Legal peeps are saying that Karen Read’s defense team totally crushed it during the cross-examination of Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik on Friday. This was his second day on the stand as prosecutors try to convince the jury that Read killed her boyfriend, Boston cop John O’Keefe, and left him to die in a blizzard in January 2022. The defense attorney, Alan Jackson, had Bukhenik read a bunch of text messages between Read and Brian Higgins, an ATF agent she was flirting with behind O’Keefe’s back. This move allowed the defense to bring in hearsay statements and question the investigation’s integrity.
According to Grace Edwards, a defense attorney following the case, the text messages were shown not for their content but to prove they existed. This is crucial because the defense wants to argue whether these messages were considered as a lead in the investigation. Edwards also mentioned the possibility of conflict between Higgins and O’Keefe due to their romantic flirtation with Read.
On Friday, both sides gave it their all, but the defense seemed to come out slightly on top. Hank Brennan, the special prosecutor handling Read’s retrial, switched up the strategy after the mistrial in the first trial. The defense seemed to have achieved more of their goals, with Alan Jackson wearing down the witness and revealing damaging evidence handling testimony.
During the testimony, Bukhenik read through the flirty messages between Read and Higgins, shedding light on their relationship. Jackson and Bukhenik had some back-and-forth about semantics, with Bukhenik even asking for a dictionary at one point, claiming English was his “third language.” The proceedings were interrupted by frequent objections from Hank Brennan, leading to off-camera discussions between the sides.
One key moment was when Jackson showed a video of Read backing out of O’Keefe’s garage, which revealed a potential collision with O’Keefe’s vehicle. The defense suggested that the prosecution was trying to hide the truth with their objections.
Another damaging revelation was that no pieces of Read’s broken taillight were recovered until after her vehicle was in police custody, casting doubt on the evidence handling in the case. Despite these points, Bukhenik’s responses to Jackson may have swayed the jury in favor of the defense.
The text messages exchanged between Read and Higgins painted a picture of their complicated relationship, with discussions about their attraction to each other and O’Keefe’s involvement. Higgins repeatedly sought clarity on Read’s intentions, leading to a murky situation involving multiple parties.
The prosecution alleges that Read hit O’Keefe with her SUV and left him to die, while Read maintains her innocence. The first trial ended in a mistrial, with Read claiming she was being framed by law enforcement linked to Brian Albert and his family.
Hank Brennan, the special prosecutor, is now in charge of the case, seeking to use video interviews given by Read in court. Digital evidence has not fully supported the defense claims, with experts testifying about key Google searches made after O’Keefe was found unresponsive.
Overall, the day seemed to lean in favor of the defense, with the Massachusetts State Police facing criticism for mishandling evidence and protocol. The prosecution may need to reevaluate their strategy after a challenging week in court.
