Two More Massachusetts Troopers Under Investigation in Karen Read Case After Mistrial

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Two more Massachusetts state troopers linked to the Karen Read case are now under internal affairs investigation. This development comes after Read's trial, which included allegations of a law enforcement effort to frame her for the killing of her police officer boyfriend, ended with a hung jury, authorities announced Wednesday.
Detective Lt. Brian Tully and Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik will remain on active duty during the investigation, according to a spokesperson for the Massachusetts State Police. Meanwhile, a third trooper, Michael Proctor, was suspended without pay earlier this month. Proctor’s suspension followed a recommendation from a three-member panel after a duty status hearing.
The state police spokesperson did not provide additional details regarding the investigations into Tully and Bukhenik. However, the interim state police superintendent, Col. John Mawn, noted that the agency was reviewing allegations of “serious misconduct” that surfaced during Read’s trial. Proctor, the lead investigator in the case, was a central figure in these allegations.
At the trial, Proctor admitted to sending offensive text messages about Read to a group that included Bukhenik. In these messages, he used a derogatory term for intellectually disabled people to describe Read. He also mentioned that he was searching Read’s phone and had found “no nudes so far.” Proctor described these messages as “poor jokes” that were “regrettable” and “unprofessional,” adding that he was not reprimanded for them.
Proctor has not responded to repeated requests for comment. He was relieved of duty in the prosecutor’s office after a judge declared a mistrial in Read’s case. Bukhenik did not respond to a message seeking comment, and efforts to reach Tully were unsuccessful.
The mistrial in Read’s murder trial was declared after nine weeks of testimony, dozens of witnesses, and five days of deliberations. Prosecutors charged her with second-degree murder and other crimes in the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, on January 29, 2022.
Authorities alleged that during a tumultuous relationship, Read backed her Lexus SUV into O’Keefe, 46, and left him for dead outside the home of another Boston police officer, Brian Albert. Read’s lawyers, however, alleged that there had most likely been a fight during a party at Albert’s home that left O’Keefe dead. The defense pointed to Albert and another law enforcement officer, whom they said Read “ghosted” after exchanging flirty texts with him, as the possible assailants.
Albert testified that O’Keefe never stepped foot inside his house during the party, stating that O’Keefe would have been “welcomed with open arms” if he had.
Following the judge's declaration of a mistrial, prosecutors vowed to retry the case. On Monday, a judge scheduled a new trial for January 27.
This case continues to draw significant attention due to its complex interplay of personal relationships and law enforcement dynamics. The investigations into the troopers’ conduct during the trial may further impact the proceedings as both sides prepare for the retrial.
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