The seventh week of witness testimony in the Karen Read murder trial begins Monday with Massachusetts State Police Detective Sergeant Yuri Bukhenik expected to take the stand for the third day.

Bukhenik and Trooper Michael Proctor ran the investigation that led to Read, 44, of Mansfield, being indicted for second-degree murder in the Canton death of John O’Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend. Bukhenik is the immediate supervisor of Proctor.

During Read’s arrest, Read allegedly told Bukhenik that two other prosecution witnesses were responsible for O’Keefe’s death.

On the stand Thursday, Bukhenik showed jurors O’Keefe’s clothing, including his hat found outside 34 Fairview Road in Canton.

Evidence was found on at least six different occasions as the snow melted outside the home of Brian Albert in January 2022.

Bukhenik was also questioned about why the video inside the Canton Police Department sallyport was flipped and why it appears to skip when Proctor is seen standing near the taillight.

The defense still has to finish questioning Bukhenik but the big question is if Proctor will take the stand after him.

Our legal expert Peter Elikann said it’s a bit odd that he hasn’t testified yet.

“Normally the lead investigator of any murder or criminal case usually takes his front and center and really takes a lead role in testifying. This is very unusual. He hasn’t been brought forward,” said Elikann. “He has been so damaged and his integrity has been so impugned and he’s still under as I understand and under investigation by the by the state police himself that it really is going to be a minefield for the prosecution to put him forward.”

Elikann said it’s likely that the prosecution calls Trooper Proctor because otherwise, the defense could call him when they present their case.

The trial begins a bit earlier on Monday for a motion hearing without the jury.

Judge Beverly Cannone has told the jury that she hopes the case is handed over to them for deliberation by the last week of June.

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