Two more state troopers under investigation after Karen Read trial
Two more Massachusetts State Police officers are under internal investigation, weeks after testifying in Karen Read’s trial, Massachusetts State Police have confirmed.
Read, accused of killing her boyfriend, police officer John O’Keefe, in January 2022, will face trial again in January 2025 after a judge declared a mistrial in her first murder case earlier this month.
Detective Lt. Brian Tully and Sergeant Yuri Bukhenik will remain on active duty as their investigations continue, according to MSP.
Karen Read, right, sits with her attorney David Yannetti during her arraignment for a hearing at Norfolk Superior Court on July 22, 2024, in Dedham, Massachusetts.
Jessica Rinaldi/AP
An investigation into Lt. John Fanning, another officer connected to the Read case, was conducted and it was determined that there was insufficient evidence to prove or disprove the allegation that he violated rules and regulations by failing to uphold the responsibilities of a management officer. This allegation has been closed as unfounded,” state police said in a statement Thursday.
Tully testified at Read’s trial that he never searched the house where O’Keefe’s body was found outside because there was no evidence that a crime had been committed inside. Tully said he could not have obtained a search warrant for the house for that reason.
Massachusetts State Police Detective Lt. Brian Tully presents evidence on the witness stand during the murder trial of Karen Read on June 12, 2024, at Norfolk Super Court in Dedham, Massachusetts.
Greg Derr/AP
The damning testimony heard at Read’s trial also led to the suspension of Massachusetts State Police Officer Michael Proctor, who was suspended without pay and relieved of duty while the investigation continues.
Bukhenik was Proctor’s supervisor throughout the initial investigation and had testified about Read’s interrogation and some of the evidence presented, including O’Keefe’s clothing entered into evidence days after it was recovered and an apparently missing portion of police department footage that showed the area where Read’s vehicle was stored after it was seized.
Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor is cross-examined by defense attorney Alan Jackson during the murder trial of Karen Read in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham on June 12, 2024.
Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger/USAToday
During testimony and evidence at trial, it was revealed that Proctor had sent several text messages in which he described Read in obscene and defamatory manners, and he had also disclosed confidential information about the investigation.
Read’s lawyers have accused Proctor of at one point searching Read’s phone for nude photos.
Trial testimony also revealed that Proctor communicated with Canton Police Officer Kevin Albert during the investigation leading up to Read’s murder trial. Albert is the brother of Brian Albert, who hosted the party at the house where O’Keefe’s body was found outside.
Karen Read smiles during a news conference outside Norfolk Superior Court on July 1, 2024, in Dedham, Massachusetts.
Steven Senne/AP, ARCHIVES
Canton police have stepped down from the investigation because of the brothers’ connection to the case. Kevin Albert has also been placed on paid administrative leave, according to Boston ABC affiliate WCVB.
State police declined to comment further on the investigations. “The department respectfully declines any further comment out of fairness to the integrity of the results of the ongoing investigation,” state police said.
ABC News’ Meghan Mariani, Emily Whipp and Keturah Gray contributed to this report.
