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Legal experts are handing Karen Read's defense squad nan triumph for Friday's heated cross-examination of Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik – who returned for his 2nd time connected nan guidelines arsenic prosecutors look to person nan assemblage that Read fatally struck her boyfriend, Boston bull John O'Keefe, and near him to dice successful a blizzard successful January 2022.
During hours of cross-examination from defense lawyer Alan Jackson, nan homicide interrogator was asked to publication a agelong drawstring of matter messages exchanged betwixt Read and Brian Higgins, a Canton-based ATF supplier pinch whom she was flirting down O’Keefe’s back.
Having Bukhenik publication nan texts allows nan defense to present hearsay statements into nan case, according to Grace Edwards, a Massachusetts defense lawyer who is pursuing nan lawsuit closely. They besides raise questions astir nan integrity of nan investigation, thing nan defense has aimed to discredit entirely.
STATE TROOPER POINTS TO POSSIBLE WEAPON IN JOHN O'KEEFE DEATH – AND IT'S NOT KAREN READ'S CAR
Text connection betwixt Brian Higgins (in blue) and Karen Read from January 2022.
"They are being entered not for nan truth of what is contained successful them but to show that they existed," she told Fox News Digital. "That is important because nan defense wants to beryllium capable to reason that these messages existed, and did aliases did not nan investigation see them arsenic a lead? Wouldn’t nan knowledge of a romanticist flirtation betwixt Karen Read and Brian Higgins create nan anticipation of conflict betwixt Brian Higgins and John O’Keefe?"
She said that some sides performed good Friday and credited Hank Brennan, nan typical charismatic brought successful to grip Read's retrial, pinch devising a caller strategy aft nan first proceedings ended successful a mistrial. But she said nan defense won retired slightly.
"Great lawyering connected some sides today. Hank Brennan’s caller proceedings strategy indicates he won’t request to telephone upon Brian Albert aliases Brian Higgins aliases Michael Proctor," she said. "They person stretched nan witnesser to nan max nan past fewer days. Alan Jackson appears to person worn nan witnesser down and location was damaging grounds regarding nan handling of evidence. Overall, I felt nan defense achieved much of their goals today."
Karen Read and John O'Keefe airs successful an undated photo. (Karen Read)
KAREN READ'S GOOGLE TIMELINE DERAILED AGAIN AS 2ND EXPERT DISPUTES DEFENSE CLAIMS
Sgt. Bukhenik spent hours connected nan guidelines Friday, reference done flirty matter messages betwixt Read and Brian Higgins, an ATF supplier and imaginable emotion liking whom she contacted down O’Keefe’s back.
The Ukraine native, who immigrated to nan U.S. erstwhile he was 9 and joined nan Marine Corps aft 9/11, often sparred pinch Jackson astir semantics, asking for a transcript of Webster's Dictionary astatine 1 point, telling nan tribunal that English was his "third language."
Frequent objections from nan typical prosecutor, Hank Brennan, besides interrupted nan proceedings arsenic Judge Beverly Cannone many times called nan sides to nan chair for off-camera discussions.
ATF Agent Brian Higgins speaks astatine Karen Read's first execution proceedings astatine Norfolk Superior Court connected Tuesday, May 28, 2024, successful Dedham, Mass. The lawsuit ended pinch a deadlocked jury, prompting her retrial, which began past month. (Stuart Cahill/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)
At 1 point, Jackson replayed video shown earlier of Read backing retired of O’Keefe’s car shed nan greeting he was recovered dead. The defense clip included a layover of a container pinch a zoomed-in position of O’Keefe’s vehicle, which was parked outside. It appeared to bounce successful spot arsenic Read neared it pinch her rear bumper – nan aforesaid 1 later recovered pinch a surgery taillight.
"The prosecution looks for illustration it's trying to hide nan truth pinch each objections," said Linda Kenney Baden, a salient East Coast defense lawyer who is intimately pursuing nan lawsuit connected her "Justice Served" podcast.
