'No nudes' and new video on Bukhenik's 3rd day testifying

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Karen Read Murder Trial: Canton Confidential Episode: 'No nudes' and new video on Bukhenik's 3rd day testifying
Release Date: May 12, 2025
Host/Author: NBC10 Boston

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Introduction

In this episode of Canton Confidential, NBC10 Boston provides in-depth coverage of the ongoing Karen Read murder trial, focusing on the latest developments during Sergeant Yuri Buchanak's third day of testimony. The episode delves into the defense's strategy, the introduction of new evidence, and expert analyses that shed light on the complexities of the case.

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Sergeant Yuri Buchanak's Testimony

Cross-Examination by Defense Attorney Alan Jackson

The episode opens with NBC10's anchors introducing the third day of testimonies from Sergeant Yuri Buchanak, a key investigator in the case. The defense attorney, Alan Jackson, rigorously questions Buchanak, probing the integrity of the investigation and the conduct of his dismissed colleague, Michael Proctor.

• Text Message Evidence:

  • [01:54] Defense Attorney Alan Jackson: "Funny, I'm going through his client's phone."
  • [02:04] Defense Attorney Alan Jackson: "He wrote, no nudes so far, correct?"
  • The defense presents group text messages between Proctor and other troopers, including Buchanak, highlighting an exchange where Proctor sends a message saying, "no nudes so far," which Buchanak responds to with a thumbs-up emoji.

• Buchanak's Defense of Proctor:

  • [02:45] Defense Attorney Alan Jackson: "What would be a reasonable interpretation of what Michael Proctor was looking for when he wrote no nudes so far?"
  • [02:37] Sergeant Yuri Buchanak: "I don't know."
  • [02:53] Defense Attorney Alan Jackson: "He handled himself and all the case with utmost professionalism and competence."

Buchanak maintains that Proctor conducted himself with integrity, despite his subsequent dismissal for misconduct. This defense raises questions about Proctor's role and reliability.

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Introduction of New Video Evidence

Surveillance Footage of ATF Agent Brian Higgins

A significant development in the trial is the introduction of new surveillance video showing ATF Agent Brian Higgins at the Canton Police Department around 1:30 AM, the night Officer John O'Keefe's body was discovered.

• [03:06] Defense Attorney Alan Jackson: "After weeks of communicating with Ms. Reed in a romantic manner... you see that detective, as an investigator... could have been jealous about John O'Keefe."

The defense suggests that Higgins could have had a motive to kill O'Keefe, introducing doubt about the investigation's direction.

• [03:43] Defense Attorney Alan Jackson: "There's a possibility there, but I don't. I didn't see it."

Buchanak admits the possibility but states that the investigation did not follow up on this angle.

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Analysis and Expert Opinions

Legal Analyst Michael Coyne and Attorney Martin Radner

The podcast features insights from NBC10's Chief Legal Analyst Michael Coyne and courtroom insider Sue O'Connell, alongside Michigan-based attorney Martin Radner from the Brother Counsel YouTube channel.

• Integrity of the Investigation:

  • [06:06] Sergeant Yuri Buchanak: "Yes, I do."
  • Coyne criticizes Buchanak for not distancing himself from Proctor, suggesting that Buchanak's defense of Proctor may inadvertently harm the prosecution's case by appearing evasive.

• Defense Strategy:

  • [14:50] Attorney Martin Radner: "If your goal was to show that you have an evasive witness who doesn't want to answer questions... they accomplished what they set out to accomplish."

Radner argues that the defense successfully portrayed Buchanak as uncooperative, undermining his credibility and casting doubts on the prosecution's narrative.

• Introduction of Higgins' Video:
  • [17:33] Attorney Martin Radner: "The jury, to the jury, this is just a person on a phone... we're not going to know 100%."

Radner points out that while the video introduces new questions about Higgins' whereabouts, the lack of context and Higgins' destruction of his phone evidence leaves the jury without definitive conclusions.

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Viewer Questions and Further Discussion

The episode addresses viewer questions, including concerns about potential witnesses like Proctor, Albert, and Higgins, and the implications of Proctor pleading the Fifth Amendment.

