The high-profile murder trial of Karen Read resumed on Thursday, with compelling testimony from law enforcement officials and DNA experts. Massachusetts State Police Lt. Brian Tully took the stand, testifying alongside Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator whose controversial messages were a focal point earlier in the week.

Read stands accused of fatally hitting her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, with her SUV during a snowstorm and leaving him to die outside a Canton home. However, the defense claims that O'Keefe was actually killed during a fight inside former Boston police officer Brian Albert's home.

As the trial progressed, the prosecution sought to disprove the defense's assertions by presenting DNA evidence. Prosecutor Adam Lally called Needham police Sgt. Brian Gallerani, who testified that he collected DNA swabs from Proctor and his supervisor, State Police Sgt. Yuriy Bukhenik. These samples were compared to DNA recovered from the taillight of Read's SUV.

Nicholas Bradford, a technology data analyst from the Bode Technology lab, revealed the results of the testing. DNA from three individuals, including a strong likelihood of a match with John O'Keefe, was found on the taillight. Importantly, DNA belonging to Proctor and Bukhenik was not detected.

The forensic DNA analysts from Bode, Tess Chart and Andre Porto, further supported the prosecution's case. Chart testified that mitochondrial DNA testing identified a hair found on the rear of Read's SUV as a probable match for O'Keefe. Porto confirmed the likelihood of a match between the DNA on the taillight and O'Keefe's.

The defense, however, chose not to cross-examine Chart or Porto. Their argument focused on the alleged planting of evidence, with Read's attorney, David Yannetti, suggesting that O'Keefe's DNA was deliberately placed on the vehicle.

Outside the courtroom, Yannetti questioned how a hair could have survived a 30-mile drive through a blizzard if it had indeed been planted on the car. The defense also questioned why investigators did not search Albert's home, given the location where O'Keefe's body was found.

During cross-examination, defense attorney Alan Jackson pointed out that O'Keefe was found without a coat, disregarding the cold and snowy conditions. Jackson suggested that it was reasonable to assume O'Keefe had left his jacket inside the home. However, Tully, the State Police Lt., did not find this assumption reasonable.

The prosecution also presented evidence regarding phone activity. Tully testified that Read's phone had called O'Keefe 53 times between 12:30 a.m. and 6:03 a.m. on January 29, 2022. The prosecution used cellphone tower data and surveillance video to suggest a possible detour to the location where O'Keefe's body was discovered while Read was on her way home.

The trial will continue on Friday with further testimony. The defense is expected to question potential defense witnesses without the presence of the jury. Read faces charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of personal injury and death.

As the case unfolds, the revelation of DNA evidence linking O'Keefe to the taillight of Read's SUV adds a significant layer to the prosecution's argument and challenges the defense's claims of planting evidence. The trial will continue to shed light on the events that led to O'Keefe's tragic death, while the defense maintains that Read is the victim of a cover-up involving law enforcement officials.