34 FAIRVIEW ROAD: Episode 7 – False Pretenses

A man’s body is found in a ditch just off a rural Indiana road. No identification, no vehicle nearby, and no immediate cause of death. But as investigators begin looking into the case, they soon find out that their victim, David Fouts, has been murdered by a rare toxin readily available and that one person in Fouts’ life is acting sketchy and cannot answer certain questions.  Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS wherever you get your favorite shows. And check the John O'Keefe/Karen Read podcast, 34 Fairview Road. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Health NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email [email protected]**

In this final (for the time being) episode of the series, a deliberating juror in Karen Read’s trial speaks out publicly for the first time--and what he has to say completely crushes any sordid notion of a nonsensical conspiracy. Then Phelps digs into the emotional toll from all of the attacks and libelous defamation aimed at John O’Keefe’s family, friends and witnesses; as Karen Read, seemingly every chance she gets, insensitively shits all over John O’Keefe’s memory, smearing it, while painting herself as the victim. And as Karen Read looks at facing a jury once again in 2025 for the murder of John O’Keefe, a new prosecutor is hired, Hank Brennan, a former defense attorney, who once represented reputed mobster Whitey Bulger—and new sources with disturbing allegations about Aidan Kearney step forward. “34 Fairview Road” is the first limited series, narrative podcast exploring in depth the death of Boston Police officer John O’Keefe in January 2022, the arrest of his girlfriend, 44-year-old Karen Read, her high-profile murder trial, the impact blogger and free speech activist Aidan "Turtleboy" Kearney has had on the case, along with Kearney’s exclusive story—from high school teacher to 60 days in jail, after exposing what he believes is corruption in the Read case—woven through the story behind the town of Canton, Massachusetts, in utter chaos, division, and at each other's throats. Hosted by veteran podcaster, writer and executive producer M. William Phelps—the #1 Apple hit PAPER GHOSTS, WHITE EAGLE, both from iHeartMedia, and his hit weekly show CROSSING THE LINE WITH M. WILLIAM PHELPS—and New York Times bestselling author of close to 50 books, investigative journalist and tv personality. The series, based on over 100 hours of interviews Phelps has completed, features exclusive audio, documents and insights from Aidan “Turtleboy” Kearney, including never-before-heard, new information in the case, and Turtleboy's dealings and exclusive conversations with Karen Read. The series offers an original look at the shocking series of events that occurred before and after John O’Keefe lost his life as a blizzard descended upon New England in January, 2022.  The series is executive produced by M. William Phelps and Matthew Valentinas—written and produced by M. William Phelps. In late January 2022, 46-year-old veteran Boston Police officer John O’Keefe’s body is found on the front lawn of a fellow Boston Police officer’s home in Canton, Massachusetts—34 Fairview Road—as a blizzard blankets the Northeast. Within hours, O’Keefe’s otherwise unassuming 44-year-old financial executive girlfriend, Karen Read, is accused of running down O’Keefe with her SUV—and charged with his murder. And yet, some believe Karen Read is a scapegoat, there to shield a conspiracy hiding deep, dark secrets—with corrupt cops and political Canton power brokers, running the town like an organized crime family, at the helm. Soon, the town of Canton is in chaos, residents at each other’s throats. And there in the midst of it all, a blogger and free speech advocate, Aidan Carney, who goes by the name Turtleboy, slowly pulls back the curtain on this bedroom community, uncovering what he believes is evidence of widespread corruption and collusion, fueling an already volatile situation, and ultimately leading to Turtleboy being arrested and jailed himself for his work reporting on the Karen Read case. “They tried to silence me by jailing me—this is the country we live in,” Kearney says. “Corrupt cops, judges and people at the highest level of local politics, all involved in the death of John O’Keefe, framing an innocent woman, come after me because I exposed them.” Phelps plays the middle road here, telling the story as it takes place, interviewing dozens of people, reviewing 1000s of pages of documents, collecting hours of exclusive audio, getting the exclusive story from Turtleboy himself, which he has not shared with anyone.

