Video, updates: New evidence shown as detective’s testimony continues in Karen Read trial

DEDHAM, Mass. — One of the Massachusetts State Police detectives who supervised the investigation into the death of John O’Keefe took the stand in the Karen Read murder trial on Thursday.

During Yuri Bukhenik’s testimony Thursday, the Massachusetts State Police investigator displayed evidence including the hat John O’Keefe was wearing at the time of his death. Video from the sallyport where Read can be seen hitting O’Keefe’s SUV was also reviewed for the second straight day.

Jurors also listened to an audio interview from MSP from when Read was in custody in June 2022. “You’re aware he was beaten up by Brian and Colin Albert…. We’re all in on the same joke. My taillight’s cracked and his face is pulverized,” Read can be heard saying.

Bukhenik will return to the stand on Monday morning.

0 of 21

• WATCH LIVE: Streaming coverage of Thursday’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 UPDATES FROM THE COURT (YB: Yuri Bukhenik, KR: Karen Read, JO: John O’Keefe):

11:50 a.m.

• Court wraps for the day. Sgt Bukhenik will return to the stand Monday. Hearing on Monday at 8:30 a.m. regarding a new motion, then jury will be brought back in. Judge tells jury they will likely get the case sometime in the last week of June.
• Jackson says outside court that the prosecution will call Trooper Michael Proctor to testify.

11:30 a.m.

• A number of people pointed out yesterday that the sallyport video appeared flipped. Bukhenik confirms it’s “inverted” but he says he doesn’t know why
• Jackson suggests video from CPD sallyport may have been tampered with. He asks Bukhenik about a person near KR’s right rear taillight and then you see what appears to be a jump in the video. Jackson: “Did you see another person just appear...? ...And the time stamp jumped?.... Does it appear there was an anomaly?”

11:20 a.m.

• Jackson showing the video Lally showed yesterday of Read backing out of O’Keefe’s driveway. This is crucial video for the defense because it’s their explanation for Read’s broken taillight. Bukhenik says: “it appears there is movement (of O’Keefe’s parked car), but the video speaks for itself.”

11:00 a.m.

• Jackson asks where O’Keefe’s shirt and sweatshirt from when they were collected (1/29) and the date logged on the evidence bag ( 2/4) Bukhenik says the clothes were left out to dry and “That date (2/4) could have been when they printed the label”
• Jackson asks Bukhenik about then Canton Chief Berkowitz finding taillight evidence about a week after Jan. 29 Jackson: “Did you find it unusual or suspicious… (because CPD “conflicted” out of investigation)? Bukhenik: “He’s the chief of police driving down the street… I do not find it suspicious.”

10:30 a.m.

• Alan Jackson on cross-examination asks about “missing” Ring video. Jackson: there was no evidence revealed my client logged in…. Bukhenik: “There was no activity logs provided by Ring.” Jackson says that Trooper Proctor asked Ring for evidence that Ring videos were deleted and there is none.
• Jackson says Bukhenik informed Good Samaritan hospital that “Mr. O’Keefe had been struck in the face with a cocktail glass” Bukhenik: I do not recall...
• Bukhenik says he never told Good Samaritan Hospital that he thought O’Keefe had been struck by a cocktail glass but confirms he did say that to the Medical Examiner’s Office

10:15 a.m.:

• Jury listens to audio recording from an interview Read did with Bukhenik on June 9, 2022. Judge gives instructions to jury to consider “totality” of the interview
• The defense had successfully blocked the video version of the recording because Read was in custody when it was recorded. The jury heard the audio version. Read tells Bukhenik “you’re aware he was beaten up by Brian and Colin Albert…. We’re all in on the same joke. My taillight’s cracked and his face is pulverized.”

10:00 a.m.

• Bukhenik shows jury O’Keefe Boston Police hat jury that he says was found near the curb outside 34 Fairview Rd:

9:50 a.m.

• “What do you recognize...” Lally has Bukhenik describe photo after photo showing taillight pieces and a drinking straw Bukhenik says was discovered outside 34 Fairview on February 3. Bukhenik says they cleared snow that day.
• Bukhenik tells ADA Lally he told troopers in his unit to drive by 34 Fairview Road “everyday” to look for more items of evidence. He says he received a call on February 4 that Canton Police had found more evidence.

9:40 a.m.

• Judge Cannone calls sidebar as Lally is having YB describe multiple photos of taillight pieces outside 34 Fairview. She spoke only to Lally at that sidebar.

9:25 a.m.

• ADA Lally begins where he left off. The drink count. Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik (YB) says KR had 9 at both bars.
• YB then asked about Ring video from JO’s home. He says two videos missing including one he says would have shown KR showing Kerry Roberts and Jen McCabe damage to her taillight.
• In previous testimony, JO’s niece and nephew said KR was offered to log in to JO’s computer but did not have/want it.

9:15 a.m.

• Detective Sergeant Yuri Bukhenik returns to stand.

Read is accused of striking O’Keefe with her SUV and leaving him to die in the snow in Canton in 2022 but the defense says she is being framed.

Detective Sergeant Yuri Bukhenik began giving testimony on Wednesday and will resume Thursday. Trooper Bukenhik is the immediate supervisor of Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator in this case.

Bukenhik said he saw O’Keefe’s swollen eyelids and a slight laceration of the nostril when describing autopsy photos. He also showed jurors the clothing O’Keefe had been wearing the day he died. That includes holding up the T-shirt and belt that O’Keefe had.

Bukenhik testified that he and Trooper Proctor first spoke to Read at her parents’ home in Dighton.

Video was shown of Read and her father arriving there earlier and walking towards the rear of Read’s Lexus.

Bukenhik said he and Trooper Proctor saw damage to Read’s right rear taillight before getting her Lexus towed to Canton Police headquarters.

“She was asked if she saw Mr. O’Keefe walk into the home at 34 Fairview and she stated she did not,” Bukhenik testified. “She stated she made a 3-point turn,” he continued. “She was asked how she found out about the damage to the vehicle to which she stated ‘I don’t know it happened last night.’”

For the first time, the jury got to see how the defense said damage to the taillight occurred. Read is seen in the video backing out of O’Keefe’s driveway – her Lexus appears to bump into O’Keefe’s vehicle.

Defense attorney David Yannetti said, “You saw the car being, the car jostled, the wheel moved, so yeah that’s when it was done.”

Trooper Bukenhik said he examined O’Keefe’s driveway and his SUV, and no red pieces of a taillight were observed.

The jury also saw a video from a Canton bar, where Bukenhik noted Karen Read had six drinks before heading to another bar.

He’ll be back on the stand Thursday morning.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

©2024 Cox Media Group