• Proctor's Potential Testimony:
  • [09:04] Legal Analyst Michael Coyne: "I don't think you're ever going to hear from Proctor, from the Commonwealth."

Coyne suggests that the prosecution may avoid calling Proctor due to the risk of him appearing as a "boogeyman," which could weaken their case.

• Fifth Amendment Implications:
  • [09:20] Legal Analyst Michael Coyne: "If he takes the Fifth Amendment, that would be done outside the presence of the jury because they don't need to see that."

Discussing the strategic implications, Coyne explains how invoking the Fifth Amendment could prevent Proctor from providing potentially damaging testimony while avoiding direct jury confrontation.

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Courtroom Dynamics and Witness Credibility

The podcast highlights the strained interactions between Buchanak and the defense, emphasizing the impact on the prosecution's case.

• Evasive Answers:
  • [19:23] Anchor 2: "He's being evasive around things that are unimportant and then makes them bigger and bigger."

This tension portrays Buchanak as inconsistent, which could lead jurors to question his trustworthiness and the thoroughness of the investigation.

• Attorney Radner's Insights:
  • [16:03] Attorney Martin Radner: "The prosecution does not have an easy job in this case."

Radner underscores the challenges faced by the prosecution in countering the defense's portrayal of the investigation as flawed and the key witnesses as unreliable.

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Conclusion and Next Steps

The episode concludes by highlighting the ongoing nature of the trial and the anticipation for upcoming testimonies.

• [20:30] Glenn Jones: "We'll see who's called next. If you have any questions about this, capes keep sending them our way."

Listeners are encouraged to stay engaged with the trial's developments, with the promise of continued comprehensive coverage in future episodes.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

1. Defense Attorney Alan Jackson: "He wrote, no nudes so far, correct?"
   [02:04]

2. Sergeant Yuri Buchanak: "I believe that as a U.S. citizen, he has the right to comment. That's his First Amendment right."
   [00:25]

3. Legal Analyst Michael Coyne: "He's trying to protect the team... he should have distanced himself significantly more."
   [06:22]

4. Attorney Martin Radner: "If your goal was to show that you have an evasive witness who doesn't want to answer questions... they accomplished what they set out to accomplish."
   [14:50]

5. Legal Analyst Michael Coyne: "He should have answered the questions directly... we would have been out of here at least a half a day earlier."
   [18:42]

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Key Takeaways

• Defense Tactics: The defense is meticulously undermining the credibility of key witnesses, particularly Sergeant Buchanak, to cast doubt on the prosecution's case.

• New Evidence: Introduction of surveillance footage involving ATF Agent Brian Higgins adds complexity to the narrative, suggesting alternative motives and potential cover-ups.

• Witness Credibility: Buchanak's evasiveness and defense of the dismissed Proctor are strategically used to weaken the prosecution's position.

• Expert Analysis: Legal experts highlight the challenges faced by the prosecution in maintaining the integrity of the investigation amidst emerging doubts.

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Looking Ahead

As the trial progresses, listeners can expect further revelations and strategic maneuvers from both the defense and prosecution teams. The continued examination of witness testimonies and new evidence will play a crucial role in shaping the trial's outcome.

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Stay Tuned: For detailed analyses and real-time updates, tune into Canton Confidential weeknights at 7 on NBC10 Boston or stream episodes on Peacock starting Sunday.

Transcript

[Anchor 1]

You're watching NBC 10 Boston news worthy of you. Tonight, a third full day on the stand for a key investigator in the case.

[Anchor 2]

Could we have Sergeant Buchanan again, please?

[Anchor 1]

A state police sergeant grilled again for hours by Karen Reed's defense.

[Defense Attorney Alan Jackson]

Do you justify his statement?

[Sergeant Yuri Buchanak]

I do not know.

[Anchor 1]

Why? He may be protecting the work of his dismissed colleague, Michael Proctor.

[Sergeant Yuri Buchanak]

I believe that as a U.S. citizen, he has the right to comment. That's his First Amendment right.

