Live video: Lead MSP investigator Michael Proctor takes stand in Karen Read murder trial

DEHDAM, Mass. — The seventh week of witness testimony in the Karen Read murder trial began Monday with Massachusetts State Police Detective Sergeant Yuri Bukhenik back on the stand for a third day and he faced intense questioning over an inverted video from inside a Canton police sallyport.

Bukhenik was dismissed from the stand shortly after 10:30 a.m. When the court returned from morning recess, the lead investigator on the Read case, Trooper Michael Proctor, was called to the stand.

Before testimony resumed, Judge Beverly Cannone heard a motion from the prosecution, which is seeking to block defense expert Dr. Marie Russell from taking the stand. The defense is planning to question Russell about its theory of John O’Keefe being attacked by a dog and the injuries to his arm.

• WATCH LIVE: Streaming coverage of Monday’s witness testimony begins at 9 a.m.
• Also streaming on Facebook, X, and YouTube
• Live court updates from Boston 25′s Ted Daniel

LIVE PLAY-BY-PLAY FROM COURT:

3:10 p.m.

• This jury has to be wondering what they got themselves into with this case. It is absolutely not normal for a prosecutor to be asking a State Trooper about personal texts re: a defendant.
• Proctor and another trooper were texting about the Medical Examiner’s ruling that manner of JO’s death “could not be determined”

3 p.m.

• Judge asks Proctor to speak up because jury can’t hear him either. In a June 2022 text to his wife, Proctor called Karen a whack job and said something about locking her up.

2:50 p.m.

• Proctor says his sister texted him that Julie Albert wanted to get him a gift after the case was over and he responded get one for my wife. He says no gift was ever exchanged.

2:45 p.m.

• It’s extremely difficult to hear Trooper Proctor read off his texts with his friends because of the portable A/C .
• This is what I’ve heard so far -- Friend: I’m sure everyone in the house we’ll get some shit MP: Nope, homeowner is a Boston Cop Friend: did he get beat up? MP: No Friend: So the owner of the home was a Boston cop who beat him? MP: That’s what I initially thought MP: She hit him with her car MP: She’s a whackjob and a c*nt MP: she’s a babe with a Fall River accent.
• Proctor looks at jury when he says he made objectionable comments and he’s not proud of them. He says they don’t impact the integrity of investigation.

2:30 p.m.

• Jury is back and testimony resumes.

2:15 p.m.

• Judge is sending jury out for 10 mins.

2:05 p.m.

• Lally is bringing in Proctor’s personal text messages from the federal investigation.

2 p.m.

• Trooper Michael Proctor back on stand after lunch.
• Lally resumes direct questioning of Trooper Michael Proctor. Proctor says the Alberts are my “sister’s friends” and he “explained my connection to the Albert family” to Sgt. Bukhenik. Proctor tells the jury the connection had “zero” impact on investigation.

12:45 p.m.

• Court heads off for 1-hour lunch break.

12:30 p.m.

• Proctor says he didn’t observe any damage to JO’s vehicle.

12:20 p.m.

• Proctor talks about the multiple times he recorded finding evidence at 34 Fairview Rd He says there was “2 feet of snow” on 1/29 followed by temperature swings and rain – “as the snow started to melt, more evidence started to present itself.”

12:10 p.m.

12 p.m.

• Proctor on taillight housing: “The state police chemist had it removed for testing... It was with the assistance of a Canton Police Officer who has an auto body shop.”
• Jackson repeatedly objects when Proctor says the sallyport camera is motion activated. The judge strikes “motion activated” twice from the record.

11:45 a.m.

• Proctor tells ADA Lally he looked at KR’s SUV before he went into her parents’ Dighton home - MP: “That’s where we observed the broken taillight… right side of vehicle.
• Proctor: “The right rear taillight had large pieces missing.”
• Lally asks Proctor why KR’s SUV went to Canton Police HQ: “I was not part of that decision, it’s my understanding it was a heated facility...”

11:30 a.m.

• Trooper Proctor asked about JO’s injuries at the Hospital: “The first thing I noticed on Mr. O’Keefe was abrasions on his right arm… both eyes were swollen… I did observe blood to the back of the head.”

11:25 a.m.

• Trooper Proctor tells ADA Lally he had never previously met Jennifer McCabe, Kerry Roberts, or Karen Read.

11:20 a.m.

• Trooper Proctor turns to the jury when answering ADA Lally’s questions.
• Says he was the on-call detective for Norfolk DA. The call he first received was for “a possible medical situation.” He says he called Sgt. Lank, of Canton PD, because he knew he was on scene.

11:15 a.m.

• ADA Lally calls Trooper Michael Proctor to the stand in the Karen Read murder trial.

10:45 p.m.

