Mon May 12 13:10:00 UTC 2025: ## State Trooper Continues Testimony in Retrial of Karen Read, Accused in Boyfriend’s Death
**MANSFIELD, MA** – The retrial of Karen Read, accused of murdering her boyfriend Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, continued today with the third day of testimony from Massachusetts State Police Sergeant Yuri Bukhenik. Sgt. Bukhenik is expected to face further questioning regarding flirtatious text messages exchanged between Read and ATF agent Brian Higgins.
Read, 45, a former Bentley University adjunct professor, pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and related charges. Her first trial ended in a hung jury. The prosecution alleges Read struck O’Keefe with her vehicle in a snowstorm on January 29, 2022, after a night of drinking.
The defense, however, is focusing on allegations of a police cover-up and is presenting Higgins as a potential alternative suspect. The text messages, revealed last week, show a developing relationship between Read and Higgins, including plans to socialize and a discussion of a kiss. Read also expressed concerns about relationship issues with O’Keefe in the messages. The defense contends that Read’s cessation of contact with Higgins provided him with a motive to kill O’Keefe.
Crucially, the defense notes that lead investigator Michael Proctor, Sgt. Bukhenik’s supervisor, who has since been fired for sending inappropriate text messages about Read, will not be testifying in this trial. Sgt. Bukhenik’s testimony is therefore crucial to defending the investigation’s integrity.
The defense’s strategy centers around casting doubt on the initial investigation’s findings, alleging that O’Keefe sustained injuries prior to being found outside the home where the incident occurred. A federal investigation into potential police misconduct concluded without charges. Jury selection for the retrial concluded earlier this month, with eighteen jurors selected.
First Piper 