[Anchor 1]

Plus new videos from the Canton Police Department played in court.

[Defense Attorney Alan Jackson]

Do you recognize the person in this video?

[Sergeant Yuri Buchanak]

It appears to be Mr. Brian Higgins.

[Anchor 1]

What this could mean for Reed's third party corporate defense strategy. Our legal experts weigh in. Canton Confidential. The Karen Reed murder trial starts now.

[J.C. Monahan]

The fourth week of trial began the same way week three ended. You just heard Massachusetts State Police Sergeant Yuri Buchanak back on the stand. Good Evening, everyone. I'm J.C. monahan.

[Glenn Jones]

And I'm Glenn Jones. Today was day 14 of testing in this high profile case. And this was the third straight day that Buchanak was on the stand. Most of it for cross examination by defense attorney Alan Jackson. As a key investigator in the case, Buchanak repeatedly fielded questions about the integrity of the investigation. Our Melody Mendez joins us live from outside the courthouse with more Mel.

[Melody Mendez]

Glenn. JC it only took minutes, within minutes of Sergeant Buchanan taking the stand for the name of former trooper Michael Proctor to come up and really becomes sharply the focus of the discussion. Now, Alan Jackson, defense attorney Alan Jackson brought up those group text messages that we first heard about last week, right. Between Procter and not only fellow troopers, but his bosses, including Sergeant Yuri Buchanak. Take a look.

[Defense Attorney Alan Jackson]

Funny, I'm going through his client's phone.

[David Gannetti]

Correct those words with a screenshot of David Gannetti, Karen Reed's Boston attorney.

[Defense Attorney Alan Jackson]

He wrote, no nudes so far, correct?

[Sergeant Yuri Buchanak]

That's what it says.

[Legal Analyst Michael Coyne]

Yes.

[David Gannetti]

To which the sergeant responded with a thumbs up emoji. Proctor was fired by Mass State Police for his conduct while handling the case. Buchanak had to forfeit five vacation days for failing to properly supervise Proctor. And Jackson pressed him on that exchange.

[Defense Attorney Alan Jackson]

What would be a reasonable interpretation of what Michael Proctor was looking for when he wrote no nudes so far?

[Sergeant Yuri Buchanak]

I don't know.

[Defense Attorney Alan Jackson]

Motorcycles, handbags, pair of shoes, or naked pictures of Ms. Karen Reed.

[David Gannetti]

Yet even after those texts, Jackson pointed out that in a supervisory review, Buchenik said this about Michael Proctor's work.

[Defense Attorney Alan Jackson]

He handled himself and all the case with utmost professionalism and competence. He is able to investigate his case thoroughly and with strict integrity.

[David Gannetti]

Something new in court today. Surveillance video of ATF agent Brian Higgins at the Canton Police Department, where he kept an office around 1:30am on the morning John's body was found. In the first trial, Higgins said he went there after leaving the Alberts home to move his work vehicle. This video shows him inside and outside the department at one point around one third, 43am appearing to be on a phone call. Higgins is one of the men who the defense says could have killed o' Keefe inside Brian Albert's home on the night in question. Jackson pressed the sergeant on why they didn't question Higgins further, given the romantic text messages between him and Karen Reed.

[Defense Attorney Alan Jackson]

After weeks of communicating with Ms. Reed in a romantic manner and then seeing him walk in, seeing her walk in the door with John o' Keefe and sending the text message, well, after having been intoxicated, you see that detective, as an investigator, as a reasonable, objective investigator, as a possible scenario for Brian Higgins to be jealous about John o' Kee.

[Sergeant Yuri Buchanak]

There's a possibility there, but I don't. I didn't see it.

[Defense Attorney Alan Jackson]

Did you explore that possibility when you got all these text messages?

[Sergeant Yuri Buchanak]

We did not follow up on that aspect based on the totality of the entire investigation.

