Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator in the Karen Read murder case, has been relieved of duty effective immediately.
Read, 44, of Mansfield, is charged with second-degree murder, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, and manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence, which included lesser subordinate charges, related to the Jan. 29, 2022, death of her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe.
The jury could not reach a verdict and a mistrial was declared Monday. Soon after, the MSP pivoted to Proctor.
“Upon learning today’s result, the Department took immediate action to relieve Trooper Michael Proctor of duty and formally transfer him out of the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office State Police Detective’s Unit,” an MSP spokesperson wrote in a Monday night statement. “This follows our previous decision to open an internal affairs investigation after information about serious misconduct emerged in testimony at the trial. This investigation is ongoing.”
Proctor will be transferred from the DA’s detective unit effective Sunday. Proctor is subject to a duty status hearing and will remain employed by the department until that hearing completes, according to agency spokesman Tim McGuirk.
“Although Trooper Proctor is still employed by the Department, the decision to relieve him of duty means that he can no longer work cases or function as a trooper during this time,” McGuirk said.
He earned $184,397 last year, state Comptroller records state.
Proctor was placed under internal review in March as a federal probe hung over the investigation he and other troopers in his detective unit performed regarding O’Keefe’s homicide.
Proctor testified in the trial over two days: June 10 and June 12. During that time, a number of personal text messages he sent were revealed in which he joked about searching for nudes of Read’s phone, called her both a “babe” and a “whack job,” made explicit fun of her gastrointestinal health issues and ultimately said that he hopes she kills herself.
“Following the mistrial in Commonwealth v. Karen Read, the Massachusetts State Police would like to offer our condolences again to the family of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe,” MSP Col. John Mawn wrote in the statement.
“We cannot imagine the way in which this result has heightened the O’Keefe family’s immeasurable grief, heartache, and sense of loss,” Mawn continued. “John lived a life of honorable service — both to the City of Boston and the children entrusted to his care after the unexpected death of his sister and brother-in-law. We will remember him.”
“Our focus remains on delivering the highest level of police services with professionalism and integrity,” Mawn continued.
