A Massachusetts State Police officer who was fired for his conduct during the investigation of the murder of the Boston police officer, John O’Kefe, appeared before the State Civil Service Commission on Tuesday while appealing his layoffs.
The former state soldier of Massachusetts, Michael Proctor, the principal investigator in the case, delivered a condemnatory testimony during the first criminal trial of Karen Read about the murder of O’Keefe, his boyfriend at that time, including the derogatory and sexist text messages that Proctor sent friends about Read.
During the trial, it was also revealed that Proctor revealed confidential information related to the investigation of murders to friends and family.
In this file of May 5, 2025, a photograph of John O’Keefe is projected during the Karen Read trial, in Didham, Ma.
Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe through Getty Images, Archive
After the first Read trial ended in a null trial, Proctor was suspended without pay and relieved active service during an internal affairs investigation. He was later fired.
The lawyers who represent Proctor argued that while the texts were inappropriate, shooting it was not. Prince’s lawyers argued that there is a privacy expectation when it comes to personal cell phones, saying that his phone was “infiltrated” and that he has not been told why until now.
His lawyer also argued that Proctor was fired in response to the intense pressure of the press and the shot was only on the texts and not his performance.
He “has been made to be an scapegoat,” said lawyer Daniel Moynihan, who represents Proctor, during the audience on Tuesday.
Proctor immediately informed the state police that the texts were taken from his cell phone when he found out and was sure that “there would not be much of this,” however, he was fired after Read’s null trial, according to Moynihan.
Princer told an internal affairs researcher that he thought he had a privacy expectation regarding text messages on his personal phone. The text messages that had been sent on their personal device were obtained during a federal investigation inaugurated by the Norfolk district prosecutor’s office.
Karen Read’s murder trial continues in the Superior Court of Norfolk, in Didham, Ma., On June 9, 2025.
Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe through Getty Images, Archive
In a text message sent to his sister, Proctor wrote “I hope he committed suicide to herself.” In other texts, he commented his appearance in a derogatory way and made fun of his health struggles.
During a hearing held at the CSC office in Boston, several clips were shown to the Tuesday’s testimony on Tuesday, including reading his derogatory text messages while he was at the stand during the first Read trial.
The representatives of the Massachusetts State Police also played a clip of the Proctor’s interview with the “20/20” episode of ABC News in June. In the interview, he called “unfortunate” text messages.
Kevin Dwyer, of Internal Affairs of the Massachusetts State Police, told the commission that he was asked to investigate Proctor after the agency was advised by the United States prosecutor’s office that there was a federal investigation into Proctor.
Internal Affairs investigation argued that Proctor provided information about reading and witnesses in the case of people who were not part of the police, who consumed service alcohol and made derogatory and defamatory comments about the suspect.
In this photo of June 10, 2024, the soldier of the State Police of Massachusetts, Michael Proctor, takes the position during the murder trial of Karen Read in the Superior Court of Norfolk in Dedham, Ma.
Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe through Getty Images, Archive
Read was acquitted of killing O’Kefe earlier this year in his second criminal trial for his death.
While Read was acquitted of the most serious charges, including second degree murder and involuntary homicide, it was convicted of operating a vehicle under the influence of liquor. It was immediately sentenced to probation.
The prosecutors alleged that Read hit O’Keefe with his car off the Canton house of the official policeman Brian Albert after a night of excessive alcohol consumption in January 2022, then let him die there during a large snowstorm.
Proctor presented an appeal of his shot on March 27.
The Appeal Audience of Proctor will continue on Wednesday before resuming once again for three days in October. The discovery will occur to your lawyers in October.
