Karen Read investigator under fire for inappropriate texts ‘relieved of his duties’ from Mass. State Police
A Massachusetts State Police investigator who came under fire for sending inappropriate texts about Karen Read — including calling her “wack job c–t” — was “relieved of his duties” Monday after a mistrial was declared in the case.
Trooper Michael Proctor was formally transferred out of the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office State Police Detective’s Unit after prosecutors failed to secure a conviction against Read, who was on trial for allegedly running over and killing her Boston police beau John O’Keefe in January 2022.
State police Colonel John Mawn said in a statement the “immediate action” against Proctor comes after the agency already opened an internal affairs probe into him over “serious misconduct” that came out during his testimony in the Read murder trial.
That investigation is ongoing, Mawn said.
Proctor was forced on the stand to read disparaging texts he wrote that called Read, 44, a “wack job c–t” and “retarded.” He also called her a “babe” with “no ass.”
He wrote in another text “Hopefully she kills herself,” according to WBZ News.
While Proctor admitted on the stand the messages were “unprofessional,” he insisted the “juvenile” comments had no impact on the integrity of the homicide investigation.
The detective didn’t express remorse on Monday when a reporter confronted him at his home once a mistrial was declared when the jury could not agree on a verdict.
What to know about the Karen Read murder case
- Karen Read, 44, was charged with second-degree murder for allegedly mowing down her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, as she was dropping him off to meet friends in Canton, Mass. on Jan. 29, 2022.
- The night of O’Keefe’s death, the couple had been out on a bar crawl with Read allegedly consuming seven drinks in just 90 minutes, according to reports.
- Prosecutors claim that after Read drunkenly ran over her boyfriend, she drove off and left O’Keefe to die outside as a snow storm was set to sweep in.
- Read’s lawyers argued she was framed in a sweeping law enforcement cover-up and that O’Keefe actually died after getting into an altercation with his officer friends.
- The two-month trial that had 74 witnesses featured stunning revelations, including “unprofessional” messages by the lead detective, and crowds of fawning supporters who cheered Read on outside court each day.
- On July 1, 2024 Judge Beverly Cannone declared a mistrial in the case, since the jury was not able to reach a unanimous verdict after five days of deliberations.
- Read faced up to life in prison if she had been convicted on the top count of murder.
“Get the f–k off my lawn,” he shouted at an NBC 10 reporter who asked him questions from the street.
Read was charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.
If she was convicted, she could have faced life in prison.
While prosecutors argued she mowed O’Keefe down in a rage and then fled, her defense team claimed she was the victim of a frame job by law enforcement to cover up that slain officer was fatally beaten up by his cop friends.
The district attorney’s office said it plans to bring the case to trial again.
