Massachusetts State Police suspended Trooper Michael Proctor without pay following a duty status hearing in the Karen Read murder case.
Proctor, the lead investigator in the case, admitted to making “unprofessional” comments about Read during the probe into Read’s boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe’s death. Read faced charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene, which she denied.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Read’s murder trial ended in a mistrial July 1 when the jury told Judge Beverly Cannone that they were deadlocked. This was the third note from the jury indicating they couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict after five days of deliberations.
During the trial, Proctor testified that he called Read a “whack job” and texted his sister hoping Read would “kill herself.” Although he admitted to the comments, he maintained that he did not compromise the investigation’s integrity.
Gov. Maura Healey condemned Proctor’s remarks as “terrible,” saying they undermined public trust in law enforcement. The comments also sparked criticism from the public.
Proctor had previously been relieved of duty and equipment but continued receiving pay until the hearing. The suspension takes away his pay, a reported annual salary of $102,00 a year and “over $35,000 in other pay the last two years,” NBC Boston reports.
A state police spokesman announced Proctor’s suspension Monday, noting that the internal affairs investigation continues. The department will categorize each allegation as sustained, not sustained, exonerated or unfounded, according to The Boston Globe.
The results will be sent to the state’s POST Commission, which maintains police disciplinary records. If investigators determine charges are warranted, a State Police Trial Board will adjudicate them.
Meanwhile, Read’s defense lawyers have filed a motion to drop all charges against her, after receiving “unsolicited communications” from three jurors from her murder trial. These jurors unanimously agreed that Read was not guilty of second-degree murder, and were split on the vehicular manslaughter charge, and believed unanimously she was not guilty of the third charge: leaving the scene of a fatal crash.
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[Feature Photo: Mass State Police Trooper Michael Proctor listens on the witness stand during the Karen Read murder trial, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Norfolk Super Court in Dedham, Mass. Read is facing charges, including second degree murder, in the 2022 death of her boyfriend Boston Officer John O’Keefe. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)]