[Melody Mendez]

All right, so also today, there was quite a bit of discussion about this inverted video. You likely remember it from the first trial. We're showing it to you right now. This is video of the Sally Port at the Canton Police Department. It made headlines during the first trial mainly because it was a mirror image. We didn't find that out until the attorneys noticed it after it had already been admitted as evidence. But here's the thing. This time, Alan Jackson played both versions of the video, the inverted mirror image and the accurate, you know, portrayal of what it would have looked like in person. And in the video, you could see that Michael Proctor does spend some time near the rear right tail light of the vehicle. You cannot see what, if anything, he's doing because he's blocked by the vehicle. But that took up a good bit of time today as well. Now Sergeant Buchanak is done testifying. He was off the stand. We'll pick things back up tomorrow as usual at 9 o' clock, and I'll be here for it all.

[Anchor 2]

Glenn.

[Melody Mendez]

J.C. back to you.

[J.C. Monahan]

Melody, thank you. We want to bring in NBC 10 chief legal analyst Michael Coyne and courtroom insider Sue O' Connell. Let's talk more about Michael Proctor. Sergeant Buchanak seemed, some people are saying, to be defending his now former colleague at times. Take a listen.

[Defense Attorney Alan Jackson]

Last Week, you testified that, in your view, Michael Proctor handled himself in this investigation with integrity. That's what you said, correct?

[Sergeant Yuri Buchanak]

That's correct.

[Defense Attorney Alan Jackson]

Do you stand by that testimony?

[Sergeant Yuri Buchanak]

The investigation was handled with integrity and honor.

[Defense Attorney Alan Jackson]

Do you stand by your testimony that Michael Proctor conducted himself during the course of this investigation with integrity?

[Sergeant Yuri Buchanak]

Yes, I do.

[J.C. Monahan]

Okay, so there's the nuance right there. Michael, do you think Buchanak is trying to protect Proctor, or is it the fact that right now Buchanan is the face of the state police in this trial so far and he's trying to protect the integrity of the investigation itself?

[Legal Analyst Michael Coyne]

Yeah, he's trying to protect the team. Right. He's taking. He, in essence, took one for the team over the last couple days. But he's being a good trooper. He's trying to be solid. With respect to the Commonwealth's case, I don't think he's protecting Proctor as much as he would, probably would have preferred, but he even should have distanced himself significantly more. You can't say that he conducted himself with integrity or professionalism. When you heard those emails and you've seen the text messages, he should have distanced himself further without hurting the government's case.

[J.C. Monahan]

Well, and he had a little latitude there because Proctor has been dismissed. He's been fired. So, I mean, there is support behind Buchanak. If he had sort of distanced himself a little bit more from Proctor, I.

[Legal Analyst Michael Coyne]

Think there was a safe harbor there to be able to do it and say, well, that's him. The investigation was conducted with integrity. Mr. Proctor wasn't always meeting our professional standards, and I think the jury would have appreciated that more. He could have answered a lot of questions a lot more directly instead of trying to cover some of the things that are just simply indefensible.

[Anchor 2]

And maybe we would have been done by noon today or not. He wouldn't have been on the stand today.

[Glenn Jones]

Yeah, three days. Based on what we saw during Buchanak's testimony, many trial watchers are wondering who the prosecution will call next. One viewer, Tom in Winchester, wants to know, if the prosecution doesn't call Michael Proctor, Brian Albert, or Brian Higgins as witnesses, why wouldn't the defense call them? So, Michael, I wonder if you can tackle that question. And, Sue, I wonder if you could also tell us, do you think it leaves a hole in the prosecution's storytelling if we don't hear from these people?

[Legal Analyst Michael Coyne]

I don't think you're ever going to hear from Proctor, from the Commonwealth. The defense now has to decide, do they want to call Proctor and Put him on the stand. They've made a lot of those points already on the cross of this trooper. The question is, do you go on too long? You know, their case now really is in large respects, that Proctor's the boogeyman. Well, we all know those of us that have kids, the boogeyman doesn't exist. And we explain it and we show them the lights, it's the shadows from the room or whatever. And I think Brennan will have to do that. So if they put Proctor on, I do think in part there's a risk that he's not going to come off as the monster that they need him to be and that some in the jury probably believe. So right now, I think they have a hard choice because I don't see the prosecution calling him. And they'll have to decide, does it make sense to spend more of our time on this theory? The police investigation was incredibly sloppy. Proctor's the visible sign of that.

