The cop who described Karen Read as a “wack job c–t” in texts to pals allegedly called her lawyer an “a–hole” in a text to a prosecutor after her case ended in a mistrial, Read’s lawyers claim.
Trooper Michael Proctor — who has since been removed from his post and suspended without pay over “unprofessional” messages about Read — allegedly texted a prosecutor just hours after her trial ended with a hung jury, calling her lawyer an “a—–e” and suggesting he may have violated a court order barring witnesses from following the trial, Read’s lawyers claimed in court papers this week.
Proctor — once the lead investigator on Read’s case — was forced to admit on the witness stand at Read’s June trial that he sent a slew of lewd messages about her while on the case, including calling her “r—-ded,” a “babe” with “no ass” and joking about searching her phone for nudes.
Then just hours after the case — which was streamed online — ended with a mistrial on July 1, Proctor messaged prosecutor Adam Lally about Read’s lawyer Alan Jackson, saying “Yeah, I didn’t watch (a—–e) Jackson’s closings for good reason. Like all of us the anticipation and anxiety of the verdict has us all on edge,” according to her lawyers.
The messages, Read’s lawyers allege, show that Proctor may not have followed the judge’s sequestration order barring witnesses from following along with the trial, the Boston Globe reported.
“The message implies that Mr. Proctor had been following the trial online and simply skipped the defense closing argument because he does not like Attorney (Alan) Jackson,” Reads lawyers claim.
The revelation was part of a defense motion asking the judge to reconsider forcing them to turn over so-called “impeachment” evidence to prosecutors until after witnesses have testified at her new trial in April. Impeachment evidence is used to undermine the credibility of witnesses often by showing inconsistencies or even lies in their testimony.
On Tuesday, Massachusetts’ top court paved the way for Read to be retried on all the same counts she was previously charged with, including for second-degree murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene of a crime in the death of Boston cop John O’Keefe in January 2022.
She faces up to life in prison if convicted on the top count.
Read’s case has gained a cult following of supporters of her innocence, thanks to the fact the case has been available for the public to view online and because of her lawyers’ efforts to paint her as a scapegoat in an expansive law enforcement cover-up.
And Proctor’s messages about Read were just more evidence that the investigation against her was rotten from the start, her lawyers have alleged.
She is accused of backing into O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV after the pair had been heavily drinking and then leaving him for dead in a snow bank as a storm was set to come in overnight. Read was dropping O’Keefe at his buddy cop’s party at a Canton home at the time.
Proctor didn’t immediately return requests for comment Wednesday.
With Post wires
