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CNN
20 hours ago
- General
- CNN
Fired investigator's texts presented to jurors in Karen Read's retrial
FacebookTweetLink Follow Jurors in the retrial of Karen Read on Monday heard a spate of sexist messages the lead investigator of the case sent his friends, after the judge ruled to allow the since-fired Massachusetts State Police trooper's texts into evidence. 'She's a whack job c*nt,' Michael Proctor wrote about Read, according to testimony Monday by his childhood friend, Jonathan Diamandis, who was on the group chat where Proctor sent the message. 'Yeah, she's a babe,' Proctor said, less than 24 hours into the investigation of the death of Read's boyfriend, John O'Keefe. 'Weird Fall River accent though. No a**.' The contents of the text messages – which were notably presented to jurors under cross-examination by Massachusetts prosecutors and not Read's defense attorneys – were publicly known, having been presented at Read's first trial, which ended with a hung jury. But this is the first time jurors in her second trial have heard them. In a hearing last week outside the presence of the jury, the defense signaled the texts were important for helping jurors understand Proctor's state of mind. Prosecutors sought to exclude a presentation of the messages through Diamandis, arguing the defense should have to put the former trooper on the stand – an idea defense attorney David Yannetti appeared to resist. Monday, Judge Beverly Cannone sided with the defense. Prosecutors have accused Read of drunkenly striking O'Keefe, a Boston police officer, with her SUV and leaving him to die in the snow outside a Canton, Massachusetts, home in January 2022. But Read's defense claims she was framed by other off-duty law enforcement who were inside that home, alleging they killed O'Keefe and conspired to frame her. Proctor is a key figure in the case: While he led the investigation into O'Keefe's death, his text messages have been used by Read's defense attorneys to paint a picture of a flawed and biased investigation. Jurors have already heard testimony about sexist texts the investigator sent his colleagues – including his superiors – at the Massachusetts State Police, in which he said he had found 'no nudes' during a search of Read's cellphone. State police announced Proctor had been relieved of duty last July, the same day Read's first trial ended in a mistrial. In March, weeks before Read's retrial began, the agency announced he was fired following an internal review. A MSP trial board determined Proctor had committed several violations of MSP policy, including sending inappropriate text messages about a suspect and providing sensitive or confidential information about an investigation to individuals who were not law enforcement, according to a personnel order obtained by CNN. The board also found Proctor had created the appearance of bias in his dealings with a homicide suspect, and/or brought himself and the agency into disrepute. An attorney for Proctor declined to comment Monday. Last year, during the first trial, Proctor apologized on the stand for the 'unprofessional' comments. Read has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a collision resulting in death. Diamandis testified Monday he has known Proctor for about 30 years, going back to middle school. The two remain close friends, Diamandis said, and he confirmed he and Proctor were on a text message chain with several other friends from high school. When Yannetti presented him with a document, Diamandis confirmed it contained a portion of the approximately 38,000 messages on that text chain. Aside from the messages that disparaged the defendant, others showed Proctor sharing with his friends details about the victim and the investigation more broadly. At one point, Proctor signaled that whether Read struck O'Keefe intentionally or not, 'That's another animal we won't be able to prove.' On cross-examination, special prosecutor Hank Brennan sought to have Diamandis read the texts aloud. But when Brennan tried to have him read the texts that referred to Read as a 'whack job' and her looks, the witness declined. 'I'm not really comfortable reading these,' he said. 'Do I have to say these words out loud?' Ultimately, the court decided to have Brennan read aloud the text messages, with the prosecutor asking Diamandis to confirm their content. 'She's f**ked,' Proctor wrote just before 11:07 p.m. on January 29, 2022 – less than 24 hours after the commonwealth says Read struck O'Keefe with her vehicle. Someone else in the chain responded, 'No a** b*tch,' and Proctor responded with a 'laugh' reaction, Diamandis confirmed. Still, while the texts were crude and offensive, they never indicated Proctor committed misconduct in the case, Diamandis said under questioning by Brennan. 'In your conversations with Mr. Proctor,' Brennan asked, 'has he ever suggested that he planted evidence in this case or any other case?' 