[J.C. Monahan]

We have another viewer question I'm just going to jump to because Hannah in South Boston asks, if Michael Proctor is called to the stand, can he plead the Fifth to not incriminate himself? What would be the pros and cons of doing so? You've been sort of answering that, but can you, you know, what is the point if you're just going to go up and take the Fifth?

[Legal Analyst Michael Coyne]

If he takes the Fifth Amendment, that would be done outside the presence of the jury because they don't need to see that. We saw that with other witnesses in the past. He would have the ability to take the Fifth if the answer might reasonably tend to incriminate him. If there are questions of criminal conduct on some of the issues that they would want to ask about, then he would have the Fifth Amendment right. But with respect to the text messages and a lot the stuff they want to get into, I don't see criminal charges flowing as a result of that. So we wouldn't have that Fifth Amendment right.

[Glenn Jones]

So how about to the previous question, as at least as it relates to Albert and Higgins, what's your expectation there?

[Anchor 2]

Well, I think there would be value having Higgins on the stand. I don't know if Brian Albert would be as valuable, although he is part of their third party culprit defense. Right. One thing that I think I have learned from the way that Jackson and Yannetti and now Alessi are running this is they're very efficient. Right. Remember when they mounted their defense last time, it was much quicker than we thought it would be. So if they can do, remember, he said something About I've damaged Jen McCabe as much as I possibly can in the first trial. So if they think they have made their point and they've communicated it to the jury, they'll. They'll leave it there and they won't. They won't belabor the point.

[Glenn Jones]

All right. As Melody showed us a little bit ago, we got our first look today at video showing ATF Agent Brian Higgins at the Canton Police Department. Department after he left 34 Fairview Road. You may recall last year on the stand, Higgins testified he was put on desk duty. We contacted ATF to find out his current work status. They wouldn't say, nor would they tell us if Higgins was the subject of an internal investigation. As a result of what transpired in the first trial, the ATF says because of Higgins title as a special agent, the law allows the information to remain private. So, Michael, this video today felt like a foundation for the third party corporate defense. But I can't say for sure I know what in the video Jackson wants the jury to pay attention to. Did you get a sense?

[Legal Analyst Michael Coyne]

Well, what he doesn't want him to pay attention to is the time. It's 1:30am and at least partly the defense's theory was that he was killed sometime around 2 2:30am so Higgins can't be at the police station and murdering John o' Keefe at the same time. I think what he wants to show is his proximity to the police, that they were covering for him, that they didn't interview him as thoroughly because they were trying to protect a friend. At least that's what the inference is. And I thought a lot of his questions, he was able to put a lot of the information, at least in the jury's mind. So it starts to raise that question, wat Kegan sees all the text messages with Ms. Reed. You know those text messages, they give some to the prosecution and some to the defense. If the jury's starting to make up their mind, they're going to be able to pick and choose which portions they want to use.

[J.C. Monahan]

How did the video play in court? Because we didn't have it during the first trial.

[Anchor 2]

No, we didn't. And again, this trial is showing the entirety of videos and the jurors just sit there. Like, we saw the dashcam video from beginning to end. They just sat there and watched it because they're not sure what they're looking for. Right. And a lot of it is just snow literally coming down, someone cleaning off a car, and they're just watching, waiting to see if something happens. I think what it does accomplish, though, is there are some things in his testimony that don't match what were in the video. Like did he move any cars? We were looking to see if any cars were actually moved, you know, what time he actually got there. And what he testified was that correct. And also the jury seeing Higgins in a way they hadn't seen in the first trial. The other ones. He's a big guy and he is really strong looking, as he should. He's an ATF agent, but he looks a little menacing. So I think that that's part of what the defense wanted the jurors to take in.

[Glenn Jones]

All right, sue and Michael, thank you very much. You'll be sticking around. Don't go anywhere. We will see you in a little bit.

