The lead investigator in the sensational Karen Read case—which ended in a mistrial on Monday—has been transferred out of the local Detective’s Unit for “serious misconduct” in connection with the trial, according to a statement released Monday by the Massachusetts State Police.
The detective, Trooper Michael Proctor, was leading the high profile investigation against Read, who was accused of killing her boyfriend and former Boston-area cop John O’Keefe.
Last month, Proctor testified on the stand that he had sent his friends and coworkers various vulgar texts ridiculing Read, calling her a “whack-job” and wishing she would kill herself.
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Massachusetts State Police Colonel John E. Mawn said that the department is still investigating Proctor’s behavior but that he “condemns those comments in the strongest terms possible.”
Proctor feebly admitted during the trial that his comments were “unprofessional” but argued that they didn’t affect the outcome of the case, although a large part of Read’s defense is hinged on her belief that the local police department was framing her for a crime someone in the department did.
Shortly after the mistrial was announced, the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that they will be retrying Read later on in the month.
