Michael Proctor breaks silence hours after verdict in Karen Read's retrial
Embattled former Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor sat down with ABC's Matt Gutman for an exclusive interview with 20/20 to discuss the Karen Read case.
The special aired from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., covering a wide range of aspects about both the case, Read's first trial, and the subsequent fallout.
Read was accused of striking John O'Keefe with her Lexus SUV and leaving him to die alone in a blizzard outside of a house party in Canton at the home of fellow officer Brian Albert on Jan. 29, 2022, following a night of drinking.
Read's lawyers argued that O'Keefe was beaten, bitten by a dog, then left outside Albert's home in a conspiracy orchestrated by the police that included planting evidence against Read.
At the center of that conspiracy, Read's lawyers pointed to MSP lead investigator Michael Proctor, who was eventually fired from his role with the State Police.
Proctor addressed what he found in his investigation, his relationships, or lack thereof, with the people involved in the case, and the crude text messages about Karen Read.
Proctor was adamant that there was no conspiracy against Read and that a vocal minority is pushing that narrative.
'Not in this case...didn't happen here,' Proctor said.
In fact, he claimed the evidence he gathered pointed to her guilt.
As for his alleged relationships with the Alberts, McCabes, and other people who were inside the house on Fairview Road the night O'Keefe died, Proctor clarified he didn't really know any of them, and his supervisors had no problems with him leading an unbiased investigation.
'I heard of Brian Albert,' Proctor said, 'but I never met him 'til I interviewed him.'
He said he knew Julie and Chris Albert through his sister, calling it 'a distant relationship.'
Recusing himself, Proctor said, 'Wasn't a concern of mine, wasn't a concern of DA Michael Morrissey...'
In Read's first trial, her lawyers introduced a series of crude text messages Proctor shared in a personal group chat with friends, as well as State Police supervisors.
Proctor addressed those to Gutman, saying he regrets them and wishes he had handled it differently.
'I see someone who's caught up in the moment of investigating a fellow police officer and saying inappropriate things,' Proctor said.
He says he can understand why people, after just seeing his explicit texts, could view him as sexist or misogynistic.
Gutman pushed Proctor on his texts about wanting Karen Read to kill herself.
'It's a figure of speech,' Proctor replied. 'It was said in jest.'
Proctor also talked about his firing and how it was very emotional for him, especially when his union rep had to pick up his police uniforms from his home.
Despite the backlash from Read supporters, Proctor said he worked the case as he would any other. He remained adamant that there was no conspiracy against Read.
'Not one person [has come forward and] said 'I'm not going down for this, here's what really happened.''
Proctor's full interview can be found on ABC and Hulu+.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
16 minutes ago
- Washington Post
D.C. attorney general alleges violence intervention nonprofit misused funds
The District's attorney general has alleged that a nonprofit group hired by the city misappropriated funds that were supposed to go toward preventing gun violence in the Congress Heights neighborhood. In a lawsuit filed this week by D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb, the city is seeking to recoup more than $250,000 in government funds that went to Women in H.E.E.L.S. (Healing, Elevation, Empowerment, Love, Support) Inc. The group signed an agreement with the attorney general's office in March 2022 to operate one of four new violence-reduction program sites as part of the office's Cure the Streets program, according to the suit.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘Million Dollar Beach House' Alum Sara Burack Dead at 40 After Hit and Run: Reports