'No,' Diamandis said. 'In your conversations with Mr. Proctor, has he ever suggested framing a defendant, including this defendant?' 'Absolutely not,' the witness said. 'In your conversations with Mr. Proctor, has he ever suggested tampering with evidence in this case or in any other case?' 'No, absolutely not.' Proctor's texts were entered into evidence Monday as questions swirl about whether the former state trooper himself will be forced to take the stand. The commonwealth did not call Proctor to testify while presenting its case in chief – a notable decision, considering he was the lead investigator. Instead, they called Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik, who testified to much of the investigation, saying any homicide case required a team effort. In his opening statement, defense attorney Alan Jackson likened Proctor to a 'cancer' that had infected the entire case. But the defense has signaled in recent days resistance to the idea of calling him to the stand, though he remains on its list of potential witnesses. Last Friday, while Brennan argued the defense should have to call Proctor to admit his text messages, Yannetti said that was the defense's choice to make. He contended the commonwealth wanted to force the defense to call a witness 'that they do not have confidence in to call themselves.' 'It's unheard of in a murder case that you don't call the lead investigator, but that's what happened in this case,' Yannetti said. 'We should not be forced to call Michael Proctor so that Mr. Brennan can then cross-examine him and lead him through basically his entire closing argument.' This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN
21 hours ago
- General
- CNN
Fired investigator's texts presented to jurors in Karen Read's retrial
FacebookTweetLink Follow Jurors in the retrial of Karen Read on Monday heard a spate of sexist messages the lead investigator of the case sent his friends, after the judge ruled to allow the since-fired Massachusetts State Police trooper's texts into evidence. 'She's a whack job c*nt,' Michael Proctor wrote about Read, according to testimony Monday by his childhood friend, Jonathan Diamandis, who was on the group chat where Proctor sent the message. 'Yeah, she's a babe,' Proctor said, less than 24 hours into the investigation of the death of Read's boyfriend, John O'Keefe. 'Weird Fall River accent though. No a**.' The contents of the text messages – which were notably presented to jurors under cross-examination by Massachusetts prosecutors and not Read's defense attorneys – were publicly known, having been presented at Read's first trial, which ended with a hung jury. But this is the first time jurors in her second trial have heard them. In a hearing last week outside the presence of the jury, the defense signaled the texts were important for helping jurors understand Proctor's state of mind. Prosecutors sought to exclude a presentation of the messages through Diamandis, arguing the defense should have to put the former trooper on the stand – an idea defense attorney David Yannetti appeared to resist. Monday, Judge Beverly Cannone sided with the defense. Prosecutors have accused Read of drunkenly striking O'Keefe, a Boston police officer, with her SUV and leaving him to die in the snow outside a Canton, Massachusetts, home in January 2022. But Read's defense claims she was framed by other off-duty law enforcement who were inside that home, alleging they killed O'Keefe and conspired to frame her. Proctor is a key figure in the case: While he led the investigation into O'Keefe's death, his text messages have been used by Read's defense attorneys to paint a picture of a flawed and biased investigation. Jurors have already heard testimony about sexist texts the investigator sent his colleagues – including his superiors – at the Massachusetts State Police, in which he said he had found 'no nudes' during a search of Read's cellphone. State police announced Proctor had been relieved of duty last July, the same day Read's first trial ended in a mistrial. In March, weeks before Read's retrial began, the agency announced he was fired following an internal review. A MSP trial board determined Proctor had committed several violations of MSP policy, including sending inappropriate text messages about a suspect and providing sensitive or confidential information about an investigation to individuals who were not law enforcement, according to a personnel order obtained by CNN. The board also found Proctor had created the appearance of bias in his dealings with a homicide suspect, and/or brought himself and the agency into disrepute. An attorney for Proctor declined to comment Monday. Last year, during the first trial, Proctor apologized on the stand for the 'unprofessional' comments. Read has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a collision resulting in death. Diamandis testified Monday he has known Proctor for