BOSTON (WHDH) – Former Massachusetts state police trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator in the Karen Read case, is challenging his termination for misconduct.
He was fired over his handling of the Read case; now he wants his job back. A hearing will begin Tuesday on the matter.
During Read’s first trial, his conduct was a key focus of her defense team. He admitted to sending dozens of inappropriate and vulgar text messages about Read while investigating her in connection with the death of Boston police officer John O’Keefe.
Her lawyers claimed those messages were evidence of a corrupt investigation.
The state police trial board eventually determined his performance was unsatisfactory. They also found that he inappropriately drank alcohol while investigating another case.
He was fired and dishonorably discharged in March of this year.
Read was acquitted of second degree murder and manslaughter in her retrial. She was found guilty of driving under the influence and sentenced to one year probation.
Commissioner Angela McConney started hearing the arguments on Tuesday.
Proctor’s lawyer, Daniel Moynihan, said the state police bowed to public pressure and inappropriately fired a 12-year employee with a spotless record prior to the Read probe.
“The witch hunt for Michael Proctor began, he was relieved of duty within hours of the mistrial,” Moynihan said. “You’ll hear that this termination was not based on actual evidence, instead, it was a decision made to appease politicians and to appease some vocal members of the public and the media.”
An internal investigation found Proctor violated department rules several times, including describing Read in vulgar terms, creating at least the appearance of bias.
The attorney for the state police, Stephen Carley, played several long clips on Proctor’s testimony in June of 2024, when his texts were revealed in the first Karen Read murder…