DEDHAM, Mass. (Court TV) — The third week of Karen Read’s murder retrial featured some fiery cross-examinations, a new look at the clothes John O’Keefe was wearing when he was killed and a lengthy analogy likening cell phone data to restaurant service.
Defendant Karen Read, center, and defense lawyer David Yannetti, right, listen as Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik testifieds during the Karen Read murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Friday, May 9, 2025. (Mark Stockwell/The Sun Chronicle via AP, Pool)
Read is standing trial for a second time on charges that she was driving drunk when she hit her boyfriend, O’Keefe, with her car and then left him to die in the snow outside of a friend’s home. While Read’s first trial ended with a mistrial when the jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict, the second trial has looked very different as prosecutors look to get a conviction.
Special prosecutor Hank Brennan, brought in to represent the Commonwealth, continued to present his case-in-chief, focusing first on the evidence collected from the scene at 34 Fairview.
Leaf blower and Solo cups
The collection of evidence remains a point of contention in Read’s case, as the police on the scene used unconventional methods to gather blood found in the snow. Instead of using supplies from the police department, Canton Police Lt. Paul Gallagher explained that he used Solo cups taken from a house across the street to collect evidence. Gallagher also described using a leaf blower to “whisk” the snow and search for evidence.
John O’Keefe’s Clothing
In the first trial, jurors saw photos of John O’Keefe’s clothing that was taken from the hospital after being cut from his body. But this week, Brennan brought the clothing into court pressed into large plexiglass displays, allowing the jury to have a close-up view of the orange t-shirt and gray sweatshirt that appeared stained.
Ryan Nagel Says He Never Saw John O’Keefe
Ryan Nagel, who drove to 34 Fairview the night that O’Keefe was killed to pick up his sister, testified that he saw a woman driving a black SUV turn onto the street and park in front of the Alberts’ home. Nagel denied ever seeing O’Keefe.
‘Hos long to die in cold’
The search string “hos long to die in cold” was hotly debated as forensic expert Jessica Hyde testified that there was no way the phrase was searched before 6 a.m. While Read’s defense maintains that Jennifer McCabe ran the Google search at 2:27 a.m., Hyde used a lengthy analogy likening cell phone data to a restaurant to explain that simply wasn’t possible. Instead, Hyde said the search was performed at 6:24 a.m. in a tab that had previously been opened at 2:27 a.m.
“Do you want me to get a dictionary?”
Alan Jackson’s cross-examination of Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik turned contentious at times with Jackson offering to fetch a dictionary at one point during an argument over semantics. Bukhenik admitted that he had been disciplined for failing to adequately supervise Michael Proctor as a result of inappropriate text messages that Proctor sent about Read during the investigation.
‘I Am not a hoe’: Texts between Karen Read, Brian Higgins
Karen Read sat and listened in court on Friday as Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik read through pages and pages of texts she exchanged with Brian Higgins, who has been named as a potential third-party suspect by her defense team. The texts, which are largely flirtatious in nature, reveal that the two shared a kiss at John O’Keefe’s home shortly before his death.
