12 hours ago
Karen Read case: Michael Proctor laughs off question about alleged cover-up
The lead investigator in the Karen Read case who was forced to step down after he was caught sending lewd text messages about her laughed off the suggestion he helped orchestrate a conspiracy against the financial analyst.
'Absolutely not,' Michael Proctor said on ABC's 20/20 when asked if he planted evidence. 'And I'm laughing because it's such a ridiculous accusation. It's something I would never do, I've never done and there's no evidence of it.'
He claimed it's only the 'loud minority' that believe he committed wrongdoing even though he was caught sending messages about Read, including calling her a 'wack job c—t.'
3 Karen Read was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter charges.
AP
'The silent majority, we've had an overwhelming amount of support,' he defiantly said in a distinct Boston accent in an interview that aired Wednesday. 'They're just not out here tweeting.'
Read was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter charges Wednesday afternoon to end the yearslong legal saga.
She was only convicted of drunk driving and let off with a year of probation.
Authorities have faced fierce criticism for the shoddy probe and even questions about whether they only went after Read as part of a sweeping cover-up.
Proctor only offered minor elements of the probe that he would have changed.
'Because it's blowing up into this crazy, crazy, so-called conspiracy, maybe I could have avoided it by looking at other people's cars just to say we did it,' Proctor said on ABC.
3 Michael Proctor was asked if he planted evidence in the case and if he helped orchestrate a conspiracy.
AP
'There's some witnesses, maybe, we could have interviewed a little sooner, but overall, myself and every detective in that office worked this case like we always do, so I wouldn't change anything.'
Proctor testified in the first trial and was grilled by the defense about the shocking messages. He was dismissed by the Massachusetts State Troopers between the first and second trial, and did not appear in the second go-around.
He told 20/20 that the vulgar messages he sent were 'regrettable,' but argued the content doesn't show the investigation was improper.
3 Read's former boyfriend, police officer John O'Keefe died in January of 2022.
Courtesy of David Yannetti
'I see someone who's caught up in the moment of investigating a fellow police officer and just saying inappropriate things,' he said.
He said the text in which he claimed he hoped that Read would kill herself was 'made in jest.'
'It's a figure of speech,' he bizarrely insisted, adding his negative feelings toward her grew as the case dragged on because a Boston cop was the victim.
An emotional Proctor described how he was hysterical when he found out he was being pulled from service leading up to his dishonorable discharge.
'I don't know any trooper that's been punished for personal text messages on their personal phone let alone fired,' he said.
