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Jurors hear crude texts from fired trooper

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Jurors hear crude texts from fired trooper

Jurors hear crude texts from fired trooper

Featured, USA3 months ago13 Views

Trooper Michael Proctor was fired for causes unrelated to the crude textual content messages he despatched whereas investigating the loss of life of John O’Keefe, Massachusetts State Police beforehand advised USA TODAY.

One other Massachusetts state trooper took the stand within the homicide trial of Karen Learn on Could 8, studying crude textual content messages despatched by certainly one of his subordinates through the investigation.

Learn, 45, is accused of hitting her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, along with her Lexus SUV and leaving him for lifeless outdoors the house of a fellow cop in January 2022. Prosecutors say Learn intentionally hit O’Keefe, 46, in a drunken rage.

The testimony comes after protection attorneys sparred with an professional over the timing of a star witness’ Google search.

An evaluation of the telephone of Jennifer McCabe, a good friend of the couple who testified for the prosecution, discovered she Googled how lengthy does it take to die within the chilly the day O’Keefe was discovered. A second professional testified that the search was made after O’Keefe was discovered unconscious, not earlier than because the protection has advised.

Learn’s attorneys say she was framed for O’Keefe’s homicide. Courtroom ended Could 7 with prosecutors enjoying a clip of Learn saying “Jen McCabe, it is me or her. Both I am taking place, Jen, or you’re.”

The case out of Dedham, Massachusetts has became a years-long whodunnit authorized saga that has garnered huge intrigue from true-crime followers throughout the nation, spurring an array of podcasts, motion pictures, and tv reveals. The previous monetary professor is again in courtroom after a 2024 trial led to a hung jury.

The primary full day of testimony was April 23. Choose Beverly Cannone estimated the trial may final between six and eight weeks and advised jurors not too long ago that the proceedings are on or barely forward of schedule.

One among Learn’s attorneys questioned Yuri Bukhenik, a Massachusetts State Police trooper, in regards to the thoroughness of his investigation, together with whether or not he investigated the likelihood that O’Keefe was concerned in a bodily altercation earlier than his loss of life.

Bukhenik stated it was doable he advised the medical expert’s workplace on Jan. 29, 2022, that O’Keefe had probably been struck within the face with a cocktail glass.

Bukhenik stated he didn’t go into the home or safe the garden as a criminal offense scene on the day O’Keefe was discovered outdoors. However he stated he interviewed the home-owner, Brian Albert, and two witnesses, McCabe and her husband, to find out if anybody in the home had been concerned in an altercation.

Learn’s lawyer requested if witnesses who had been in the home could be motivated to lie in the event that they had been concerned an altercation with O’Keefe. Bukhenik stated he couldn’t reply that, however later acknowledged that somebody who seems to be a cooperating witness may very well be a suspect who’s mendacity.

Bukhenik is anticipated to return to the stand on Could 9.

One among Learn’s lawyer began questioning by urgent Bukhenik in regards to the involvement of his former subordinate, Michael Proctor, within the investigation.

Bukhenik stated Proctor, who was later fired for unrelated fees, was concerned with accumulating proof, authoring search warrants and conducting interviews. However Bukhenik denied that Proctor had a significant function within the investigation within the contentious backwards and forwards.

Finally, Bukhenik stated bias and Proctor’s involvement didn’t taint the investigation.

“This investigation was carried out professionally with integrity and all of the proof collected, all of the statements collected pointed in a single course,” Bukhenik stated.

“All of the proof pointed in a single course and one course solely,” he later added.

Bukhenik learn aloud to the jury crude textual content messages despatched by an officer he supervised through the investigation into Learn. Within the August 2022 messages, trooper Michael Proctor used a slur and stated he was going by an individual’s telephone however had discovered “no nudes up to now.” Bukhenik didn’t establish the folks Proctor was referring to within the messages.

Bukhenik stated an inside investigation later discovered he didn’t adequately supervise Proctor and gave an inaccurate quarterly efficiency assessment. He stated he misplaced 5 trip days consequently. Proctor, who testified in Learn’s first trial, was fired in March for causes unrelated to the textual content messages.

Bukhenik additionally described the method of discovering proof because the snow melted within the days following O’Keefe’s loss of life together with his hat, a consuming straw and extra items of clear and purple plastic. Prosecutors performed Ring and sprint digicam footage displaying the harm to Learn’s taillight.

Bukhenik started to stroll jurors by surveillance footage from the 2 eating places the place Learn and O’Keefe went consuming the evening previous to his loss of life earlier than the courtroom broke for lunch.

Bukhenik advised jurors what Learn stated to police and what O’Keefe’s physique regarded just like the day he died.

Bukhenik stated blood was pooled beneath O’Keefe’s head and seeping into the sheets of his hospital mattress after his loss of life. Each of O’Keefe’s eyes had been swollen and discolored and there have been small cuts on his face. Bukhenik stated there have been additionally cuts and bruises on his proper arm, hand and knee.

Bukhenik confirmed jurors items of clothes O’Keefe was sporting the day he died. He stated he discovered it “very important” that certainly one of O’Keefe’s sneakers was lacking and whereas he was on the hospital, he started to theorize that O’Keefe had been struck by a automotive.

“I used to be suspecting that he was hit out of his sneakers,” Bukhenik stated.

O’Keefe’s sneaker was later discovered on the scene, in accordance with earlier testimony.

Bukhenik then went to speak to Learn at her dad and mom’ dwelling, the place he noticed that a big piece of the purple taillight cowl was lacking from her SUV. When requested in regards to the harm, Learn stated, “I don’t understand how I did it final evening.”

Learn advised police that after an evening of consuming, she dropped O’Keefe off at 34 Fairview Highway. She stated she made a three-point flip and left with out seeing him go into the home, in accordance with Bukhenik.

When requested how O’Keefe may need sustained his accidents, Learn advised police O’Keefe had bumped his head two nights earlier than and had requested her about it. Police then seized Learn’s car and cellular phone, Bukhenik stated.

Jessica Hyde, a digital forensics examiner, stated a tab was opened on Jennifer McCabe’s telephone at 2:27 a.m. on Jan. 29 and a number of searches had been made sooner or later, together with for sporting occasions, a video of the tune It’s Raining Males and two essential, misspelled questions “hos (sic) lengthy to die within the chilly” and “how lengthy ti die in cikd (sic)”

Hyde stated “hos (sic) lengthy to die in chilly” was the ultimate search made within the tab at 6:24 a.m. O’Keefe was discovered round 6 a.m.

Hyde is the second professional to inform jurors this search was made after 6 a.m. Ian Whiffin, a digital intelligence professional, testified on April 28 that forensic information confirmed the Google search occurred at about 6:23 a.m.

Learn’s lawyer tried to poke holes in Hyde’s testimony by stating variations between her earlier testimony, her report and Whiffin’s findings.

CourtTV has been masking the case towards Learn and the legal investigation since early 2022, when O’Keefe’s physique was discovered outdoors a Canton dwelling.

You’ll be able to watch CourtTV’s stay feed of the Learn trial proceedings from Norfolk Superior Courtroom in Dedham, Massachusetts. Proceedings start at 9 a.m. ET.

Contributing: Michael Loria, USA TODAY