Michael Proctor, lead investigator in Karen Read case, faces Massachusetts State Police trial board
FRAMINGHAM – Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor appeared before a trial board to face allegations of misconduct on Wednesday. Proctor, who was suspended in part due to text messages he sent while working as the lead investigator in the Karen Read case, could potentially lose his job following the hearing.
Trooper Michael Proctor misconduct hearing
After Read's first trial ended with a mistrial due to a hung jury, Proctor was suspended without pay on July 22, 2024.
Proctor faced a trial board Wednesday for what prosecutors in Read's case described in a court filing as "allegations of misconduct in the performance of his duties as a uniformed member of the Massachusetts State Police."
Proctor's appointed trial board consists of a captain and two lieutenants.
The trial board proceedings are not made public.
What happens at a trial board hearing?
The hearing got underway at around 10 a.m. and ended late Wednesday afternoon. The proceedings will resume on Monday, February 10.
Proctor was represented by counsel and both sides has the ability to call witnesses.
The trial board is being held at Massachusetts State Police headquarters in Framingham.
If the trial board acquits him, the proceedings end and Proctor is cleared. If the board determines Proctor is guilty of the accusations, the decision goes to the colonel who will make the final decision on his punishment.
Why was Michael Proctor suspended?
Read is accused of hitting and killing her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, with her SUV and leaving him to die in the snow outside a Canton home in 2022 after a night of heavy drinking.
Proctor was suspended in part due to text messages he sent on his personal cell phone to friends, family, and coworkers.
In one message about Read, Proctor wrote "hopefully she kills herself." In another text, he referred to Read as a "whackjob [expletive]." While on the stand, Proctor called the text messages "regrettable."
The text messages from Proctor's phone were obtained as part of a federal investigation by the Department of Justice looking into O'Keefe's death and the subsequent investigation. Read claims she is being framed by several people, including law enforcement.
The punishment also stemmed from an incident that was revealed during the trial. Proctor was allegedly drinking with Canton Police Officer Kevin Albert while working a case and the next day Albert sent text messages referencing leaving his gun and badge in Proctor's cruiser. Kevin Albert is a friend and colleague of Proctor's and his brother Brian Albert owned the house where O'Keefe's body was found in the snow.
Former trooper thinks Proctor will be terminated
The two violations of department policy Proctor is facing are alcoholic beverages in a Massachusetts State Police cruiser and unsatisfactory performance.
Todd McGhee is a former trooper and security analyst. He believes Proctor will likely be terminated. "To think that there would be another six month or one year suspension, and then he's returned to full duty, that's a challenge," McGhee said.
Regardless of the outcome, McGhee believes this case has tarnished the State Police's reputation.
"State Police investigations are to be held confidential. State Police investigations are to be held with the utmost care, and in this particular case there were a number of things that appeared to be violations of department policy and procedure," McGhee said. "Public trust is everything, and when we take that oath of office you're sworn to serve and protect."
Read's second trial
Read's second trial, which was originally scheduled to begin on January 27, has been pushed back until April 1.
"I think it's unlikely that the Commonwealth would call him as a witness regardless of what happens with today's hearing," legal analyst Jennifer Roman said. "His testimony came with so many gaping holes that you could drive a Mack truck through, that there is just no way to rehabilitate him. There's just a lot of problems around his testimony and his credibility."
Roman still thinks the defense would call Proctor to the stand even if he is no longer a trooper.
"I think it had a pretty significant impact on the state's case because so much of the defense was built around shoddy police work and a cover up," Roman said.