You probably saw the clips on social media. A witness on the stand, visibly tense, getting grilled by a high-powered defense attorney about what she did—or didn't—see in a police garage. If you’ve been following the saga of the Karen Read trial, the name Kelly Dever has likely popped up on your radar more than once. But honestly, her story is a lot more complicated than just a few viral courtroom moments.
Kelly Dever was a central figure in what many call the most polarizing murder trial in recent Massachusetts history. She wasn't the defendant, and she wasn't the victim, but her testimony became a lightning rod for theories about police cover-ups and "distorted memories."
The Woman at the Center of the Storm
Basically, Kelly Dever is a former law enforcement officer whose career became inextricably linked to the death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe. Back in January 2022, when O'Keefe was found dead in the snow outside a home in Canton, Massachusetts, Dever was working as a dispatcher for the Canton Police Department.
She eventually moved on from Canton to join the Boston Police Department (BPD). But the past has a funny way of catching up. When the Karen Read case went to a retrial in 2025, Dever found herself called to the stand as a defense witness. That’s where things got weird.
That Famous "False Memory" Testimony
If you're wondering why people keep searching for who is Kelly Dever, it usually boils down to one specific day in court: June 2, 2025.
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During the retrial, Read’s defense attorney, Alan Jackson, questioned Dever about statements she had previously made to federal investigators. Initially, she told the FBI that she had seen ATF Agent Brian Higgins and former Canton Police Chief Ken Berkowitz alone with Karen Read’s SUV in the Canton police garage for a "wildly long time."
This was a massive deal. The defense’s whole theory was that the SUV had been tampered with to frame Read. If a police officer saw people hanging around the vehicle before it was processed, it changed everything.
But on the stand? Dever took it all back. She called her previous statement a "distorted memory." She claimed she later realized she had finished her shift before the SUV even arrived at the station.
You’ve got to imagine the vibe in that courtroom. Jackson was relentless. He basically asked her: are you lying now, or were you lying then? Dever stood her ground, insisting that her brain had just filled in gaps incorrectly. It’s the kind of moment that makes true-crime junkies lose their minds.
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The Resignation and the "Brady List" Drama
The fallout didn't stop when she walked out of the courtroom. In September 2025, it was officially confirmed that Kelly Dever had resigned from the Boston Police Department. She had been on family medical leave for a while, and then—boom—she was out.
The BPD didn't give a specific reason for her leaving. They rarely do. But the timing was impossible to ignore.
Before she resigned, Alan Jackson actually sent a scathing letter to Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox. He demanded that Dever be placed on the "Brady List." For those who aren't legal nerds, the Brady List is essentially a "blacklist" for police officers who have been caught lying or have "credibility issues." Once you're on that list, your career is pretty much over because prosecutors have to tell the defense in every future case that you might not be trustworthy.
Why the Kelly Dever Story Still Matters in 2026
Even now, people are still debating what actually happened in that Canton garage. Was it really a "distorted memory"? Or was there pressure from within the department to change the story?
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We might never know the absolute truth. However, the case of Kelly Dever highlights a massive issue in modern policing: the reliability of eyewitness testimony from within the force.
Her testimony was one of the reasons the jury had such a hard time reaching a consensus on certain charges. While Karen Read was eventually acquitted of the most serious murder charges in June 2025, the "Kelly Dever moment" remains a case study in how fragile evidence can be when it relies on human memory.
What You Should Take Away
If you're trying to make sense of the mess, here are the cold, hard facts you need to remember:
- Role: Former Canton dispatcher and BPD officer.
- The Flip: She told the FBI one thing (seeing people near the SUV) and told the court another (it was a "distorted memory").
- Current Status: Resigned from the Boston Police Department as of September 1, 2025.
- The Conflict: Her testimony directly contradicted her previous statements to federal agents, leading to calls for her to be labeled "unreliable."
For anyone following legal precedents in Massachusetts, keep an eye on how the state handles "Brady List" requirements moving forward. The Dever incident has sparked a lot of conversation about whether officers who recant testimony should be allowed to stay on the force. Since she resigned, the point is somewhat moot for her career, but the legal ripples are still being felt in other cases.
Check the public court records from the Norfolk Superior Court if you want to read the full transcripts of her exchange with Alan Jackson. It's a masterclass in aggressive cross-examination and a sobering look at how quickly a professional reputation can unravel under the spotlight of a high-profile trial.