In the final episode of the series, a juror speaks for the first time anywhere, outlining how the jury believed Karen Read is guilty and there was no conspiracy to frame her.  Full episode will be available at an earlier time this week: 8:00am Thursday, December 12, 2024 “34 Fairview Road” is the first limited series, narrative podcast exploring in depth the death of Boston Police officer John O’Keefe in January 2022, the arrest of his girlfriend, 44-year-old Karen Read, her high-profile murder trial, the impact blogger and free speech activist Aidan "Turtleboy" Kearney has had on the case, along with Kearney’s exclusive story—from high school teacher to 60 days in jail, after exposing what he believes is corruption in the Read case—woven through the story behind the town of Canton, Massachusetts, in utter chaos, division, and at each other's throats. Hosted by veteran podcaster, writer and executive producer M. William Phelps—the #1 Apple hit PAPER GHOSTS, WHITE EAGLE, both from iHeartMedia, and his hit weekly show CROSSING THE LINE WITH M. WILLIAM PHELPS—and New York Times bestselling author of close to 50 books, investigative journalist and tv personality. The series, based on over 100 hours of interviews Phelps has completed, features exclusive audio, documents and insights from Aidan “Turtleboy” Kearney, including never-before-heard, new information in the case, and Turtleboy's dealings and exclusive conversations with Karen Read. The series offers an original look at the shocking series of events that occurred before and after John O’Keefe lost his life as a blizzard descended upon New England in January, 2022.  The series is executive produced by M. William Phelps and Matthew Valentinas—written and produced by M. William Phelps. In late January 2022, 46-year-old veteran Boston Police officer John O’Keefe’s body is found on the front lawn of a fellow Boston Police officer’s home in Canton, Massachusetts—34 Fairview Road—as a blizzard blankets the Northeast. Within hours, O’Keefe’s otherwise unassuming 44-year-old financial executive girlfriend, Karen Read, is accused of running down O’Keefe with her SUV—and charged with his murder. And yet, some believe Karen Read is a scapegoat, there to shield a conspiracy hiding deep, dark secrets—with corrupt cops and political Canton power brokers, running the town like an organized crime family, at the helm. Soon, the town of Canton is in chaos, residents at each other’s throats. And there in the midst of it all, a blogger and free speech advocate, Aidan Carney, who goes by the name Turtleboy, slowly pulls back the curtain on this bedroom community, uncovering what he believes is evidence of widespread corruption and collusion, fueling an already volatile situation, and ultimately leading to Turtleboy being arrested and jailed himself for his work reporting on the Karen Read case. “They tried to silence me by jailing me—this is the country we live in,” Kearney says. “Corrupt cops, judges and people at the highest level of local politics, all involved in the death of John O’Keefe, framing an innocent woman, come after me because I exposed them.” Phelps plays the middle road here, telling the story as it takes place, interviewing dozens of people, reviewing 1000s of pages of documents, collecting hours of exclusive audio, getting the exclusive story from Turtleboy himself, which he has not shared with anyone.    

Social worker Lara Soble is one of four people shot dead in rural Vermont. Her killer has a history of mental illness--but is now out on the streets, with a gun purchased for her by a family member. How does it come to this after the warning signs seemed to be obvious for so long? And how will law enforcement catch mass murderer Jody Herring before she kills again? **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Health NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email [email protected]** Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer.