about 30 years, going back to middle school. The two remain close friends, Diamandis said, and he confirmed he and Proctor were on a text message chain with several other friends from high school. When Yannetti presented him with a document, Diamandis confirmed it contained a portion of the approximately 38,000 messages on that text chain. Aside from the messages that disparaged the defendant, others showed Proctor sharing with his friends details about the victim and the investigation more broadly. At one point, Proctor signaled that whether Read struck O'Keefe intentionally or not, 'That's another animal we won't be able to prove.' On cross-examination, special prosecutor Hank Brennan sought to have Diamandis read the texts aloud. But when Brennan tried to have him read the texts that referred to Read as a 'whack job' and her looks, the witness declined. 'I'm not really comfortable reading these,' he said. 'Do I have to say these words out loud?' Ultimately, the court decided to have Brennan read aloud the text messages, with the prosecutor asking Diamandis to confirm their content. 'She's f**ked,' Proctor wrote just before 11:07 p.m. on January 29, 2022 – less than 24 hours after the commonwealth says Read struck O'Keefe with her vehicle. Someone else in the chain responded, 'No a** b*tch,' and Proctor responded with a 'laugh' reaction, Diamandis confirmed. Still, while the texts were crude and offensive, they never indicated Proctor committed misconduct in the case, Diamandis said under questioning by Brennan. 'In your conversations with Mr. Proctor,' Brennan asked, 'has he ever suggested that he planted evidence in this case or any other case?' 'No,' Diamandis said. 'In your conversations with Mr. Proctor, has he ever suggested framing a defendant, including this defendant?' 'Absolutely not,' the witness said. 'In your conversations with Mr. Proctor, has he ever suggested tampering with evidence in this case or in any other case?' 'No, absolutely not.' Proctor's texts were entered into evidence Monday as questions swirl about whether the former state trooper himself will be forced to take the stand. The commonwealth did not call Proctor to testify while presenting its case in chief – a notable decision, considering he was the lead investigator. Instead, they called Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik, who testified to much of the investigation, saying any homicide case required a team effort. In his opening statement, defense attorney Alan Jackson likened Proctor to a 'cancer' that had infected the entire case. But the defense has signaled in recent days resistance to the idea of calling him to the stand, though he remains on its list of potential witnesses. Last Friday, while Brennan argued the defense should have to call Proctor to admit his text messages, Yannetti said that was the defense's choice to make. He contended the commonwealth wanted to force the defense to call a witness 'that they do not have confidence in to call themselves.' 'It's unheard of in a murder case that you don't call the lead investigator, but that's what happened in this case,' Yannetti said. 'We should not be forced to call Michael Proctor so that Mr. Brennan can then cross-examine him and lead him through basically his entire closing argument.' This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN
21 hours ago
- General
- CNN
Fired investigator's texts presented to jurors in Karen Read's retrial
Jurors in the retrial of Karen Read on Monday heard a spate of sexist messages the lead investigator of the case sent his friends, after the judge ruled to allow the since-fired Massachusetts State Police trooper's texts into evidence. 'She's a whack job c*nt,' Michael Proctor wrote about Read, according to testimony Monday by his childhood friend, Jonathan Diamandis, who was on the group chat where Proctor sent the message. 'Yeah, she's a babe,' Proctor said, less than 24 hours into the investigation of the death of Read's boyfriend, John O'Keefe. 'Weird Fall River accent though. No a**.' The contents of the text messages – which were notably presented to jurors under cross-examination by Massachusetts prosecutors and not Read's defense attorneys – were publicly known, having been presented at Read's first trial, which ended with a hung jury. But this is the first time jurors in her second trial have heard them. In a hearing last week outside the presence of the jury, the defense signaled the texts were important for helping jurors understand Proctor's state of mind. Prosecutors sought to exclude a presentation of the messages through Diamandis, arguing the defense should have to put the former trooper on the stand – an idea defense attorney David Yannetti appeared to resist. Monday, Judge Beverly Cannone sided with the defense. Prosecutors have accused Read of drunkenly striking O'Keefe, a Boston police officer, with her SUV and leaving him to die in the snow outside a Canton, Massachusetts, home