New update in Karen Read case as state trooper & star witness Michael Proctor relieved of duties after mistrial declared

A STATE trooper has been relieved of his duties, following Karen Read’s shocking mistrial.

Read was charged with allegedly running over her police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe , in January 2022 after he was found dead in the snow.

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Judge Beverly Cannone made the shocking ruling on Monday after the jury’s five days of deliberation.

Prosecutors alleged that Read, 44, hit O’Keefe, then 46, with her car shortly after dropping him off at a party hosted by a fellow cop in Canton, about 16 miles outside of Boston.

Read vehemently denied the charges, claiming that she was being framed as a part of a conspiracy created by law enforcement.

Read’s attorney argued that O’Keefe’s death occurred when someone inside the party beat the officer to death and then moved his body outside for Read to find.

One legal expert exclusively revealed to The U.S. Sun in June that he initially expected a hung jury due to the way the prosecution “botched” its case against Read.

Neama Rahmani, founder of West Coast Trial Lawyers, told The U.S. Sun that he believes the defense has done an adequate job in sowing seeds of doubt into jurors.

According to Rahmani – who has no affiliation with the case – the prosecution’s biggest hindrance was their star witness, state trooper Michael Proctor, who was the lead investigator on the case.

While being cross-examined, Proctor admitted that he had sent several inflammatory texts regarding Read to friends, family, and fellow troopers during the investigation.

Several of the messages stated that Read was a “b***h” and a “whackjob.”

Proctor also voiced a desire for Read to “kill herself,” and joked to his superiors that he hadn’t found any nude photographs on her phone.

“He was so offensive and so unprofessional, and that’s your lead investigator on the case,” said Rahmani.

“Anytime you’re the defense and you’re putting law enforcement on trial you are willing. The best offense is a good offense.”

‘CONSPIRACY THEORIES’

Rahmani says that he doesn’t buy any of the conspiracies that have plagued the case.

“Do I believe the conspiracy theory that she was framed? No. Not at all,” he said.

A timeline of the Karen Read case

• January 29, 2022: O’Keefe’s body is found outside of a friend’s home.
• February 1, 2022: Read was arrested and charged with manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide, and leaving the scene of a vehicle homicide.
• February 2, 2022: Read pleads not guilty in Stoughton District Court.
• June 9, 2022: A state grand jury indicts Read on upgraded charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene.
• April 12, 2023: Read’s attorneys publicly release court documents they say contain “bombshell exculpatory information,” including Jennifer McCabe’s Google search.
• Nov. 20, 2023: Residents of the divided community vote 903-800 to audit the Canton Police Department over the case.
• May 23, 2023 – During another pre-trial hearing, the defense says that the murder of John O’Keefe is a massive cover-up involving members of law enforcement and their friends and family members.
• Feb. 22, 2024: Prosecutors unveil long-awaited results of crime scene evidence tests, alleging that O’Keefe’s DNA was recovered from the broken taillight of Read’s vehicle.
• April 12, 2024: Read’s defense attorneys say in court that Brian Albert, his son Colin Albert and Brian Higgins could have each killed O’Keefe at the party that night.
• April 16, 2024: Read’s trial began in Massachusetts Superior Court.
• May 17, 2024: Jennifer McCabe, who was with Read when she discovered O’Keefe’s body, testifies that during their search, Read repeatedly said: “Did I hit him? Could I have hit him?” She also says Read later said when emergency workers were on the scene: “I hit him.”
• June 3, 2024: The defense accuses police of planting the shattered fragments of taillight from Read’s car at the scene of the crime.
• June 24, 2024: The defense rests their case

“I think it was either an accident because she was drunk or she intentionally killed him.

I don’t believe he was beaten up, bitten by a dog, and thrown out to die, but the defense only needs to convince one or two jurors to hang the panel – and I think that’s what’s happening here.

“The longer these deliberations go on, the more likely we’re going to have a hung jury.”

RELIEVED OF DUTY

After the news of the mistrial, Proctor was relieved of his duty and was moved out of the Norfolk County DA’s detective unit.

The move was based on a separate internal investigation, according to police.

Proctor was placed on leave, which allows him to still be paid but he can no longer function as a state trooper.

Read’s attorneys previously accused the police officer of covering for witnesses and planting evidence.

They questioned his relationship with Canton Selectman Christopher Albert, whose brother owned the home where O’Keefe died.

However, Proctor denied any allegations made against him.

He will be receiving a disciplinary hearing, however, there isn’t a date set currently.

While he can’t be fired from his position, he is allowed to step down.

Proctor's options following his disciplanary hearing

• He could be reinstated.
• He could be suspended with pay.
• He could be suspended without pay.
• He could receive restricted duties.

Credit: CBS

‘PLANTED’ EVIDENCE

According to the legal expert, Proctor’s performance on the stand was one of the worst he has seen in his 20-year career.

“Proctor lied about his relationship [with the homeowner], he’s not likable, he’s not credible, and that’s your key witness […] I don’t think the prosecution did a good job of fronting the evidence,” Rahmani remarked.

Rahmani likened the whole trial to that of the OJ Simpson case in which the LAPD detective was found to have used the N-word and then lied about it on the stand.

“You have the defense pushing the narrative that maybe some of the evidence against Read was planted, which is again shades of OJ,” he continued.

“In OJ [case], jurors thought the LAPD planted the evidence, and the jury in this case might buy that argument too, which is unbelievable in my opinion,” Rahmani concluded.

It has yet to be announced when a retrial would take place.

A status conference scheduled by Judge Cannone will take place on July 22 at 2 pm.

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Boston 25

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