The pressure is on Turtleboy to sell Karen Read’s version of a conspiracy. In doing that, self-published blogger Aidan Kearney continually attacks witnesses in the case and begins planning his biggest event to date—a visit to each of the main witness’s homes and businesses, with scores of Free Karen Read disciples following behind. While that is happening, one of Karen’s friends begins talking to the Massachusetts State Police, telling them that the entire script behind the conspiracy, even down to what Turtleboy should say to witness’s when he approaches them, has been designed and authored by Karen Read all along--and that nothing is done without Karen's approval.    “34 Fairview Road” is the first limited series, narrative podcast exploring in depth the death of Boston Police officer John O’Keefe in January 2022, the arrest of his girlfriend, 44-year-old Karen Read, her high-profile murder trial, the impact self-published blogger Aidan "Turtleboy" Kearney has had on the case, along with Kearney’s exclusive story—from high school teacher to a criminal serving 60 days in jail for witness intimidation so far, still facing 18 felony counts—woven through the story behind the town of Canton, Massachusetts, in utter chaos, division, and at each other's throats. Hosted by veteran podcaster, writer and executive producer M. William Phelps—the #1 Apple hit PAPER GHOSTS, WHITE EAGLE, both from iHeartMedia, and his hit weekly show CROSSING THE LINE WITH M. WILLIAM PHELPS—and New York Times bestselling author of close to 50 books, investigative journalist and tv personality. The series, based on over 100 hours of interviews Phelps has completed, features exclusive audio, documents and insights from Aidan “Turtleboy” Kearney, including never-before-heard, new information in the case, and Turtleboy's dealings and exclusive conversations with Karen Read. The series offers an original look at the shocking series of events that occurred before and after John O’Keefe lost his life as a blizzard descended upon New England in January, 2022.  The series is executive produced by M. William Phelps and Matthew Valentinas—written and produced by M. William Phelps. In late January 2022, 46-year-old veteran Boston Police officer John O’Keefe’s body is found on the front lawn of a fellow Boston Police officer’s home in Canton, Massachusetts—34 Fairview Road—as a blizzard blankets the Northeast. Within hours, O’Keefe’s otherwise unassuming 44-year-old financial executive girlfriend, Karen Read, is accused of running down O’Keefe with her SUV—and charged with his murder. And yet, some believe Karen Read is a scapegoat, there to shield a conspiracy hiding deep, dark secrets—with corrupt cops and political Canton power brokers, running the town like an organized crime family, at the helm. Soon, the town of Canton is in chaos, residents at each other’s throats. And there in the midst of it all, a blogger and so-called free speech advocate, Aidan Carnie, who goes by the ridiculous name Turtleboy, seemingly pulls back the curtain on this bedroom community, uncovering what he believes is evidence of widespread corruption and collusion, fueling an already volatile situation, and ultimately leading to Turtleboy being arrested and jailed on 18 felony counts of witness intimidation. Phelps plays the middle road, telling the story as it takes place, interviewing dozens of people, reviewing 1000s of pages of documents, collecting hours of exclusive audio, including the exclusive story from self-published blogger Turtleboy himself, which he has not shared with anyone.

One body is found along a popular New England highway … then another … and another. Soon, New Bedford, Massachusetts, police believe they have an active serial killer lurking in the streets. This week, Phelps speaks with journalism professor and author of the book Shallow Graves to get the inside scoop on this haunting serial killer case, which has baffled law enforcement for decades.  For more information about the case and buy her book, visit Maureen Boyle's website.  Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer.

As Karen Read adds a big, hot-shot Hollywood attorney to her team, Alan Jackson, she and Turtleboy are texting and talking nearly every day. While John O’Keefe’s memory and family, along with witnesses for the Commonwealth’s case against Karen, are vilified and taunted and intimidated, the threats begin. Then, while the summer of 2023 comes to an end, Turtleboy and Karen team up together to get word out about Karen’s ridiculous, disproven conspiracy theory, what’s clear is that Karen is orchestrating the entire public and media campaign with a friend of hers from college. As Turtleboy turns things up a notch, he can’t seem to hide his true nature. “34 Fairview Road” is the first limited series, narrative podcast exploring in depth the death of Boston Police officer John O’Keefe in January 2022, the arrest of his girlfriend, 44-year-old Karen Read, her high-profile murder trial, the impact self-published blogger Aidan "Turtleboy" Kearney has had on the case, along with Kearney’s exclusive story—from high school teacher to a criminal serving 60 days in jail for witness intimidation so far, still facing 18 felony counts—woven through the story behind the town of Canton, Massachusetts, in utter chaos, division, and at each other's throats. Hosted by veteran podcaster, writer and executive producer M. William Phelps—the #1 Apple hit PAPER GHOSTS, WHITE EAGLE, both from iHeartMedia, and his hit weekly show CROSSING THE LINE WITH M. WILLIAM PHELPS—and New York Times bestselling author of close to 50 books, investigative journalist and tv personality. The series, based on over 100 hours of interviews Phelps has completed, features exclusive audio, documents and insights from Aidan “Turtleboy” Kearney, including never-before-heard, new information in the case, and Turtleboy's dealings and exclusive conversations with Karen Read. The series offers an original look at the shocking series of events that occurred before and after John O’Keefe lost his life as a blizzard descended upon New England in January, 2022.  The series is executive produced by M. William Phelps and Matthew Valentinas—written and produced by M. William Phelps. In late January 2022, 46-year-old veteran Boston Police officer John O’Keefe’s body is found on the front lawn of a fellow Boston Police officer’s home in Canton, Massachusetts—34 Fairview Road—as a blizzard blankets the Northeast. Within hours, O’Keefe’s otherwise unassuming 44-year-old financial executive girlfriend, Karen Read, is accused of running down O’Keefe with her SUV—and charged with his murder. And yet, some believe Karen Read is a scapegoat, there to shield a conspiracy hiding deep, dark secrets—with corrupt cops and political Canton power brokers, running the town like an organized crime family, at the helm. Soon, the town of Canton is in chaos, residents at each other’s throats. And there in the midst of it all, a blogger and so-called free speech advocate, Aidan Carnie, who goes by the ridiculous name Turtleboy, seemingly pulls back the curtain on this bedroom community, uncovering what he believes is evidence of widespread corruption and collusion, fueling an already volatile situation, and ultimately leading to Turtleboy being arrested and jailed on 18 felony counts of witness intimidation. Phelps plays the middle road, telling the story as it takes place, interviewing dozens of people, reviewing 1000s of pages of documents, collecting hours of exclusive audio, including the exclusive story from self-published blogger Turtleboy himself, which he has not shared with anyone.