in January 2022. But Read's defense claims she was framed by other off-duty law enforcement who were inside that home, alleging they killed O'Keefe and conspired to frame her. Proctor is a key figure in the case: While he led the investigation into O'Keefe's death, his text messages have been used by Read's defense attorneys to paint a picture of a flawed and biased investigation. Jurors have already heard testimony about sexist texts the investigator sent his colleagues – including his superiors – at the Massachusetts State Police, in which he said he had found 'no nudes' during a search of Read's cellphone. State police announced Proctor had been relieved of duty last July, the same day Read's first trial ended in a mistrial. In March, weeks before Read's retrial began, the agency announced he was fired following an internal review. A MSP trial board determined Proctor had committed several violations of MSP policy, including sending inappropriate text messages about a suspect and providing sensitive or confidential information about an investigation to individuals who were not law enforcement, according to a personnel order obtained by CNN. The board also found Proctor had created the appearance of bias in his dealings with a homicide suspect, and/or brought himself and the agency into disrepute. An attorney for Proctor declined to comment Monday. Last year, during the first trial, Proctor apologized on the stand for the 'unprofessional' comments. Read has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a collision resulting in death. Diamandis testified Monday he has known Proctor for about 30 years, going back to middle school. The two remain close friends, Diamandis said, and he confirmed he and Proctor were on a text message chain with several other friends from high school. When Yannetti presented him with a document, Diamandis confirmed it contained a portion of the approximately 38,000 messages on that text chain. Aside from the messages that disparaged the defendant, others showed Proctor sharing with his friends details about the victim and the investigation more broadly. At one point, Proctor signaled that whether Read struck O'Keefe intentionally or not, 'That's another animal we won't be able to prove.' On cross-examination, special prosecutor Hank Brennan sought to have Diamandis read the texts aloud. But when Brennan tried to have him read the texts that referred to Read as a 'whack job' and her looks, the witness declined. 'I'm not really comfortable reading these,' he said. 'Do I have to say these words out loud?' Ultimately, the court decided to have Brennan read aloud the text messages, with the prosecutor asking Diamandis to confirm their content. 'She's f**ked,' Proctor wrote just before 11:07 p.m. on January 29, 2022 – less than 24 hours after the commonwealth says Read struck O'Keefe with her vehicle. Someone else in the chain responded, 'No a** b*tch,' and Proctor responded with a 'laugh' reaction, Diamandis confirmed. Still, while the texts were crude and offensive, they never indicated Proctor committed misconduct in the case, Diamandis said under questioning by Brennan. 'In your conversations with Mr. Proctor,' Brennan asked, 'has he ever suggested that he planted evidence in this case or any other case?' 'No,' Diamandis said. 'In your conversations with Mr. Proctor, has he ever suggested framing a defendant, including this defendant?' 'Absolutely not,' the witness said. 'In your conversations with Mr. Proctor, has he ever suggested tampering with evidence in this case or in any other case?' 'No, absolutely not.' Proctor's texts were entered into evidence Monday as questions swirl about whether the former state trooper himself will be forced to take the stand. The commonwealth did not call Proctor to testify while presenting its case in chief – a notable decision, considering he was the lead investigator. Instead, they called Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik, who testified to much of the investigation, saying any homicide case required a team effort. In his opening statement, defense attorney Alan Jackson likened Proctor to a 'cancer' that had infected the entire case. But the defense has signaled in recent days resistance to the idea of calling him to the stand, though he remains on its list of potential witnesses. Last Friday, while Brennan argued the defense should have to call Proctor to admit his text messages, Yannetti said that was the defense's choice to make. He contended the commonwealth wanted to force the defense to call a witness 'that they do not have confidence in to call themselves.' 'It's unheard of in a murder case that you don't call the lead investigator, but that's what happened in this case,' Yannetti said. 'We should not be forced to call Michael Proctor so that Mr. Brennan can then cross-examine him and lead him through basically his entire closing argument.' This is a developing story and will be updated.