Sara Burack, a real estate agent featured on Netflix's Million Dollar Beach House, has reportedly died. She was 40. Burack had been found unconscious on the Montauk Highway in the Hampton Bays on early Thursday, June 19, according to News12 Connecticut. Local Southampton Town Police officers confirmed to the outlet that Burack had been hit by a vehicle. Greater Long Island further reported that Burack had been found by law enforcement officials with injuries that indicated she was struck by a car. They had received a 911 call at 2:45 a.m., alerting them of an unconscious woman. Upon arrival, Burack was transported to a local hospital for treatment, where she ultimately died. An investigation into the incident is ongoing, with the police claiming that the driver fled the scene. Further information has not yet been shared. Do Selling Sunset's Stars Actually Sell Homes — And How Much Do They Make? Burack worked for Nest Seekers International, a Manhattan-based brokerage featured on 2020's Million Dollar Beach House. 'Viewers will be taken into the world of the Hamptons where they will see not only beautiful multimillion-dollar beach homes and estates, but will be shown summer in the Hamptons pre-COVID,' Burack told in 2020 ahead the reality TV series' premiere. 'With scenes from broker open houses, polo games, yacht life and more, there is sure to be an 'Awww' from viewers.' Burack had spent time in the Hamptons for 11 years, eventually turning her passions for real estate into a career. "My family has a commercial construction material sales business that I spent many years of my life working for,' she told the outlet. 'I have always been intrigued by real estate projects and decided to become a broker after my experience as a summer property manager in the summer house I would rent.' She added, 'The Hamptons market has primarily been a second home market, many buyers use their properties as a getaway or an investment property, so they are purchasing homes to reflect this. Buyers go all out with these homes.' According to Burack, many of her NYC-based clients were 'looking for space and yards' in a second home. "With the ability to work from home, many New York City residents are spending more time in the Hamptons and by default want to be able to have their families with them,' she said. 'Selling the Hamptons' Returns for Season 2: Inside $150 Million Mansions and Billion Dollar Deals After the end of Million Dollar Beach House, Burack sold properties in Miami. "Picture perfect water views from this property. Live in your paradise,' she wrote via Instagram in 2021. Burack also was licensed to sell yachts to luxury clients. 'Our Next New Adventure!!! Let's goooo!!! Yacht Broker,' she wrote via Instagram in July 2022. Nestseekers' brand replied with a '🙌' emoji.
CBS News
36 minutes ago
- CBS News
Flower Mound family calls for action after dogs maul miniature horses inside barn
A Flower Mound family is reeling after two of their miniature horses were viciously attacked by a pair of aggressive dogs that wandered onto their property Sunday morning. Carolyn Auburn, the owner of the horses, said she was devastated by the attack, which left one of the animals, Baby Bug, with a severe throat injury. "It breaks my heart," Auburn said. "Every day when I go up to the hospital and I sit in her stall, I just tell her how sorry I am." Horse suffers severe injuries CBS News Texas A photo taken at an equine hospital shows Auburn visiting Baby Bug, whose neck is wrapped in a bandage covering a gaping wound. Veterinarians say it's too early to tell whether the injury will be fatal. "She's a tough little girl," Auburn said. "We go day by day right now." Baby Bug and her mother serve as companion animals for the family's retired racehorse. Dogs enter barn, attack horses Auburn said she rushed to the barn after hearing noises and discovered the two dogs attacking the miniature horses inside a stall. "They were just absolutely gruesome," she said. "I knew we had to separate them, or if they had her five minutes longer, they would have killed the baby." Her husband, Bert Auburn, used a shovel to fend off the dogs. "We did our best with shovels, and my wife had them pinned up against the wall," he said. "It looked like a crime scene, and you can still see all the bloodstains on the walls." Dogs taken into custody The couple managed to trap the dogs in the stall until Flower Mound police and animal control officers arrived. The dogs, identified by police as American bullies, were taken into custody. According to the Auburns, the dogs belong to a neighbor. CBS News Texas was unable to reach the owner for comment. In a statement, Flower Mound police said, "The dogs have been taken into custody pending a dangerous dog hearing on Wednesday." Family demands accountability The Auburns say the emotional toll of the attack has been overwhelming. "They're just good little girls," Carolyn Auburn said. "They just came here to have a good life, to eat some hay." If the horses can avoid infection, veterinarians say they may survive. But for the Auburns, the trauma may linger. "I want justice for the miniatures," Auburn said. "They were in their safe place. This is where they come when it rains, when it storms. I don't know if that will ever be the same for them."