As supporters of John O’Keefe step forward and the experts weigh in, many of Turtleboy’s arguments and claims begin to fall apart. A lot of the conspiracy, clearly scripted and driven by Karen Read and her so-called “facts,” seems to fade into speculation, conjecture and fantasies. The fallout—the reality—from this alleged conspiracy propaganda machine being relentlessly promoted by Turtleboy and his followers is devastating, sending many witnesses and family members into mental health treatment. This, as Turtleboy amps up the rhetoric and law enforcement begin watching him from afar, while drafting a new arrest warrant.    “34 Fairview Road” is the first limited series, narrative podcast exploring in depth the death of Boston Police officer John O’Keefe in January 2022, the arrest of his girlfriend, 44-year-old Karen Read, her high-profile murder trial, the impact self-published blogger Aidan "Turtleboy" Kearney has had on the case, along with Kearney’s exclusive story—from high school teacher to a criminal serving 60 days in jail for witness intimidation so far, still facing 18 felony counts—woven through the story behind the town of Canton, Massachusetts, in utter chaos, division, and at each other's throats. Hosted by veteran podcaster, writer and executive producer M. William Phelps—the #1 Apple hit PAPER GHOSTS, WHITE EAGLE, both from iHeartMedia, and his hit weekly show CROSSING THE LINE WITH M. WILLIAM PHELPS—and New York Times bestselling author of close to 50 books, investigative journalist and tv personality. The series, based on over 100 hours of interviews Phelps has completed, features exclusive audio, documents and insights from Aidan “Turtleboy” Kearney, including never-before-heard, new information in the case, and Turtleboy's dealings and exclusive conversations with Karen Read. The series offers an original look at the shocking series of events that occurred before and after John O’Keefe lost his life as a blizzard descended upon New England in January, 2022.  The series is executive produced by M. William Phelps and Matthew Valentinas—written and produced by M. William Phelps. In late January 2022, 46-year-old veteran Boston Police officer John O’Keefe’s body is found on the front lawn of a fellow Boston Police officer’s home in Canton, Massachusetts—34 Fairview Road—as a blizzard blankets the Northeast. Within hours, O’Keefe’s otherwise unassuming 44-year-old financial executive girlfriend, Karen Read, is accused of running down O’Keefe with her SUV—and charged with his murder. And yet, some believe Karen Read is a scapegoat, there to shield a conspiracy hiding deep, dark secrets—with corrupt cops and political Canton power brokers, running the town like an organized crime family, at the helm. Soon, the town of Canton is in chaos, residents at each other’s throats. And there in the midst of it all, a blogger and so-called free speech advocate, Aidan Carnie, who goes by the ridiculous name Turtleboy, seemingly pulls back the curtain on this bedroom community, uncovering what he believes is evidence of widespread corruption and collusion, fueling an already volatile situation, and ultimately leading to Turtleboy being arrested and jailed on 18 felony counts of witness intimidation. Phelps plays the middle road, telling the story as it takes place, interviewing dozens of people, reviewing 1000s of pages of documents, collecting hours of exclusive audio, including the exclusive story from self-published blogger Turtleboy himself, which he has not shared with anyone.

