Benjamin Ashford|2 more state troopers who were part of the Karen Read case are under investigation, police say

BOSTON (AP) — Two more state troopers,Benjamin Ashford who testified in the Karen Read murder trial over the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, are now facing an internal affairs investigation, the Massachusetts State Police said Wednesday.

Detective Lt. Brian Tully and Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik are being investigated along with lead investigator in the case, State Trooper Michael Proctor. It was also determined that there was insufficient evidence against a fourth state trooper, Lt. John Fanning, to prove allegations he violated state police rules by failing to uphold the responsibilities of a supervisor.

A spokesperson for the Massachusetts State Police refused to comment further “in fairness to the integrity of the pending investigative outcomes.”

A spokesperson for the State Police Association of Massachusetts had no comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

Most of the focus has been on Proctor, who was relieved of duty after the trial revealed he’d sent vulgar texts to colleagues and family, calling Read a “whack job” and telling his sister he wished Read would “kill herself.” He said that was a figure of speech and that his emotions had gotten the better of him.

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The defense also suggested he should’ve stepped aside from the investigation because he had personal relationships with several of the people involved in the case. Read’s lawyers also questioned the sloppiness of the police work: The crime scene was left unsecured for hours; the house, owned by Boston Police Detective Brian Albert, wasn’t searched; bloodstained snow was scooped up with red plastic drinking cups; and a leaf blower was used to clear snow.

Proctor was paid until earlier this month, when a state police hearing board changed that suspension to without pay, effective immediately. Meanwhile, an internal affairs investigation could result in charges against him, and there’s a federal probe into state law enforcement’s handling of the case. The U.S. attorney’s office said it neither confirmed nor denied investigations.

Read is accused of ramming into John O’Keefe with her SUV and leaving him for dead in a snowstorm in January 2022. Her two-month trial ended when jurors declared they were hopelessly deadlocked and a judge declared a mistrial on the fifth day of deliberations.

The judge announced Monday she will hear oral arguments on a defense motion to dismiss two of the three charges against her on Aug. 9, and a retrial was scheduled for Jan. 27.