Massachusetts police officer fired after Karen Read’s mistrial

Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor testifies during the trial of Karen Read, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Norfolk Super Court in Dedham, Mass. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)

DEDHAM, Mass. (WPRI) — Just hours after a jury was unable to reach a decision to grant a mistrial in the Karen Read case, the Massachusetts State Police announced the lead investigator in the 2022 death of John O’Keefe has been relieved of his duties.

“Upon learning of today’s outcome, the Department took immediate action to relieve Trooper Michael Proctor of duty and formally transfer him from the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office State Police Detective’s Unit,” Col. John E. Mawn, superintendent of MSP, said in a statement that the department also shared on social media.

Mawn added that Proctor’s testimony at trial prompted the state police to launch an internal affairs investigation into “serious misconduct” by the officer, which is still ongoing.

The MSP disciplinary process requires any officer accused of misconduct to undergo a status hearing. The department explained that while Proctor is still employed by the Massachusetts State Police, he is not currently permitted to work on cases or serve as a police officer.

Proctor was a key prosecution witness in the high-profile trial in which Read was accused of running over O’Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend, with her car and leaving him for dead in the snow.

During his testimony, Proctor admitted sending Read text messages using various names to friends, family and police colleagues, and joked with his superiors that he found no nude photos when he looked through Read’s phone.

He also admitted that he was close to a family member of the Boston police officer who owned the home where O’Keefe’s body was found and that he improperly shared information with that family even though it was relevant to the case.