A local television celebrity and news reporter in Mason City, Iowa, Jodi Huisentruit, goes missing one early morning in 1995. Several suspects emerge over the course of several months. But the case goes cold for nearly 30 years–that is, before a search warrant is executed on an old friend of Jodi's, and things begin to look a little different than they had at first seemed.  If you have any information in this case, please visit www.findjodi.com and reach out to reporter Josh Benson, one of the administrators of the website.  Or call Mason City, Iowa, Police at 641.421.3636 And a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all of my Crossing the Line ... listeners! I am extremely grateful for all of your support. Thank you for listening.  Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer.  

Karen Read is arrested and charged in February 2022. By June 2022, she is indicted on new charges, including murder. The chance to plea her case down has all but passed. Facing years behind bars if convicted, Karen names two people as John O’Keefe’s murderers, 34 Fairview homeowner Brian Albert, a Boston cop as well, and his 17-year-old nephew. Then she initiates a social media campaign, utilizing self-published blogger Turtleboy to promote this new narrative, giving birth to the conspiracy. The story seems to come out of left field as the Commonwealth produces forensic and circumstantial evidence, claiming only person—Karen Read—is behind the death of John O’Keefe.    “34 Fairview Road” is the first limited series, narrative podcast exploring in depth the death of Boston Police officer John O’Keefe in January 2022, the arrest of his girlfriend, 44-year-old Karen Read, her high-profile murder trial, the impact self-published blogger Aidan "Turtleboy" Kearney has had on the case, along with Kearney’s exclusive story—from high school teacher to a criminal serving 60 days in jail for witness intimidation so far, still facing 18 felony counts—woven through the story behind the town of Canton, Massachusetts, in utter chaos, division, and at each other's throats. Hosted by veteran podcaster, writer and executive producer M. William Phelps—the #1 Apple hit PAPER GHOSTS, WHITE EAGLE, both from iHeartMedia, and his hit weekly show CROSSING THE LINE WITH M. WILLIAM PHELPS—and New York Times bestselling author of close to 50 books, investigative journalist and tv personality. The series, based on over 100 hours of interviews Phelps has completed, features exclusive audio, documents and insights from Aidan “Turtleboy” Kearney, including never-before-heard, new information in the case, and Turtleboy's dealings and exclusive conversations with Karen Read. The series offers an original look at the shocking series of events that occurred before and after John O’Keefe lost his life as a blizzard descended upon New England in January, 2022.  The series is executive produced by M. William Phelps and Matthew Valentinas—written and produced by M. William Phelps. In late January 2022, 46-year-old veteran Boston Police officer John O’Keefe’s body is found on the front lawn of a fellow Boston Police officer’s home in Canton, Massachusetts—34 Fairview Road—as a blizzard blankets the Northeast. Within hours, O’Keefe’s otherwise unassuming 44-year-old financial executive girlfriend, Karen Read, is accused of running down O’Keefe with her SUV—and charged with his murder. And yet, some believe Karen Read is a scapegoat, there to shield a conspiracy hiding deep, dark secrets—with corrupt cops and political Canton power brokers, running the town like an organized crime family, at the helm. Soon, the town of Canton is in chaos, residents at each other’s throats. And there in the midst of it all, a blogger and so-called free speech advocate, Aidan Carnie, who goes by the ridiculous name Turtleboy, seemingly pulls back the curtain on this bedroom community, uncovering what he believes is evidence of widespread corruption and collusion, fueling an already volatile situation, and ultimately leading to Turtleboy being arrested and jailed on 18 felony counts of witness intimidation. Phelps plays the middle road, telling the story as it takes place, interviewing dozens of people, reviewing 1000s of pages of documents, collecting hours of exclusive audio, including the exclusive story from self-published blogger Turtleboy himself, which he has not shared with anyone.