'Turtleboy' blogger charged with witness intimidation in Karen Read murder case

Aidan Kearney, better known as “Turtleboy,” was arrested Wednesday morning by State Police on witness intimidation charges in connection with the prosecution of a woman accused of killing Braintree native John O'Keefe, said Ken Mello, a special prosecutor investigating the allegations against Kearney.

The woman, Karen Read, of Mansfield, is accused of second-degree murder in the death of O'Keefe, her boyfriend, who was a Boston police officer. Her trial is scheduled to start March 12.

Read is charged with hitting O'Keefe with her vehicle after a night of drinking Jan. 29, 2022, in Canton.

WCVB reported Kearney wore a "Free Karen Read" sweatshirt as he was escorted into Stoughton District Court on Wednesday morning before his arraignment. Kearney is a Holden-based writer behind the "Turtleboy" blog.

In court Wednesday, in arguing for bail, a prosecutor detailed a handful of alleged instances of harassment, including a message left on the cellphone of a state trooper. The prosecutor said Kearney mentioned personal information about the trooper and said he would share the trooper's phone number with followers of his blog if he didn't return the call.

Avon police dispatcher suspended pending investigation

The prosecutor also said a "local dispatcher" at a police department unlawfully accessed motor vehicle records to help Kearney identify owners of vehicles. He used that information to harass people, the prosecutor said.

A dispatcher from the Avon Police Department has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into alleged inappropriate and illegal use of law enforcement databases, Chief Jeffrey Bukunt announced in a written statement Wednesday.

The incident is apparently linked to the Kearney investigation, according to reporting by Patriot Ledger media partner WCVB.

The unidentified dispatcher will remain on leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation by the Avon Police Department and a special prosecutor under the Norfolk County district attorney’s office.

No further information about the dispatcher is being released at this time, the Avon Police Department said.

Kearney looked on without expression Wednesday as the prosecutor argued for $1,000 bail and GPS monitoring, plus stay-away orders.

The judge rejected the GPS request and allowed Kearney to leave on personal recognizance, pending trial. The judge issued several stay-away orders, stating that Kearney should not contact witnesses in the case, either in person or by electronic means.

Kearney's lawyer, in arguing against bail, said Kearney has a First Amendment right to his blog.

"He's merely giving his opinion," said the lawyer.

Kearney has been a vocal critic of District Attorney Michael Morrissey and his handling of the case, which has been marked by accusations of a cover-up expressed by Read's supporters.

Morrissey released an out-of-the-norm video statement in August condemning the dissemination of what he called false narratives and harassment of witnesses involved in the case.

"We try people in the court and not on the internet for a reason," Morrissey said in his statement. "The internet has no rules of evidence. The internet has no punishment for perjury. And the internet does not know all the facts."

Kearney has blogged and made media appearances over the last several months about the case.

He joined Read and her attorneys in promoting the idea that the charges against her are part of a cover-up effort and that others were responsible for O’Keefe’s death.

Kearney is a former teacher at Shepherd Hill Regional High School in Dudley.

Hours after his release, Kearney talked about his arrest in a video stream on the Turtleboy Facebook page. He described being taken into custody Wednesday morning soon after putting his two children on a school bus. Unmarked police vehicles pulled up behind the bus, he said.

"Thugs with guns," Kearney said of the state troopers who showed up at his house with a search warrant. He said he was unsure how much his children saw as the bus pulled away. He criticized the timing of the troopers' arrival.

Kearney said the troopers searched his car and his house, taking his cellphone and computer. He was taken to the State Police barracks in Holden, where he was booked, and then to the courthouse in Stoughton.

Kearney's next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 5, WCVB reported.

Worcester Telegram & Gazette reporter Mike Elfland and Enterprise reporter Amelia Stern contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Turtleboy blogger accused of witness intimidation in Canton slay case