Karen Read Defense Floats Theory That ‘jealous’ Brian Higgins Fought John O’keefe Before Death

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Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe's 2022 decease could person been nan consequence of a convulsive emotion triangle involving an ATF supplier and his girlfriend, suspected slayer Karen Read, who began texting each different conscionable weeks earlier he was past seen alive, her defense posited connected Monday wrong a courtroom successful Dedham, Massachusetts.

Read, now 45, is accused of sidesplitting her 46-year-old boyfriend, a Boston constabulary officer, connected Jan. 29, 2022. Police allege she deed him pinch nan rear extremity of her Lexus SUV and drove off, incapacitating him and leaving him to dice during a blizzard.

Read has pleaded not blameworthy and denied striking O'Keefe astatine each done her attorneys.

"You were conscionable asked astir your sentiment whether aliases not location was a motive that you recovered for Brian Higgins to want to murder John O'Keefe," defense lawyer Alan Jackson asked Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik of nan Massachusetts State Police. "I'm asking you a different question. Did you, successful your mind, successful your opinion, aft having publication those texts, find a motive for Brian Higgins, possibly want to face John O'Keefe because of jealousy?"

KAREN READ TRIAL REVEALS FLIRTY TEXT MESSAGES WITH ATF AGENT BEHIND BOYFRIEND'S BACK

Judge Beverly J. Cannone listens to nan grounds of Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik of nan Massachusetts State Police during nan execution retrial of Karen Read successful Norfolk Superior Court, May 12, 2025, successful Dedham, Mass. (Pat Greenhouse/Boston Globe via AP/Pool)

"If you're asking for my opinion, my sentiment is that he wouldn't request to face Mr. O'Keefe," Bukhenik said. "Mr. O'Keefe was not nan 1 pursuing Mr. Higgins. It was your customer that was pursuing Mr. Higgins."

On Friday, Jackson had Bukhenik publication done a lengthy drawstring of texts betwixt Read and Higgins exchanged successful nan weeks earlier O'Keefe's death, wherever they flirted, invited 1 different over, discussed a buss extracurricular O'Keefe's location and often brought up dense drinking. 

Read began nan conversation, and Higgins' consequence was to inquire really she sewage his number and why she was reaching retired to him. Read stopped responding a fewer days earlier O'Keefe's death. Higgins, Read and O'Keefe were each coming astatine nan Waterfall Bar and Grille connected Jan. 28, 2022, and Jackson asked Bukhenik whether surveillance video showed Higgins being fierce toward O'Keefe.

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Karen Read's attorney, Alan Jackson during Read's proceedings astatine Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, successful Dedham, Mass.  (Matt Stone/Boston Herald via AP/Pool)

That aforesaid night, Higgins sent 2 unanswered texts to Read. 

"After weeks of communicating pinch Miss Read successful a romanticist manner, and past … seeing her locomotion successful nan doorway pinch John O'Keefe and sending nan matter message, ‘Umm. Well,’ aft having been intoxicated, do you spot that, detective, arsenic an investigator, arsenic a reasonable, nonsubjective investigator, arsenic a imaginable script for Brian Higgins to beryllium suspicious astir John O'Keefe?"

"There's a anticipation there, but I didn't spot it," Bukhenik said.

"Did you research that possibility?" Jackson said. 

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A video framework shows execution unfortunate John O'Keefe, apical center, astatine nan Waterfall Bar and Grille successful Canton, Mass., connected Jan 29, 2022. The video was shown arsenic grounds during nan Karen Read execution proceedings connected May 9, 2025. (Mark Stockwell/Sun Chronicle via AP/Pool)

Bukhenik testified that he did not but said he relied connected nan "totality of nan investigation," which led to charges against Read.

Bukhenik returned to nan guidelines for his 3rd time of grounds and spent hours answering questions. His grounds concluded astatine nan extremity of nan time and Judge Beverly Cannone told him he would not person to return connected Tuesday.

Under re-direct introspection from typical charismatic Hank Brennan, Bukhenik testified that greenish marks connected nan backmost of O'Keefe's jeans looked for illustration writer stains that he surmised had been sustained erstwhile O'Keefe fell to nan crushed aft being struck.

On cross-examination, defense lawyer Alan Jackson asked if writer stains could travel from personification being dragged.

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Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Yuriy Bukhenik holds up pants worn by John O'Keefe during grounds successful nan proceedings of Karen Read connected May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa/Pool)

"My communal consciousness dictates that it was not a resistance people because it would person linear characterizations, and it would beryllium some hips that are engaged successful interaction pinch nan crushed while being dragged," Bukhenik said.

Earlier successful nan day, Bukhenik publication matter messages from erstwhile authorities Trooper Michael Proctor, who has since been fired complete his off-duty behaviour during nan first investigation.

During questioning by Jackson, Bukhenik confirmed that Proctor called Read "retarded," said he hated her different defense attorney, David Yannetti, and wrote astir searching her telephone for nude selfies.

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John O’Keefe (Boston Police Department)

Jackson besides played video that appears to show Brian Higgins astatine nan Canton Police Department office astir an hr aft prosecutors opportunity O'Keefe died.

Higgins was seen connected surveillance video among a group of group astatine nan Waterfall Bar and Grille on pinch Read and O'Keefe connected Jan. 28. He besides went to an after-party astatine 34 Fairview Road, a location owned by different Boston cop, Brian Albert.

O'Keefe was discovered dormant extracurricular nan pursuing morning.

Multiple witnesses person testified that they heard Read many times saying, "I deed him," nan greeting Read and 2 erstwhile friends recovered O'Keefe dormant nether a mound of snowfall connected Albert's lawn.

Karen Read sits pinch her defense squad during her trial, May 8, 2025, successful Dedham, Mass. (Charles Krupa/AP Pool)

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After sending jurors to luncheon Monday, Cannone held a speedy voir dire proceeding and yet said she would not let Jackson to mobility Bukhenik astir what he knew astir nan narration betwixt Proctor and relatives of Albert, including 1 of his brothers, Chris, who was besides astatine nan Waterfall connected Jan. 28.

Read could look up to life successful situation if convicted of nan apical charge, second-degree murder. She is besides accused of manslaughter and leaving nan segment of a deadly accident. 

Police person not accused Higgins of a crime, and prosecutors opportunity Read is nan only fishy successful O'Keefe's death.