Former Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor, who was fired last month for his role in the Karen Read investigation, is on the witness list for her second trial, court documents revealed Monday.
Jurors were seen shaking their heads during Proctor’s testimony at her first trial, which ended with a hung jury. In a series of text messages that were read in court, he called Read a “wack job,” a “babe… with no a–” and a “c—.” He added that he wished she would kill herself and joked about looking through her phone for nude selfies.
He was the lead investigator into the death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, Read’s boyfriend at the time of his death, in January 2022.
KAREN READ’S 2ND MURDER TRIAL SET TO START IN DEATH OF BOYFRIEND COP: WHAT TO KNOW
Karen Read gives John O’Keefe a kiss on the side of his head in an undated photograph.(Courtesy of Karen Read)
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Proctor has declined to comment on the case, but his wife and sister – also on the witness list – previously told Fox News Digital his texts did not compromise the investigation.
“At the end of the day, a beloved police officer and honorable man was killed,” his wife, Elizabeth Proctor, told Fox News Digital earlier this month.
“The prosecution believes it’s an open-and-shut case, and the defense knows this, too. So, their tactic is to put my husband, the lead investigator, on trial for sending texts on his personal phone to his friends and family.”
Those texts led to an internal investigation and Proctor’s firing, and experts say the fallout from them played a role in the original mistrial.
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At the top of the witness list, which came in alphabetical order, is Aidan Kearney, a local news blogger who was charged with harassing and intimidating witnesses during the first trial.
Other names include Brian Higgins, an ATF agent who was among several members of law enforcement inside a house party at the same address where O’Keefe was found dead outside the following morning; Brian Albert, the homeowner, along with several members of his family; accident reconstruction expert Dr. Daniel Wolfe, and dozens of others.
GO HERE FOR FULL COVERAGE OF THE 2ND KAREN READ TRIAL
Former Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor takes the stand during Karen Read’s first murder trial at Norfolk Superior Court.(Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
JUROR IN KAREN MISTRIAL JOINS HER DEFENSE TEAM FOR RETRIAL
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Judge Beverly Cannone on Monday also granted the prosecution’s request to block testimony from Michael Easter, a retired FBI agent. He was expected to dissect the case’s original investigators’ alleged failures to adhere to standard investigative policies and police protocols.
Read the witness list:
Read faces charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene of a deadly accident in connection with O’Keefe’s death.
Aidan Timothy Kearney speaks with a reporter outside Norfolk Superior Court on Monday, July 1, 2024 in Dedham, Massachusetts.(AP Photo/Steven Senne)
JUROR IN KAREN MISTRIAL JOINS HER DEFENSE TEAM FOR RETRIAL
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Prosecutors accuse her of backing into him with her Lexus SUV and leaving him to die in a snowstorm.
She has maintained her innocence, and her defense is alleging that she is being framed as part of a cover-up.
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Karen Read smiles during a news conference in front of Norfolk Superior Court after a judge declared a mistrial on Monday, July 1, 2024 in Dedham, Massachusetts.(AP Photo/Steven Senne)
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An autopsy found the cause of his death to be blunt force trauma to the head and hypothermia.
O’Keefe had skull fractures, brain bleeding, swollen black eyes and cuts to his right arm, but the forensic pathologist held off on calling it a homicide, leaving the manner of death undetermined.
Officer John O’Keefe poses for his official portrait.(Boston Police Department)
PORTLAND (WGME) — If the polls are any indication, Graham Platner is the toughest challenger Senator Susan Collins has faced in the 30 years she’s held her Senate seat.
“I know now for certain, or pretty much for certain, who my opponent will be,” Collins said.
Collins toured York County’s new regional training center Friday, which she helped secure the funding to build.
As the first chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee from Maine in nearly 100 years, she says she’s been able to bring $1.5 billion to Maine for more than 650 projects across the state.
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It’s federal funding, she says, that paid to replace or renovate 45 Maine fire stations, support childcare centers and help rural hospitals stay open.
“I think every day about how we can make life more comfortable for people in Maine,” Platner said.
Platner blames billionaires, big corporations, President Donald Trump, Collins and Republicans in Congress for the ongoing struggles facing working families and small businesses in Maine.
“We need to beat Susan Collins,” Platner said.
CBS13 asked Collins if she felt Trump’s performance will cost her votes in November. She did not answer that directly but did say she’s not running on Trump’s record, but her own.
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“I’m proud of my record and the accomplishments of what I’ve been able to do for Maine and for our country,” Collins said.
Collins says the Social Security Fairness Act she helped pass allows retired teachers and first responders to now get the Social Security they earned working in the private sector, along with their pensions.
“I can’t tell you how many retired employees have come up to me and said that it’s made the difference between a comfortable retirement and barely getting by,” Collins said.
They are two polar opposites in many ways, vying for a Senate seat where the stakes couldn’t be higher.
“I look forward to what I hope will be a civil discussion of the important issues facing our country and the State of Maine,” Collins said.
It’s that part of the volleyball season in which league opponents are facing each other for the second time, and Acton-Boxborough sure is making it interesting.
This Revolution squad, which was swept by Westford and Newton South, defeated both in a combined nine sets the second time around. A 6-6 record does not warrant a significant a rise in the Globe’s Top 20 boys’ volleyball poll, but it’s certainly a team on the right trajectory.
Needham moves up a spot after sweeping Newton South and pushing Brookline to an intense fifth set, and now the Warriors have defeated Nos. 2, 3, and 4 in five sets without dropping a set in any other in-state match. Needham and Natick await their rematches, though the Redhawks are the top dog in the MIAA’s Division 1 power rankings due to their strength of schedule.
Lexington held on in five against Chelmsford, Braintree swept Milton, and Barnstable continues to only have one set loss on the year (in its first matchup). Record based on results reported to the Globe.
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The Globe’s Top 20 boys’ volleyball poll
The Globe poll as of May 2, 2026. Teams were selected by the Globe sports staff.
AJ Traub can be reached at aj.traub@globe.com. Follow him on X @aj_traub and Instagram @ajt37.
