BOSTON – The Karen Read murder trial dominated media coverage in Massachusetts and made headlines around the country. The work of state troopers connected to the investigation, specifically, Trooper Michael Proctor, led to questions about professionalism and accusations of sloppy police work. 

Prosecutors allege Karen Read killed her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, by hitting him with her car in January of 2022 and then leaving him to die in a snowstorm. 

Proctor was lead investigator and during the trial, it was revealed he sent vulgar text about Read to friends and family members.

It prompted Gov. Maura Healey to speak out against his conduct. 

“It's terrible. It's completely unprofessional,” said Healey said June 13. “It does harm, frankly, to the dignity and the integrity of the work of men and women across the State Police and law enforcement. So as a former attorney general and as governor, I am disgusted by that.”

State Police relieved Proctor of his duties this week. The State Police Association of Massachusetts responded with a statement:

“It is our understanding that this discipline came as a result of the trooper’s private text message exchanges that were made public during the trial. We also understand that it has no relationship to salacious allegations of cover-ups, collusion or conspiracies offered by the defense,” said Brian Williams, president of the State Police Association of Massachusetts. 

The union states it doesn’t condone the language Proctor used in the text messages, and its statement went on to credit the work of troopers, saying the State Police’s solve rate in homicide cases is the “envy of the country.” 

Proctor awaits a decision on what his future will be in the State Police. The state has said, however, it plans to retry the case against Read.