KAREN READ TRIAL: CANTON COP EXPLAINS USING LEAF BLOWER, RED SOLO CUPS, STOP & SHOP BAG FOR EVIDENCE
Another damning moment, she said, was erstwhile Bukhenik admitted that nary pieces of Read's surgery taillight were recovered until aft her conveyance - nan alleged execution limb – was parked wrong nan sallyport astatine Canton Police Headquarters.
Text connection betwixt Brian Higgins (in blue) and Karen Read from January 2022.
But she said it was Bukhenik's responses to Jackson that whitethorn person turned disconnected jurors – calling nan time a triumph for nan defense.
In nan texts, Read, now 45, discussed her narration struggles, many times mentioning that she was not joined and referred to herself arsenic "single" despite, arsenic Higgins wrote, having a "live successful boyfriend."
They discussed uncovering each different "hot," a buss they shared extracurricular O’Keefe’s house, dense drinking and danced astir laying retired their intentions for 1 another.
KAREN READ'S GOOGLE TIMELINE DERAILED AGAIN AS 2ND EXPERT DISPUTES DEFENSE CLAIMS
"Are you breaking up aliases staying together?" Higgins asked astatine 1 point, astir Read and O'Keefe.
Karen Read gets nan attraction of her lawyer during nan Karen Read execution proceedings successful Norfolk Superior Court successful Dedham, Mass., Friday, May 9, 2025. (Mark Stockwell/The Sun Chronicle via AP, Pool) (Mark Stockwell/The Sun Chronicle via AP, Pool)
"I don’t know," Read replied. "He hooked up pinch different woman connected vacation. I americium very adjacent to his niece. It’s a very f----- up situation."
Higgins many times asked Read for clarity astir her intentions, though they some said they recovered each different charismatic and traded invites to 1 another's homes.
"Ok, truthful he is cool pinch you making love different people?" Higgins asked successful different exchange.
Text connection betwixt Brian Higgins (in blue) and Karen Read from January 2022. (Pool)
"I uncertainty it," Read wrote. "If he is seeing personification other I wouldn’t want to cognize either way. He astir apt feels nan same. And you astir apt consciousness that measurement astir whoever you hook up with. I deliberation that’s normal."
Higgins was coming astatine nan Waterfall Bar and Grille pinch Read, O’Keefe and others earlier nan full group went to nan adjacent location of Brian Albert, a chap Boston constabulary serviceman who is besides adjacent friends pinch Higgins.
Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik testifies during nan Karen Read execution proceedings successful Norfolk Superior Court successful Dedham, Mass., Friday, May 9, 2025. (Mark Stockwell/The Sun Chronicle via AP, Pool)
Read has claimed she dropped O’Keefe off, saw him spell wrong and left.
Prosecutors allege that she deed him pinch nan rear extremity of nan Lexus SUV and near him to dice connected nan ground.
Read had pleaded not blameworthy to charges of murder, manslaughter and fleeing nan scene. Her defense denied that a collision happened astatine each and insists his fatal injuries were inflicted successful immoderate different measurement - perchance a "fight" pinch 1 aliases much group astatine nan after-party.
Read’s first trial, successful which she claimed she was being framed by a group of rule enforcement pinch ties to Albert and his family, ended pinch a deadlocked assemblage and a mistrial.
Officer John O’Keefe poses for his charismatic headshot. O’Keefe’s girlfriend, Karen Reed, is presently connected proceedings for execution aft he was recovered dormant extracurricular of a Massachusetts location successful January 2022. (Boston Police Department)
Special charismatic Hank Brennan, a salient Massachusetts defense lawyer who antecedently represented Whitey Bulger, was brought successful to return complete nan reins from Assistant Norfolk County District Attorney Adam Lally, who is still portion of nan prosecution team.
While Read has said that whether she will attest successful her ain defense remains "to beryllium determined," Brennan sought and obtained video interviews that Read had fixed to various TV outlets and documentarians and has been playing clips successful tribunal for nan jury.
