State Police Det. Lt. Brian Tully took the witness stand in the Karen Read murder trial to provide further testimony on Thursday. He presented cell phone records and new surveillance videos, following a contentious cross-examination of State Police Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator in the case. Proctor had faced questions about his text messages regarding Read and admitted that his emotions influenced his responses. Tully confirmed that Proctor’s texts were reported up the chain of command.
During his testimony, Proctor was forced to read crude language from his text messages, including one exchange where he expressed doubt that Read would escape responsibility for O’Keefe’s death. Defense attorney Alan Jackson confronted Proctor about another message where he seemingly wished for Read’s death. Proctor defended himself, claiming it was a figure of speech. Jackson’s subsequent remark, “Shame on you sir,” was objected to by the defense and scolded by Judge Beverly Cannone.
Despite being under investigation for his handling of the Read case, Proctor testified that he is still assigned to it. Following Proctor’s testimony, Brian Tully, commander of the Norfolk County District Attorney’s state police detective unit, took the stand as the prosecution’s 58th witness. He discussed searching the Albert home and explained that they excluded Canton police from involvement due to a potential conflict of interest.
Tully revealed that cell phone records showed 53 phone calls from Read to associates of O’Keefe during the early morning hours of January 29, the day O’Keefe died. Surveillance videos from the Canton Public Library and a nearby temple captured a large black SUV, believed to be driven by Read, passing through at 12:16 a.m., suggesting she brought O’Keefe to the Alberts’ house after leaving a local bar. Tully also presented security camera footage showing the same car passing by the crime scene before heading towards the Albert home.
Furthermore, Tully analyzed Read’s cell phone data and created maps illustrating her phone’s communication with various antennas. The data indicated that Read’s car was heading towards the Albert home at 5:18 a.m. Prosecutors suggested that Read passed the crime scene before going to Jennifer McCabe’s house and later discovered O’Keefe’s body under the snow. Jackson questioned Tully about the lack of winter clothing on O’Keefe and suggested that it should have raised suspicions about the people inside the Albert home.
After Tully’s testimony, DNA experts took the stand. Sgt. Brian Gallerani from the Needham Police Department collected samples from Proctor and State Police Sgt. Yuriy Bukhenik for DNA analysis. Nicholas Bradford, a DNA expert from Bode Technology, testified that O’Keefe’s DNA was found on a piece of the tail light and there was strong evidence of his exclusion of Bukhenik and Proctor’s DNA.
DNA analyst Tess Chart confirmed that a hair found at the scene likely belonged to O’Keefe, ruling out 99.895% of the world’s population. Andre Porto, a DNA expert from the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory, discovered O’Keefe’s DNA on the tail light and broken drinking glass near the body. Additionally, O’Keefe’s DNA was found in blood stains on his clothing.
The trial continues to unfold, with each witness providing valuable insights into the case. The defense has been diligently working to challenge the credibility of key investigators, particularly Proctor. As the jury evaluates the evidence, they will need to weigh the testimonies of these experts and consider whether they support or undermine the defense’s claim of a police cover-up and framing of Karen Read.
