Lead investigator in Karen Read murder trial suspended without pay

MELISSA O’DONNELL ABC NEWS, HOUSTON NOW TO BREAKING NEWS. THE LEAD INVESTIGATOR IN KAREN REED’S MURDER TRIAL IS SUSPENDED WITHOUT PAY, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. THAT’S FOLLOWING A DUTY STATUS HEARING TODAY. EARLIER THIS MONTH, MASS STATE POLICE TROOPER MICHAEL PROCTOR WAS RELIEVED OF DUTY AND TRANSFERRED OUT OF THE NORFOLK COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S DETECTIVE UNIT. DURING HIS TESTIMONY, TROOPER PROCTOR WAS QUESTIONED ABOUT TEXT MESSAGES HE SENT ABOUT THE CASE AND SPECIFICALLY KAREN REED. HE DESCRIBED HIS MESSAGES AS, QUOTE, VERY REGRETTABLE. REED’S DEFENSE TEAM IS NOW ASKING FOR SOME OF THE CHARGES AGAINST HER TO BE THROWN OUT BASED ON WHAT HER LAWYERS SAY THEY’RE HEARING FROM MEMBERS OF THE JURY, AND AN 11 PAGE MOTION HER LAWYERS SAY. THE DAY AFTER THE JUDGE DECLARED A HUNG JURY AND A MISTRIAL, THEY WERE CONTACTED BY ONE OF THE JURORS. THE JUROR TOLD THEM THEY’D AGREED TO FIND HER, NOT GUILTY OF SECOND DEGREE MURDER, AND LEAVING THE SCENE AND CAUSING A DEATH CHARGE IN CONNECTION TO THE DEATH OF JOHN O’KEEFE. THE JUROR SAYS THEY WERE ONLY DEADLOCKED ON THE VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE. THE DEFENSE SAYS THE JUDGE SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE JURY WHERE THEY WERE ON EACH CHARGE BEFORE DECLARING A MISTRIAL. NOW, REED’S LAWYERS WANT H