In the ongoing murder trial of Karen Read, State Police Sergeant Yuri Bukhenik returned to the stand for further cross-examination by defense attorney Alan Jackson. Read is accused of fatally hitting her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, with her SUV and allegedly leaving him for dead.
During the testimony, Bukhenik confirmed to Jackson that it was possible to complete an evidence bag at a later time after items have been collected. He recalled that detailed information was provided on the evidence bag for items recovered on February 10, 2022, despite not having filled it out personally. Jackson pressed him on whether the items were formally booked into evidence, revealing that they were not processed until a month later on March 14, 2022.
Bukhenik mentioned that authorities gathered over 40 pieces of Read’s taillight at the scene, indicating that some were recovered by Michael Proctor, a former State Police Trooper who was previously fired for sending inappropriate texts regarding Read during the investigation. The defense is working to highlight Proctor’s involvement in the handling of evidence throughout the case.
The prosecution’s narrative suggests that the evidence collected spoke to the circumstances of O’Keefe’s death, which authorities initiated with questions surrounding Read’s actions just hours following the incident. Bukhenik stated that the evidence collected—such as broken glass items and pieces of taillight—helped shape their understanding of the events leading to O’Keefe’s fatal injuries.
In an interesting development, Bukhenik acknowledged that he did not document precise GPS coordinates for the pieces of evidence collected, asserting instead that their recoveries took place in a general vicinity around the lawn where O’Keefe’s body was found. This lack of precise documentation became a focal point of Jackson’s line of questioning during the cross-examination.
As the trial progresses, the defense continues to contest the prosecution’s assertions and present alternative theories regarding the circumstances of O’Keefe’s death. Given that significant legal proceedings are currently underway, continued scrutiny of evidence handling and procedural conduct raises important questions about the integrity of the investigation. The trial reinforces the complexities present in cases involving law enforcement individuals and the methods of gathering evidence.