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State Police reassign Sgt. Bukhenik, key investigator in Karen Read case
Bukhenik was previously disciplined in connection with the vulgar texts one of his subordinates, ex-Trooper Michael Proctor, sent about Read.
Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Yuriy Bukhenik, one of the main investigators in the Karen Read case, has been transferred out of the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office, a State Police spokesperson confirmed.
Bukhenik’s transfer to the agency’s Division of Standards and Training on a “temporary duty assignment” became effective Sunday, according to spokesperson Tim McGuirk.
“As a Sergeant assigned to the DST Commander’s Office, Sergeant Bukhenik will perform a variety of administrative functions in support of the Division’s daily operations,” McGuirk explained. The State Police Division of Investigative Services is accepting applications for Bukhenik’s previous position with the Norfolk County State Police Detective Unit, he added.
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Col. Geoffrey Noble “has impressed upon leaders of every rank that personnel decisions should serve the best interest of the Department’s public safety mission,” according to McGuirk. “We do this by conducting a fair and robust hiring process that ensures Troopers and professional staff of every background can articulate their qualifications and describe their ability to fulfill the specific responsibilities of any given [role].”
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State Police did not cite the explicit reason for Bukhenik’s reassignment.
His transfer comes just weeks after a jury acquitted Read of murder and manslaughter charges in the January 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe. After three years, two highly publicized trials, and several weeks of testimony, Read was convicted only of a drunk driving charge and received a year of probation.
Taking the stand in May for Read’s retrial, Bukhenik defended the State Police investigation into the death of O’Keefe, who was found unresponsive on a fellow Boston police officer’s lawn in Canton on Jan. 29, 2022.
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“The investigation was done with honor, integrity, and all the evidence pointed in one direction and one direction only,” Bukhenik testified, pushing back on the defense team’s claims of a botched and biased probe into what transpired at 34 Fairview Road.
Read’s lawyers have long maintained she was framed, suggesting law enforcement and witnesses conspired to protect the homeowner’s family and friends. They’ve pointed in particular to former Trooper Michael Proctor, who led the investigation and worked under Bukhenik.
State Police fired Proctor earlier this year in light of his conduct during the case, particularly the vulgar texts he sent to family, friends, and coworkers about Read. The agency also disciplined Bukhenik and Detective Lt. Brian Tully, who previously led the State Police detective unit in the Norfolk DA’s office, in connection with Proctor’s texts. Bukhenik forfeited five vacation days, while Tully forfeited six and was transferred out of the DA’s office last fall.
Testifying in May, Bukhenik confirmed he was included on a text chain when Proctor sent a message responding to a photo of one of Read’s defense attorneys, David Yannetti.
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“Funny, I am going through his retarded client’s phone,” Proctor wrote on Aug. 17, 2022. “No nudes so far. I hate that man. I truly hate him.”
Bukhenik explained he was working a traffic detail at Boston Logan International Airport that day, saw the message come in on his Apple Watch, and responded with a thumbs up emoji after glancing at it quickly.
“I acknowledged the text message,” he later testified. “I never saw the vile term.”
Bukhenik further called Proctor’s choice of words “unprofessional and unfortunate.”
“As the Colonel said following the conclusion of the second trial, the events of the last three years have challenged our Department to thoroughly review our actions and take concrete steps to deliver advanced investigative training, ensure appropriate oversight, and enhance accountability,” McGuirk said Monday.
Under Noble’s direction, he added, “the State Police has, and will continue to, improve in these regards. Our focus remains on delivering excellent police services that reflect the value of professionalism and maintaining public trust.”
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