[J.C. Monahan]

And still to come, we delve deeper into the marathon testimony of Sergeant Yuri Buchanak. Attorney Martin Radner, known as brother counsel on YouTube, will be joining us live from Michigan. What he thinks the defense accomplished with their extensive cross examination of Buchanan.

[Anchor 1]

Don't miss any of the Karen Reed murder trial. Get the full recap of what happened in court, expert analysis and what we could see next. This is coverage you won't see anywhere else. Canton confidential, weeknights at 7 on NBC 10 Boston.

[Defense Attorney Alan Jackson]

Do you think it's appropriate, given the fact that he has a First Amendment right to say whatever he wants?

[Sergeant Yuri Buchanak]

No, I do not.

[Defense Attorney Alan Jackson]

Do you think there actually might be members of the community, Parents, siblings?

[Sergeant Yuri Buchanak]

Objection.

[Defense Attorney Alan Jackson]

Children?

[Anchor 2]

Mr. Jackson, I'm going to exclude that question as argumentative.

[Defense Attorney Alan Jackson]

Move on.

[Glenn Jones]

We're going to dig a little deeper into the final and third day on the stand for Massachusetts State Police Sergeant Yuri Buchanan. Cross examination by Alan Jackson got tense at times. Buchanak spent more time on the stand than any other prosecution witness. Joining us once again is Michigan based attorney Martin Radner. He's been live streaming every day of the trial on his Brother Counsel YouTube channel.

[J.C. Monahan]

Martin, welcome back to Canton Confidential. Let's talk about Sergeant Buchanak. He spent three days, as we've heard, on the stand, most of it being cross examined by Alan Jackson. Do you think Karen Reed's defense team accomplished their goal?

[Attorney Martin Radner]

Well, first of all, thank you for having me back on again. But yeah, I mean, if you had to, if your goal was to show that you have an evasive witness who doesn't want to answer questions and let the jury think that this is a witness who's not being forthcoming. Let the jury think. And there's a specific jury instruction with respect to the appearance, demeanor and the frankness in how a witness is testifying. And if there's anything that we saw after three days, more than the individual points that Jackson was bringing out with his cross examination, he was showing the jury that this is a witness who doesn't want to answer questions simply. There's very little concessions that were made. Everything becomes a fight. And when that happens, the jury can be thinking, what is this person trying to hide? Is there more that they're trying to hide? And then they start thinking about the credibility of this witness, and that's obviously going to loom large in their head when they are, you know, weighing all the way all the witnesses, testimony and the evidence in this case. So I definitely think that they accomplished what they set out to accomplish.

[Glenn Jones]

So on the flip side, maybe what you're also saying is that Sergeant Buchanak was damaging to the prosecution's case. And if that is indeed what has happened, where does the prosecution go from here? The other investigator who knows as much as Sergeant Buchanak is sort of toxic?

[Attorney Martin Radner]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, the prosecution does not have an easy job in this case. And maybe that's why they brought in Hank Brennan, the special prosecutor, because this is not a cut and dry case, and every witness is going to have another area which you can cross examine. So, you know, Proctor is a big problem in this case. It's sticks to everything and it creates this little bit of mud on this case. And therefore, you know, what is the prosecutor going to do to help change the minds of the jury that this really wasn't just one completely fabricated and spoiled investigation. So the prosecution definitely. I don't want to take it away from Hank Brennan. I think he definitely brought out certain points with this witness. And we heard about the cert team and the pieces of taillight that were there before. Proctor could have ever planted any pieces of taillight. So that was important. But like you said, I think that this is a problem in terms of Proctor being having access to or his involvement in everything. And especially when you have a supervisor who doesn't. Also, he got, you know, reprimanded by the Internal Affairs Committee and because of his supervisory role. So, yeah, they have a problem and they're just gonna tell the jury, look, most of the evidence is gonna point to Karen Reid's guilt, regardless of whether there are some nasty text messages or inappropriate text messages or things like that. You know, we just have too much evidence that shows that she's guilty. And therefore, you can kind of ignore the inappropriate misconduct that happened in this case.

