Three Massachusetts state troopers involved in the case against Karen Read for the death of her police officer boyfriend are now under an internal affairs investigation.
All three of the troopers communicated with Trooper Michael Proctor, who admitted in court sending disparaging messages about Read to friends and colleagues. Proctor was suspended without pay earlier this month, WFXT reported.
The trial against Read, charged with the death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, ended in a hung jury earlier this month, as CrimeOnline reported. A new trial date has been set for January 2025. The defense is seeking the dismissal of two of the charges against Reed, claiming that the jury did reach a unanimous decision on charges of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of a fatal crash.
A state patrol spokesperson told WFXT that Detective Lieutenant Brian Tully, Lieutenant John Fanning, and Sergeant Yuri Bukhenik are all under “an active internal affairs investigation.”
“The department respectfully declines further comment in fairness to the integrity of the process and pending investigative outcomes,” the spokesperson said. “The Troopers remain on full duty at this time.”
WFXT reported that Tully is the Norfolk County State Police Detective United commander and testified at Read’s trial in June. He discussed the messages Proctor sent, saying that he immediately reported them to State Police command.
Fanning works with the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office, which brought the charges against Read.
Bukhenik was Proctor’s supervisor and testified that Read told him she believed she was framed for O’Keefe’s murder.
State Police did not provide any details about what internal affairs are looking for in their investigation of the three troopers.
“Generally speaking, the purpose of an internal affairs investigation is to confirm compliance with department rules and regulations,” the spokesperson said.
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[Featured image: Karen Read/LinkedIn and John O’Keefe/Boston Police Department]