Fox News
a day ago
- General
- Fox News
Karen Read's defense takes the wheel, vying to convince jury she didn't kill John O'Keefe
incoming update… The first full week of Karen Read's defense begins today more than a month after jury selection began in her retrial on murder and other charges in the death of her former boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe. The 45 -year-old Read's first trial ended with a deadlocked jury last is accused of striking O'Keefe, 46, with a Lexus SUV in a drunken fight, then driving away and leaving him to die in the cold during a blizzard. Read's lawyers -- partially paid for after she sold her home and tapped into her retirement fund , deny that she struck him at all, however, over the first five weeks of trial, witnesses for the prosecution testified that O'Keefe suffered a head injury consistent with falling backward after a glancing vehicular strike and that plastic fragments consistent with Read's broken taillight were recovered from his clothes. Special prosecutor Hank Brennan rested the commonwealth's case Thursday. The first defense witness was an accident reconstruction expert named Matt DiSogra, who said that only three out of nearly 30 possible scenarios based on phone and vehicle data align with the prosecution's timeline. Twenty-five of them suggest O'Keefe's last interaction with his cellphone was a conscious button-press made after Read took her SUV out of reverse, he said. However, under cross-examination, he could not rule out a collision. "Sir, are you trying to offer an opinion suggesting that Miss Read's Lexus never hit John O'Keefe on January 29th, 2022?" Brennan asked. "Is that your opinion?" "No sir,' DiSogra replied. Live Coverage begins here
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Karen Read sells home and taps retirement fund to pay mounting legal bills in murder retrial
As murder defendant Karen Read rounds the corner on the halfway point of her second trial, the crippling weight of unpaid legal bills could be alleviated by an unlikely source: online crowdfunding. Months before her retrial was set to begin, Read told Vanity Fair she owes her defense team over $5 million in legal fees – a total that is likely growing with the addition of two new attorneys. "Other than feeling wrongfully persecuted and prosecuted, I feel incredibly violated," Read said in the Vanity Fair interview, adding, "If I can get the entire truth of this case out in the public forum, that, to me, is priceless." Karen Read Judge Grants Defense Video Access, Allows Dog Bite Experts – With Limits Read pleaded not guilty and is facing the possibility of life in prison for the alleged murder of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe. She is accused of ramming O'Keefe with her vehicle during a drunken argument before leaving him to freeze to death in the front yard of a fellow police officer's home in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2022. Read's defense team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Read On The Fox News App Last year, Norfolk County Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone declared a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a verdict, setting the stage for a costly redo for Read. Karen Read Appeals Double Jeopardy Ruling To Us Supreme Court Since her first trial, Read's defense team has introduced two new players, with attorneys Robert Alessi and Victoria George joining Alan Jackson, David Yannetti and Elizabeth Little. To help subsidize her expenses, Read reportedly sold her Mansfield home for $810,000 in November 2024 and is living off of her 401(k) retirement fund after losing her jobs as a Bentley University finance professor and Fidelity Investments equities analyst following her arrest. In addition to turning to her equity, numerous crowdfunding sites have been kick-started to help Read chip away at her legal fees – a common tactic used in high-profile court cases where bills could rise into the seven figures. Medical Examiner Details Skull Fractures In Karen Read Murder Trial Testimony "There are many examples of high-profile defendants paying out-of-pocket for their defense," criminal defense attorney Andrew Stoltmann told Fox News Digital. "O.J. Simpson is the classic example. But it is surprising when high-profile, non-wealthy individuals pay out-of-pocket for their entire defense." A Justice for Karen Read legal defense fund, organized by Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP, is closing in on $1 million raised, with donations continuing to pour in as Read's second trial wraps up its fourth week. "Keep fighting," one anonymous donor wrote. "I believe in Karen's innocence and grateful she has an amazing team defending her." Karen Read Trial: Crime Lab Expert Testifies Blood Evidence Was Never Tested Werksman Jackson & Quinn did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Additionally, the Free Karen Read Movement has launched a website selling sweatshirts, T-shirts and other apparel in support of Read, while advocating for her innocence. Earlier this month, supporters hosted a ticketed dinner party in a nearby town to raise money for Read. Seats were priced at $100 and included a live DJ, raffle and cash bar. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub The event organizers did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. While turning to public methods as a way to bankroll legal funds increases, experts caution the charity could come with strings attached. "A third-party funding source is both a blessing and a curse," Stoltmann said. "They can provide necessary funds to put on a top-flight defense, but they also tend to have a disproportionate amount of sway with the attorneys since the bills are being paid by the third party. It's an ethical quagmire for the attorneys on cases." Karen Read's Defense Opens Door For Special Prosecutor To Bring In New Evidence: Court Docs Read's defense team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on whether she plans to accept the funds. In light of the hefty price tag for legal representation, it is not uncommon for attorneys to take on high-profile cases for a reduced rate in exchange for publicity. SIGN UP TO GET True Crime Newsletter "Many criminal defense lawyers will take a case pro bono or at a severely discounted rate if it's a high-profile case and there's a great deal of news and television coverage," Stoltmann told Fox News Digital. "This often leads to a tsunami of new clients coming in the door for years after the trial takes place. This might be what's happening in Karen Read's case." While Read's fate remains in the hands of the jury, her chance to maintain her freedom – and clear her name – continues to come at an incredibly high cost. "I'm not backing down now," Read told Vanity Fair. "As scary as a potential conviction is, I will go to jail for something I didn't do before I plea out. I will never give them that win."Original article source: Karen Read sells home and taps retirement fund to pay mounting legal bills in murder retrial
