Trooper Michael Proctor, lead investigator in Karen Read case, set for misconduct hearing
BOSTON – Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor, who was suspended in part due to text messages he sent while the lead investigator in the Karen Read case, will sit before a trial board to face allegations of misconduct.
Trooper Michael Proctor hearing
According to a court filing on Monday by prosecutors in Read's case, Proctor is set to face a trial board for "allegations of misconduct in the performance of his duties as a uniformed member of the Massachusetts State Police."
According to I-Team sources, Proctor's appointed trial board consists of a captain and two lieutenants and both sides can call witnesses. According to sources, the trial board will be held at Massachusetts State Police headquarters in Framingham on January 15 and February 10. The trial board is not open to the public.
Proctor has been suspended without pay since July 22, 2024, following Read's first trial ending in a mistrial.
Proctor was the lead investigator into John O'Keefe's 2022 death.
Read's attorneys accused Proctor of planting evidence and framing their client for murder.
Why was Trooper Michael Proctor suspended?
Proctor was suspended in part due to text messages he sent on his personal cell phone to friends, family, and coworkers. During his testimony, Proctor called the messages "regrettable."
Proctor said in one message about Read "hopefully she kills herself," referring to her in another as a "whackjob [expletive]."
"Upon a finding that there are reasonable grounds for discipline, the Colonel for the [MSP] may immediately impose permanent discipline," the new court filing in Read's case reads.
Prosecutors filed the information with the court because they are obliged to report all misconduct allegations against detectives involved in Read's case.
Read will be back in court on January 7 for a hearing about expert testimony and scheduling ahead of her second trial.