KAREN READ'S GOOGLE TIMELINE DERAILED AGAIN AS 2ND EXPERT DISPUTES DEFENSE CLAIMS
In nan texts, Higgins told Read he wasn't willing successful "drama" but continued nan two-way flirting until she sent a chilling matter to him astir noon connected Jan. 29, 2022.
"John died," she wrote.
Karen Read listens to sidebar conferences pinch lawyers and Judge Cannone during her execution proceedings successful Norfolk Superior Court successful Dedham, Mass., Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
Just hours earlier, while she was retired drinking pinch O'Keefe astir an hr earlier nan extremity of his life, Higgins sent 2 texts to her that went unanswered astir 11:30 p.m. connected Jan. 28, 2022.
Lawyers for some parties besides agreed successful tribunal that astatine 12:20 a.m. nan pursuing morning, Higgins besides texted O'Keefe. "You coming here???"
Earlier, Jackson besides grilled Bukhenik complete really grounds was handled successful nan case. Bukhenik testified that nary taillight fragments had been recovered until aft Read's SUV was successful authorities constabulary custody. He couldn't opportunity which serviceman had filled retired an grounds container nether his sanction and didn't retrieve whom he had fixed nan unsigned grounds to.
Jackson asked him whether he was alert that much than a twelve reports successful nan lawsuit weren't written until much than 100 days aft nan events that they were expected to "memorialize" had taken place. He said he was not.
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Police witnesses whitethorn beryllium hurting nan lawsuit owed to missteps that shouldn't person happened had regular protocols been followed, according to Joseph Giacalone, a erstwhile NYPD acold lawsuit interrogator and an adjunct crminal justness professor astatine Penn State Lehigh Valley.
Paul O'Keefe, relative of execution unfortunate John O'Keefe, listens to grounds during nan Karen Read execution proceedings successful Norfolk Superior Court successful Dedham, Mass., Friday, May 9, 2025. (Mark Stockwell/The Sun Chronicle via AP, Pool)
"A necktie goes to nan defense," he said of Friday's testimony. "The Massachusetts State Police person a awesome problem connected their hands."
The MSP fired erstwhile Trooper Michael Proctor, who was a lead interrogator successful nan case, aft his grounds during nan first proceedings revealed unprofessional matter messages he had sent regarding Read. He could attest erstwhile nan defense presents its lawsuit later successful nan trial.
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Local constabulary besides testified that they utilized reddish Solo cups and a market container to cod evidence, removed snowfall pinch a leafblower and continued to beryllium progressive connected nan outskirts of nan lawsuit contempt a conflict of liking – 1 of their detectives is Brian Albert's brother.
"The prosecution is going to spell location this play and reevaluate things, because this week couldn’t person been worse," said David Gelman, a erstwhile charismatic and Philadelphia-area defense lawyer who is pursuing nan case.
Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor faces a reliable cross-examination by lawyer Alan Jackson. The Karen Read execution proceedings successful Norfolk Superior Court, Dedham, Massachusetts, connected Wednesday, June 12, 2024 (© Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger/IMAGN)
He antecedently told Fox News Digital he was amazed nan commonwealth moreover moved guardant pinch a caller proceedings aft nan first lawsuit fell apart.
On nan different hand, integer grounds has not supported defense claims.
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Two experts person testified that Albert's sister-in-law, Jennifer McCabe, made a cardinal Google hunt astir hypothermia soon aft Read and 2 different women recovered O'Keefe unresponsive successful nan snowfall – not hours earlier, earlier anyone should person known he was dead, arsenic nan defense has claimed.
And reference nan texts successful tribunal could beryllium a "double-edged sword," said Paul Mauro, a erstwhile NYPD inspector. Did Higgins person a logic to get into an altercation pinch O'Keefe? Or do they overgarment Read arsenic manipulative and untruthful?
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