Karen Read defiant after Day 12 of trial, tells reporters 'how much evidence' is yet to be seen

Massachusetts State Police Sergeant Yuriy Bukhenik testifies during the trial of Karen Read in Norfolk Superior Court, Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, Pool)

Judge Beverly Cannone dismissed the jurors in Karen Read’s trial for the day, with Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik set to return for continued cross-examination on Friday.

Defense attorney Alan Jackson cross examines Massachusetts State Police Sergeant Yuriy Bukhenik during the trial of Karen Read in Norfolk Superior Court, Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, Pool)

Defense attorney Alan Jackson grilled Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik on his involvement in the investigation of John O’Keefe’s death while questioning Bukhenik on his work with Michael Proctor. 

“Do you think this case was handled with honor and integrity by Michael Proctor?” Jackson asked. 

“The investigation was handled with integrity by Michael Proctor,” Bukhenik answered. 

Jackson went on to ask what Bukhenik’s actions were on the morning of O’Keefe’s death as the investigation was in the initial stages. “Did you contact the medical examiner's office at in the morning of Jan. 29, 2022?” Jackson said. 

“Yes,” Bukhenik said. 

“And did you state to them that there was a possibility that the decedent, John O'Keefe, was struck in the face with a cocktail glass?” Jackson said. 

“I don’t recall my words exactly,” Bukhenik said. “But that sounds accurate to what I might have said.” 

“At least your initial investigation, during those early morning hours of those critical hours, led you to believe, at least, that there was a possibility that there was a physical altercation, correct?” Jackson asked. 

“Yes,” Bukhenik answered. 

Jackson then pressed Bukhenik on the possibility that key witnesses Brian Albert, Jennifer McCabe and Matt McCabe could have lied to investigators since the start of the case. 

“You took these three individuals just at their word based on those first three interviews, correct?” Jackson asked. 

“No, not correct,” Bukhenik replied. 

Jackson pointed to Bukhenik’s testimony that he did not search 34 Fairview and did not ask the three witnesses to come to the police station, but conducted an interview with Jennifer McCabe with Albert present. 

“As a matter of fact, when you went to interview Jennifer McCabe at her home, Brian Albert happened to be there, right?” Jackson said. 

“He was there,” Bukhenik said. “And I was able to conduct the interview at the house with Brian Albert.”

Karen Read’s trial has resumed following a lunch break, with Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik returning to the witness stand. 

Brennan resumed direct examination by presenting surveillance footage of Karen Read and John O’Keefe at the Waterfall Bar and Grille on the night before O’Keefe’s body was found outside 34 Fairview.

After Brennan showed jurors the footage, defense attorney Alan Jackson began cross-examining Bukhenik.

Karen Read sits with her defense team during her trial in Norfolk Superior Court, Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, Pool)

On Thursday, Judge Beverly Cannone granted a request from the prosecution in Karen Read’s trial barring the media from recording any testimony from John O’Keefe’s underage niece and nephew or reporting their names.

O’Keefe became the primary caretaker of both children after their parents died over a decade ago. O’Keefe’s sister, Kristen, passed away from a brain tumor in 2013 and her husband, Stephen, died unexpectedly after suffering a heart attack months later.

Surveillance footage shows Karen Read and John O’Keefe drinking at C.F. McCarthy’s on the night of Jan. 28, 2022. (Pool)

Following prosecutor Hank Brennan showing the jurors surveillance footage of Karen Read and John O’Keefe drinking at C.F. McCarthy’s, Judge Beverly Cannone dismissed the Court for a lunch break. 

Brennan presented video evidence of Read pouring multiple shots of liquor into her mixed drinks as the couple chatted with individuals at the bar.

The prosecution previously played interview footage of Read explaining how she poured extra shots into her “weak” drinks on the night before O’Keefe was found frozen to death in the snow outside 34 Fairview. 

Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik testified during direct examination by prosecutor Hank Brennan that he was included in a text chain with former investigator Michael Proctor during the investigation into John O’Keefe’s death. 

Bukhenik went on to read text messages from the group chat. 

“Funny, I am going through his retarded client's phone,” Bukhenik said, reading from the document. 

Brennan prompted Bukhenik to continue reading the messages. 

“No nudes so far,” Bukhenik said. “I hate that man. I truly hate him.” 

“Do you have any belief that it’s Michael Proctor who was writing these?” Brennan asked. 

“Yes, I believe it is,” Bukhenik said. 

Bukhenik became Proctor’s supervisor after the investigation, and was diciplined within the department regarding the accuracy of a review for failing to adequately supervise after the texts were discovered.

Trooper Connor Keefe (L) and Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik (R) hold up two separate sneakers both marked under 34 Fairview in Karen Read's trial. (Pool)

During Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik’s testimony, prosecutor Hank Brennan asked him to present the sneaker John O’Keefe was wearing when his body arrived at the hospital on the morning of Jan. 29, 2022. 

As Bukhenik removed the sneaker, he became visibly confused as he read the markings on the evidence bag. 

“This is the left sneaker,” Bukhenik said. “Excuse me, this is the right sneaker from 34 Fairview.” 

