The Massachusetts State Police sergeant responsible for overseeing embattled Trooper Michael Proctor is facing discipline for his failure to reprimand his subordinate for inappropriate text messages sent during the Karen Read investigation.
Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik will forfeit five vacation days for his failure to "properly supervise and/or counsel a subordinate for sending inappropriate correspondence regarding an ongoing investigation," according to the disciplinary order.
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This all stems from behavior revealed during Proctor's testimony during Read's high-profile murder trial earlier this year. Read is accused of hitting and killing her Boston Police officer boyfriend John O'Keefe in January 2022. Her defense team claims she was the victim of a police coverup.
In what became a key point of contention in the trial, Proctor acknowledged sending family members, friends and fellow members of the state police, including supervisors, what he said were "unprofessional and regrettable" texts about Read.
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Reading out loud on the witness stand, he admitted calling Read "a whack job … c***" while he was investigating her.
When a friend said they were "sure the owner of the house will receive some s***," Proctor replied, "Nope, homeowner is a Boston cop, too."
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Proctor texted his sister, referring to Read, "Hopefully she kills herself."
In court, Proctor testified that he sent a text while going through Read's phone to co-workers, saying he had found "no nudes so far." Bukhenik was among the troopers on that text chain.
A judge declared a mistrial in the Read case in July, but the prosecution has vowed to retry the case. With Proctor's credibility now questioned, the fallout could affect not just Read's case but other open investigations. Proctor was also a lead investigator in other high-profile cases, including the death of Ana Walshe, the Cohasset mother whose husband is accused of killing her and then hiding her dismembered body. With some cases yet to go to trial, impacts are possible on a significant list of cases.
Proctor remains under investigation and suspended without pay from the Massachusetts State Police.
