Massachusetts State Troopers Under Internal Affairs Investigation Following Hung Jury in Karen Read Case

The Karen Read case, a high-profile legal matter that concluded this month with a hung jury, has led to the initiation of internal affairs investigations against two Massachusetts state troopers. The investigations stem from allegations of a law enforcement conspiracy to frame Read for the murder of her police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe. This development has placed considerable scrutiny on the conduct of law enforcement officials involved in the case.

Investigation of Troopers

Detective Lieutenant Brian Tully and Sergeant Yuri Bukhenik are the latest state troopers to face internal affairs investigations. Both officers remain on active duty while the investigations are ongoing, according to a spokesperson from the Massachusetts State Police. The spokesperson has not disclosed specific details regarding the allegations against Tully and Bukhenik.

A third trooper, Michael Proctor, has been previously investigated and faced disciplinary action. Proctor was suspended without pay earlier this month following a duty status hearing, where a three-member panel recommended the suspension. Proctor, who served as the lead investigator in the Read case, admitted in court to sending derogatory text messages about Read to a group that included Bukhenik. These messages contained offensive language and pejorative remarks concerning Read’s intellectual capacity. Additionally, Proctor revealed that he had searched Read’s phone and found “no nudes so far,” which he described as “poor jokes” that were “regrettable” and “unprofessional.” Despite these admissions, Proctor had not been reprimanded for these actions prior to the trial.

Proctor has not responded to multiple requests for comment regarding the ongoing investigation or his suspension. Following the judge's declaration of a mistrial in Read’s case, Proctor was relieved of his duties within the prosecutor's office.

Details of the Karen Read Case

The trial of Karen Read, which extended over nine weeks and involved extensive testimony from numerous witnesses, ended in a hung jury. Read was charged with second-degree murder and other crimes in connection with the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, who died on January 29, 2022. Prosecutors alleged that during a tumultuous period in their relationship, Read intentionally backed her Lexus SUV into O’Keefe and abandoned him outside the home of another Boston police officer, Brian Albert.

In contrast, Read’s defense team contended that O’Keefe's death likely resulted from a violent altercation that occurred during a party at Albert’s residence. The defense suggested that O’Keefe may have been killed by individuals present at the party and implicated Albert and another law enforcement officer with whom Read had previously exchanged flirtatious texts. Albert testified that O’Keefe had not entered his home during the party and would have been “welcomed with open arms” had he done so.

Ongoing Legal Proceedings

In the wake of the mistrial, which followed five days of jury deliberations, prosecutors have committed to retrying the case. A new trial date has been scheduled for January 27, 2025. Both the legal community and the public await further developments in the case as well as the internal affairs investigations into the conduct of the state troopers involved.

As the situation continues to evolve, the outcomes of the retrial and the ongoing investigations will be closely monitored for further developments and resolutions.