On Wednesday, Massachusetts State Police Trooper Connor Keefe held up O’Keefe’s other sneaker in court, with the bag also clearly marked under 34 Fairview. However, only one sneaker was found at the scene, with O’Keefe wearing the other sneaker when he was transported to the hospital. 

Judge Beverly Cannone then called for a morning recess as the prosecution worked to iron out the apparent mistake. 

“These things happen,” Cannone said. “We have a lot of evidence.”

After the break, Bukhenik testified that it was indeed the sneaker that had been recovered at the hospital, and Brennan moved to have it admitted into evidence without objection from the defense.

While on the witness stand, Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik testified during direct examination he and former investigator Michael Proctor traveled to Karen Read’s home after observing John O’Keefe’s injuries on the morning of his death. 

“Once we viewed the clothing and Mr. O’Keefe, we had to go talk to the last person that saw him,” Bukhenik said. “That would have been, at the time, his girlfriend.” 

Based on O’Keefe’s injuries, Bukhenik initially theorized he had been killed by a vehicle strike and was interested in the vehicle Read was driving the previous night. Bukhenik testified that he and Proctor drove to meet with Read at her parents’ house, where he noticed her Lexus SUV had a “large piece of red taillight cover missing from the vehicle.”  

The two investigators then met with Read at the home, where she agreed to speak with them. 

Judge Beverly Cannone went on to instruct the jurors that before they can consider whether the secondhand statements from Read relayed by Bukhenik as evidence, they must determine the prosecution proved beyond a reasonable doubt Read made the statements freely. Cannone then told the jurors she would further explain the instructions later.

“After, the Waterfall [Bar and Grille], [Read] stated that she dropped Mr. O'Keefe off at 34 Fairview,” Bukhenik said. “She was asked if she saw him go in the house. She stated, ‘No, she did not see him go in the house.’”

Bukhenik went on to testify he and Proctor questioned Read on the injuries to the back of O’Keefe’s head. 

“The defendant stated she didn't see any injuries on him,” Bukhenik said. “Then she provided a statement saying that Mr. O'Keefe bumped his head two nights prior and asked her about it.” 

Following their conversation with Read, Bukhenik testified that he and Proctor seized Read’s Lexus SUV and cell phone. 

Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik was called to the witness stand by special prosecutor Hank Brennan on Tuesday morning. Bukhenik was assigned to work with former investigator Michael Proctor after John O’Keefe was found frozen to death at 34 Fairview on Jan. 29, 2022. 

Bukhenik testified he and Proctor interviewed Jennifer McCabe, Matt McCabe and Brian Albert shortly after O’Keefe was found, and later traveled to the hospital to see O’Keefe. 

“I wanted to see the injuries for myself,” Bukhenik said. “The location of the injuries, the types of injuries, the extent of the injuries and overall condition that his body was in would be very telling.”   

Bukhenik went on to testify he observed O’Keefe’s injuries and gathered his clothing to take into evidence, noting he was interested in finding O’Keefe’s missing sneaker.  

“At that point, our theory had evolved to a vehicle strike,” Bukhenik said. “Based on the injuries, I was suspecting that [O’Keefe] was hit out of his shoes.”

Massachusetts State Police Sergeant Yuriy Bukhenik describes the injuries to John O'Keefe that he observed during the trial of Karen Read in Norfolk Superior Court, Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, Pool)

Judge Beverly Cannone called Court into session Thursday with prosecutor Hank Brennan calling Massachusetts State Police Sergeant Yuri Bukhenik to the witness stand.

Bukhenik is currently assigned to the homicide section of the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office and was partnered with Michael Proctor in the initial investigation into John O'Keefe's death in 2022.

Karen Read arrived alongside her defense team for Day 12 of her murder trial at the Norfolk Superior Courthouse in Dedham, Massachusetts on Thursday, May 8, 2025.

Karen Read sits at the defense table with her lawyers during her murder trial at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)

A second expert on smartphone forensics testified Wednesday in the Karen Read trial that Jennifer McCabe's Google search about hypothermia happened after John O'Keefe's remains were found, not before, as the defense has argued.

Jessica Hyde testified that she could say with scientific certainty that McCabe used her iPhone to search the phrase "hos (sic) long to die in cold" at 6:24 a.m.

The defense claim that the search happened at 2:27 a.m. – hours before investigators say Read, McCabe and Kerry Roberts found O'Keefe dead in the snow at 34 Fairview Road – is incorrect, she testified. The earlier timestamp has no connection to the search but is actually assigned to the time McCabe opened the browser tab on her phone.

Hyde testified using specific terms – "hex editors," "hash values" and database files, wading into technical details about how phone data is extracted, preserved and interpreted. Even inexperienced analysts can have trouble making sense of things, she testified.

Read the full story here.

Karen Read during her trial at Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (Matt Stone/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)

Testimony is set to resume Thursday as the state continues to call witnesses in Karen Read’s murder trial.

On Wednesday, jurors heard from data expert Dr. Jessica Hyde and Massachusetts State Police Trooper Connor Keefe as prosecutors looked to pick apart the defense team’s timeline surrounding John O’Keefe’s death.

Read is facing the potential of life in prison for the death of O’Keefe, who was found frozen to death in the front yard of 34 Fairview on Jan. 29, 2022.