[J.C. Monahan]

Martin, let's Talk about evidence. The new video showing Brian Higgins at the Canton Police Department. What stood out to you about it?

[Attorney Martin Radner]

Okay, well, obviously, to me, I can appreciate the significance of this video because you and I know that this is a video that was turned over after the first trial, and it was the subject of a motion to dismiss. As you know, we've been covering Rule 14 violation, possible Brady violation. So we understand the significance of this video, but the jury doesn't. So the jury, to the jury, this is just a person on a phone, and that one thirty in the morning. So they're not going to understand really the significance of this until they see Brian Higgins on the stand and if he's able to get impeached about whether he made any phone calls that night. And here's another problem with this video. The problem is video is what is he doing on the phone? Is he checking a voicemail? Is he making an incriminating phone call? And part of the problem is we're not going to have great answers to that because Brian Higgins decided to destroy his phone in a military base, so they weren't able to extract it. So, you know, that's part of the issue is that we don't know. The jury's not going to know 100%. And if Brian Higgins gets on the stand and says, oh, yeah, I was just checking a voice message. How are you supposed. Supposed to dispute that if you're the defense?

[Glenn Jones]

Martin Ratner, good analysis as always. Thanks very much for joining us. We'll see you again soon, I'm sure.

[Attorney Martin Radner]

Thank you so much for having me again.

[J.C. Monahan]

Thank you. We are joined once again. Michael and sue, you just heard what Martin has to do.

[Legal Analyst Michael Coyne]

Reaction not surprising at all. I mean, if you really think about what happened over the last three days, he should have answered the questions directly. He should have not appeared as evasive as he was. And you know, I lied to you when I told you that when we prepare witnesses, we just try to make them comfortable. We tell them to tell the truth, and we tell them to answer the question directly and only the question asked. And I agree with sue. We would have been out of here at least a half a day earlier.

[J.C. Monahan]

I had asked you just seconds ago, the pause that Buchanan did before every answer on cross. I got the impression that it was to let Brennan have a moment to object to the question.

[Anchor 2]

But you said Brennan stands up when he's going to object before the question is complete. And the pause isn't really the problem with Buchanan. The problem is that he is unable to answer a simple question that the jury all knows is going to be affirmative, like, is this Michael Proctor's handwriting? Is this your report? Is this a Warrant? It took 12 minutes several times to get an answer. And then when he's being questioned by Hank Brennan, he can answer yes, no. Let me see the report. Let it refresh my memory. And I don't know what it feels like watching at home, but the jury, the jurors are like, there's two different people here. There's the state police sergeant who can answer questions, and then there's the state police sergeant who can't answer the most basic questions. So again, to brother Counsel's point, they're going to have to decide if this impacted the case. But it's clear he's being evasive around things that are unimportant and then makes them bigger and bigger and bigger. And then we're spending 20 minutes on whether or not it's a warrant or not. No one cares.

[J.C. Monahan]

We've seen that before, right? With a lot of witnesses doing that.

[Glenn Jones]

Sue o' Connell, our courtroom insider, and Michael Coyne, our chief legal analyst. Buchanan is now done on the stand. We'll have to tune in tomorrow to see who's called next. If you have any questions about this, capes keep sending them our way. The email address is on your screen. Canton.confidentialbcuni.com we'll answer as many questions as we can.

[J.C. Monahan]

And remember to join us every weeknight at 7 on NBC 10 Boston. We'll have a full recap of the latest developments from court as well as legal analysis. Plus, this week's episodes will be streaming on Peacock starting Sunday. You're watching Canton the Karen Reed Murder Trial.

[Anchor 1]

Watch Latoya Edwards and Raul Martinez weekdays at 6am on NBC 10 Boston to watch full episodes of Canton Confidential, the Karen Reed Murder Trial. Tune in to NBC 10 Boston weeknights at 7 through the duration of the trial. You can also catch past episodes on the NBC 10 Boston YouTube page. Full episodes are posted one day after airing. NBC 10 Boston news worthy of you.