Lead Investigator Fired Amid Controversy in Karen Read Case

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor was fired Wednesday after a disciplinary board concluded he sent sexist and crude texts about Karen Read, who is accused of murdering her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, a Boston police officer.

The decision comes following the mistrial of Read, whose case garnered significant media attention after ending in July 2022. In the wake of the trial, an internal affairs investigation was launched into Proctor, which resulted in his suspension without pay.

Superintendent Col. Geoffrey Noble announced the termination, stating, “My decision to terminate Mr. Proctor follows a thorough, fair, and impartial process. I have weighed the nature of the offenses, their impact on our investigative integrity, and the importance of safeguarding the reputations of our dedicated women and men in the State Police.”

The State Police Trial Board found Proctor guilty of sending “derogatory, defamatory and disparaging and/or inappropriate text messages” about Read during the investigation into her actions. Additionally, he was accused of leaking confidential case information outside of law enforcement and drinking alcohol while on duty. His termination was recommended by the board.

Proctor’s family expressed disappointment in the board’s decision, arguing it set a poor precedent and unfairly targeted him. In their statement, they emphasized, “The messages prove one thing: Michael is human — not corrupt, not incompetent in his role as a homicide detective, and certainly not unfit to continue as a Massachusetts State Trooper.”

Read is facing charges that allege she intentionally rammed her SUV into O’Keefe, leaving him to die in a snowstorm in January 2022. However, her defense team contends that O’Keefe was killed inside the home of another officer, Brian Albert, and was then dragged outside.

The defense argues that the police disproportionately focused on Read as a suspect due to her status as an outsider, which they claim relieved investigators of the need to consider fellow officers as potential suspects.

A pivotal moment during Read’s first trial was Proctor’s testimony, where it was suggested that his remarks reflected bias against Read, implying he disregarded other potential suspects early in the investigation.

A retrial for Read is scheduled to begin next month, and Proctor remains on a list of potential witnesses for the defense.