” the commissioner added. “And if you’re going to work here and you belong here, then we’re going to encourage you. I have no idea what they’re talking about with Karen Read.”