• Ofc. Barros tells the jury the taillight was “cracked.”
• The defense has previously said the taillight was cracked but not shattered or destroyed at this time.
• Lally is finished with Ofc Barros. The defense has no questions for him. The jury was sent out for a break. Lawyers at sidebar with judge.

10:40 a.m.

10:35 a.m.

• YB is excused.
• Lally calls Dighton Police Officer Nicholas Barros.
• Barros was the OIC on 1/29/22. He says KR’s dad called 911 and requested a check on her in the morning. At 2:30 pm the same day, he got a call from DA’s office telling him MSP detectives were going to Read’s parents’ home. Read’s SUV would be towed from that home.

10:30 a.m.

• YB initially told the medical examiner’s office that JO’s death appeared to have been the result of a domestic involving a cocktail glass. He says he changed that determination after seeing JO’s injuries at hospital YB: “I could tell the glass was most likely not the object or weapon that was used to cause the injuries to Mr. O’Keefe.”

10:25 a.m.

• ADA Lally asked YB about multiple videos of KR’s SUV recorded before it arriving at CPB. The prosecution says taillight damage was already apparent before SUV was seized.

10:10 a.m.

• Jackson is showing video from another camera in the sallyport (poor quality) that would have shown the right rear taillight area and anyone around it.

• Jackson asks YB why there is a 42-minute gap after KR’s SUV is driven in by a tow truck driver. YB says cameras are motion activated and video was not altered in any way.

9:40 a.m.

• The judge sends the jury out for an extended sidebar discussion.

9:30 a.m.

• AJ says portions of sallyport video are “missing” and people appear out of nowhere. YB says “It’s not missing. It’s just not recording.” YB says it’s a motion-activated camera.

• AJ: How long does it take to drive from this location (CPD sallyport) to 34 Fairview? YB: Maybe 4-5 minutes.

9:20 a.m.

• AJ asking YB about the flipped sallyport video. AJ: What’s left is right and what’s right is left? YB: Correct. AJ: It’s not accurate is it? YB: It’s an accurate depiction of what’s taking place.

9:10 a.m.

• TRIAL RESUMES: Jury is now seated. Defense Attorney Alan Jackson (AJ) resumes his cross-examination of Mass. State Police Det. Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik.

8:55 a.m.

• Prosecutor Laura Mclaughlin tells Judge the defense is attempting to “ambush the Commonwealth” and proceed with a “trial by surprise.”
• Defense Attorney Yannetti fires back “have they no shame” and brings up the flipped sallyport video as an example of what he alleges is prosecution bad faith.
• Judge says she wants individual voir dire’s (questioning w/out jury) for the witnesses defense wants to call including a doctor (arm injuries) and 2 crash experts the feds used in their investigation.
• Judge not happy that this may extend the trial.

8:45 a.m.

• Court begins early (without jury present) so the Judge can hear a prosecution motion to block defense expert Dr. Marie Russell, who the defense wants to talk about injuries on JO’s arm.
• Alan Jackson still has to finish his cross of Yuri Bukenhik. On Thursday, he said he was almost done.

PREVIOUS STORY:

Bukhenik and Trooper Michael Proctor ran the investigation that led to Read, 44, of Mansfield, being indicted for second-degree murder in the Canton death of John O’Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend. Bukhenik is the immediate supervisor of Proctor.

Read is accused of backing over O’Keefe in leaving him to die in the snow after a night of drinking.

During Read’s arrest, Read allegedly told Bukhenik that two other prosecution witnesses were responsible for O’Keefe’s death.

On the stand Thursday, Bukhenik showed jurors O’Keefe’s clothing, including his hat found outside 34 Fairview Road in Canton.

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Evidence was found on at least six different occasions as the snow melted outside the home of Brian Albert in January 2022.

Bukhenik was also questioned about why the video inside the Canton Police Department sallyport was flipped and why it appears to skip when Proctor is seen standing near the taillight.

The defense still has to finish questioning Bukhenik but the big question is if Proctor will take the stand after him.

Our legal expert Peter Elikann said it’s a bit odd that he hasn’t testified yet.

“Normally the lead investigator of any murder or criminal case usually takes his front and center and really takes a lead role in testifying. This is very unusual. He hasn’t been brought forward,” said Elikann. “He has been so damaged and his integrity has been so impugned and he’s still under as I understand and under investigation by the by the state police himself that it really is going to be a minefield for the prosecution to put him forward.”

Elikann said it’s likely that the prosecution calls Trooper Proctor because otherwise, the defense could call him when they present their case.

The trial begins a bit earlier on Monday for a motion hearing without the jury.

Judge Beverly Cannone has told the jury that she hopes the case is handed over to them for deliberation by the last week of June.

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