Karen Read's Explosive New Lawsuit: Boston Woman Sues Investigators and Former Pals Claiming She Was 'Framed for Murder' in Boyfriend John O'Keefe's Death
Karen Read has filed a lawsuit against several the lead investigator and several witnesses who testified at her murder trial.
Nov. 19 2025, Updated 11:50 a.m. ET
Karen Read, who was acquitted of the murder of her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe, has filed a bombshell lawsuit against the lead investigator and several witnesses who testified against her at trial, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Read accused the witnesses, some of whom were her former friends, of being responsible for O'Keefe's death – and further claimed the investigator failed to properly pursue all leads in the case.
Read Sues Investigators, Witnesses
Read was acquitted of John O'Keefe's murder in June.
Read filed the civil lawsuit in Bristol County Superior Court on Monday, November 17.
She is suing lead investigator and former state trooper Michael Proctor, Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik, Lt. Brian Tully, Brian Albert, Nicole Albert, Jennifer McCabe, Matthew McCabe, and Brian Higgins.
The lawsuit alleges O'Keefe was killed "in an altercation during a late-night house party with other Defendants after a night of heavy drinking" at Albert's Canton, Massachusetts, home, and "concocted a plan immediately" to frame Read for his death.
Read's lawsuit alleged her boyfriend was killed 'in an altercation' at two of the defendant's home.
The lawsuit stated: "Now, after being acquitted of all charges relating to Mr. O'Keefe's death, Ms. Read brings this action to recover for and address the actions of those actually involved in Mr. O'Keefe's death and the law enforcement officers who abjectly failed to ensure that justice was sought and served in the aftermath of January 29, 2022."
"From the beginning, investigators from (Massachusetts State Police) allowed the House Defendants to direct the investigation away from themselves, and toward Ms. Read," the lawsuit continued. "The House Defendants were a well-connected and close social group with strong ties to law enforcement."
"Accountability is coming – and these defendants can threaten all the phantom lawsuits they want, but the truth doesn't flinch," Read's attorney Alan Jackson said in a statement. "
Meanwhile, five of the defendants named in Read's lawsuit reportedly said in a legal brief they plan to sue her and blogger Aidan Kearney for defamation.
The defendants accused Read of creating "a vile work of fiction" in an effort to "to evade responsibility for her actions."
Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik, who testified at Read's trial, was subject to a 2024 internal affairs investigation and has now been named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
Several of the defendants named in Read's lawsuit were at the center of an internal affairs investigation last year.
As RadarOnline.com reported, three Massachusetts State Troopers – Tully, Bukhenik, and Lt. John Fanning – were reportedly in communication with Proctor, who sent "disparaging" text messages about Read to friends and colleagues.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Read Acquitted of Murder
O'Keefe was found unresponsive outside the Albert home in January 2022 after a blizzard.
O'Keefe was found unresponsive outside the Canton home in January 2022 after a blizzard. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. His cause of death was determined to be hypothermia and blunt force trauma to the head.
Prosecutors accused Read of backing her SUV into her boyfriend in a drunken rage and fleeing the scene, leaving him injured and exposed to the elements.
Read's defense team argued an altercation took place inside the Canton home, leading to O'Keefe's death, and insisted she was being framed.
Reed was put on trial twice for her boyfriend's murder. She was acquitted of murder and manslaughter charges in June, though she was found guilty of driving under the influence.
