Former Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor is out of a job—and headed back to court. Not as a defendant, but as a witness. Again.
It’s been less than a month since Proctor was fired for misconduct tied directly to the Karen Read investigation, and now his name is back in the headlines, sitting squarely on the witness list for Read’s second murder trial. You know, the one where she’s accused of killing her Boston Police Officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe.
Now, if you remember the first trial—and the jurors certainly do—Proctor didn’t exactly win hearts or instill trust when he took the stand. Jurors were seen literally shaking their heads during his testimony. And that wasn’t because of some complicated forensic data or technical jargon. No, it was the texts.
Texts where he called the defendant a “wack job,” a “babe with no a--,” and, just to round things out, a “c---.” If that wasn’t enough, he added that he hoped she’d kill herself. This wasn’t locker room talk caught off-hand—it was in writing, and it was read aloud in court. Then there was the part where he joked about finding nude selfies while combing through her phone. This is the guy who was in charge of the investigation. The lead. The point man.
That display helped sink the prosecution’s momentum and, according to legal analysts, played no small role in the trial ending in a mistrial. That mistrial reset everything. And now, here we are again—same case, new trial, with Proctor’s career already in the rearview mirror, but his actions still very much in play.
Despite the messages and his dismissal from the State Police, Proctor’s camp hasn’t wavered. His wife and sister, who—surprise—are also on the witness list, say the messages didn’t compromise the investigation. His wife, Elizabeth Proctor, told reporters that this is all just courtroom misdirection. In her words: “At the end of the day, a beloved police officer and honorable man was killed.”
Her take? The prosecution has the facts, and the defense is simply turning the spotlight on her husband to muddy the waters. Texts to friends and family on his personal phone, she says, aren’t enough to derail a murder case.
But they already did.
Let’s not forget, those same texts sparked an internal investigation and got Proctor canned. That fallout, in the eyes of many, tainted the trial beyond repair. And when your lead investigator’s credibility is in the gutter, so is your case’s foundation.
And speaking of shaky foundations—Aidan Kearney, a local blogger who was charged with harassing and intimidating witnesses during the first trial, is also on the witness list. He’s not alone. There’s Brian Higgins, the ATF agent reportedly inside the same house where O’Keefe ended up dead outside. The homeowner, Brian Albert, and his family? Also on the list. And then there’s Dr. Daniel Wolfe, an accident reconstruction expert, lined up to re-analyze the physical evidence.
Basically, if you had anything to do with the first trial—whether you were inside the house, near the driveway, or scrolling Twitter too loudly—you’re probably on this witness list.
One name that won’t be testifying this time? Michael Easter. He’s a retired FBI agent who was expected to dismantle the original investigation piece by piece. But on Monday, Judge Beverly Cannone granted the prosecution’s motion to block his testimony. His expert breakdown of how the police allegedly fumbled the case? Not coming to a courtroom near you.
So, here’s where we land. The person who was supposed to bring clarity and leadership to this investigation—Michael Proctor—ended up bringing chaos and controversy. And now, in round two, he's back under oath, minus the badge, with a reputation already in flames.
#KarenReadTrial #MichaelProctor #TrueCrime #JusticeOrJustDrama
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