Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
DEDHAM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Wednesday was day 20 of the Karen Read murder trial at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham.
Read is accused of hitting her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, with her SUV and leaving him to die in a snowstorm in January of 2022.
His body was found in the front lawn of a Canton home owned by retired Boston Police Officer Brian Albert.
She has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder. Read's defense attorneys say she is being framed. They argue O'Keefe was actually beaten up inside of the Alberts' home, and dragged outside.
In earlier testimonies, witnesses have testified that Read said, "I hit him," when O'Keefe's body was found hours later.
Read More: Karen Read Murder Trial Resumes After Last Week's Break
After several days off last week, the Karen Read murder trial resumed on Monday.
The jury heard from Massachusetts State Police Lt. Kevin O'Hara, along with a few forensic scientists.
Forensic Scientist Ashley Vallier with the State Police Crime Lab began her testimony on Monday and resumed her questioning on Wednesday after a one-day court break.
Vallier examined evidence brought in the day O'Keefe was found dead, and one of her tasks was piecing together broken taillight evidence found at the crime scene.
The prosecution has argued that the evidence came from Read's car and was broken when she ran into O'Keefe.
Vallier explained that Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator in the case, submitted the evidence, and the defense has accused Proctor of planting evidence to help his friends, the Alberts.
Proctor is under investigation for how he handled the case.
In general, Read's lawyers have been arguing that evidence found at the scene was not handled or processed properly.
Read More: Karen Read Murder Trial Hears Further Testimony From Jen McCabe, Others
Next on the stand was Christina Hanley, who also works in the State Police Crime Lab and examined some broken cocktail glass shards found at the site of O'Keefe's body.
She told the jury that some glass shards found on Read's car bumper matched the glass collected at the crime scene.
The defense questioned how the glass could have stayed on the bumper while it was being towed to the crime lab.
Under further questioning from Read's lawyers, Hanley explained how other glass pieces found at the scene did not, in fact, match the drinking glass.
Witnesses have said that Read pulled a drinking glass out of her pocket at a bar hours before O'Keefe died.
Read More: Second Week Of Karen Read Murder Trial Wraps Up
State Police Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik testified after Hanley. He was the on-call police supervisor when O'Keefe's body was found on Jan. 29, 2022, as well as Proctor's supervisor.
Bukhenik unboxed evidence on the stand on Wednesday, including O'Keefe's clothing.
The police sergeant interviewed Read on Jan. 29 at her parents' house. He said he noticed compacted snow and a broken taillight on her car.
Bukhenik said that Read said, "I don't know. It happened last night," when asked about the damage to her car.
Prosecutors played a video taken from O'Keefe's Ring camera which showed Read backing out of the driveway around 5 a.m. on Jan. 29, coming near O'Keefe's car parked in the back of the driveway.
The defense has previously argued that Read backed into O'Keefe's car and that was why her car was damaged.
Bukhenik will continue his testimony on Thursday, which is a half-day. Court is not in session on Friday.
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