Latest news with #Proctor
Boston Globe
21 hours ago
- Boston Globe
After Karen Read debacle, Michael Proctor's work in other murder cases faces scrutiny
They have asked judges to grant them access to Proctor's work and personal cellphones, his work iCloud account, and disciplinary records for him and some State Police colleagues and supervisors in the office of Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey, court records show. Proctor did not testify in the retrial of Read, who was acquitted Wednesday of any responsibility in the 2022 death of O'Keefe, after a mistrial last year. But his role in the initial Read investigation could tarnish his other work. Advertisement 'I believe that the district attorney's office is going to find it harder and harder to run away from Proctor in the other cases that Proctor was involved in,' said attorney Rosemary Scapicchio, who represents three men being prosecuted for murder in cases investigated by Proctor. In cases that prosecutors do distance themselves from Proctor, she added, defense attorneys should be able to inform the jury and ask, 'Why do you think that is?' Advertisement As recently as Tuesday, a judge granted access to some records from Proctor's work and personal cellphones to Scapicchio and other defense lawyers in two pending murder cases, court records show. The identical rulings also ordered Proctor to provide his personal cellphone as well as carrier information to prosecutors and preserve the device and its data. In his orders, Norfolk Superior Court Judge Michael P. Doolin wrote that he had reviewed an independent report about data pulled from Proctor's work phone that found communications that 'support the defense theory that police bias played a role' in the cases. The communications do not 'specifically address' the defendants, Doolin wrote, but they 'demonstrate a pattern of bias and misconduct by Proctor in conducting investigations that fairly suggests there may have been similar impropriety in this case that casts doubt on his credibility as an investigator generally.' He didn't elaborate. Proctor, who has State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble, who took the helm of the force last year, Doolin's ruling involved prosecutions stemming from two fatal shootings that Proctor handled as a lead investigator. Advertisement Shawn Johnson and Jovani Delossantos are charged with murder stemming from the fatal shooting of Ivanildo Cabral, 29, outside of Mojitos Country Club in Randolph on July 4, 2022. King, Johnson, and Delossantos have pleaded not guilty. Proctor was also the lead investigator in the death of Ana Walshe, 39, who prosecutors allege was killed by her husband, Brian, on New Year's Day following a gathering at the couple's Cohasset home. Morrissey's office has said it doesn't plan to call Proctor to testify at that trial. Brian Walshe has pleaded not guilty. But Walshe's lawyers sought a copy of all data extracted from Proctor's work cellphone and iCloud account as well as disciplinary files for him and other troopers assigned to Morrissey's office, and records from a separate federal investigation examining the death of O'Keefe. Norfolk Superior Court Judge Diane C. Freniere declined to grant Walshe's lawyers access to the full scope of records they've sought, though she allowed some requests. 'Simply alleging that there was demonstrated bias by Trooper Proctor against a particular defendant in a different case does not entitle the defendant to access to confidential internal affairs records in order to search for other potential impeachment evidence,' Freniere wrote in the decision. Since then, the prosecution and defense have reached agreements on protective orders governing access to Proctor's internal affairs records, an independent report of data extracted from his work cellphone and iCloud account, and text messages he sent about Read, court records show. Walshe has also asked a judge to toss some of the evidence against him, and a hearing is scheduled for next month to consider his request to dismiss the murder charge, court records show. Advertisement Attorney Larry Tipton, a lawyer for Walshe, declined to comment Thursday. Proctor is also being scrutinized for his role in an investigation that began before he was assigned to Morrissey's office. In 2017, Proctor was the first officer to arrive at the scene of a fatal shooting on Interstate 93 that claimed the life of Scott Stevens Jr., 32, as he drove a motorcycle through Boston, court records show. Scapicchio, who represents Holloman, has pending requests in that case for a range of records concerning Proctor, court records show. Chris Dearborn, a professor at Suffolk University Law School, said Proctor's widely publicized misconduct in Read's case made him vulnerable to challenges to his work in other investigations. 'There's a compelling argument that if you acted that inappropriately and unprofessionally in one case, arguably compromising and infecting that investigation, it stands to reason that he might have acted similarly in other investigations,' Dearborn said. Yet how much of Proctor's work will be turned over to the defense in those prosecutions, and whether juries get to hear it are unclear, he said. 'Judges are going to have to make case by case determinations,' he said. Laura Crimaldi can be reached at
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
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.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
Fired trooper Michael Proctor denies framing Karen Read in police officer death case
Michael Proctor, the former Massachusetts state trooper dishonorably discharged following a misconduct investigation, has denied allegations that he acted corruptly in the Karen Read case. Speaking to NBC's Dateline, Proctor dismissed claims that he helped frame Read as 'ridiculous,' adding, 'There's not one piece of evidence or fact to support that.' Proctor led the investigation into the 2022 death of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, for which Read—his girlfriend—was charged with fatally striking him with her SUV while intoxicated. In her retrial, Read was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter, but convicted of operating under the influence and sentenced to one year of probation. Her first trial ended in a hung jury. Read's defense argued that Proctor conducted a biased investigation and ignored other possible suspects, including retired Boston police sergeant Brian Albert, outside whose home O'Keefe was found. Albert and others named in the alleged cover-up called her acquittal 'a devastating miscarriage of justice.' The defense further claimed Proctor manipulated key evidence, specifically a broken taillight on Read's vehicle, to falsely connect her to the fatal crash. Proctor denied any tampering, stating, 'Absolutely not,' when asked if he altered the evidence. He was also criticized for making disparaging remarks about Read and discussing the case with non-law enforcement individuals, including his sister. During the first trial, Proctor admitted that some of his comments 'dehumanized' Read, but maintained that his actions did not compromise the investigation's integrity. These admissions, along with other findings, were central to the internal probe that led to his dismissal. Investigators concluded Proctor had disclosed sensitive details, made inappropriate comments, and consumed alcohol while on duty. Although listed as a potential witness in the retrial, Proctor ultimately was not called to testify by either side.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kansas Republican exploits fear of imaginary ‘axis of ballot harvesting' to gain political advantage
Kansas Rep. Pat Proctor, a Republican from Leavenworth, speaks to House members during an April 10, 2025, debate. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — As Kansas Rep. Pat Proctor launched his campaign to oversee state elections, he honed in on a signature phrase that would serve his interest of dismissing critics — and reporting by Kansas Reflector — while appealing to far-right voters. His ambiguous 'axis of ballot harvesting' serves as a catchall for anyone who challenges his false claims about the hazards of early voting, and signals a vast make-believe conspiracy by foreign nationals to undermine elections. Proctor frequently repeats the phrase on the campaign trail, and used it in a fundraising message where he suggested a new law could be used to bring criminal or civil charges against Kansas Reflector. When video surfaced in April of Proctor asserting that women stole the 2022 election on abortion, he falsely claimed the video had been doctored by voting rights advocates at the core of the so-called 'axis.' And when three nonprofits filed a lawsuit in early May to challenge new restrictions on early voting, Proctor exclaimed on social media: 'The axis of ballot harvesting strikes again!' The Leavenworth Republican declined to answer questions from Kansas Reflector seeking clarity about his contradictory comments and a definition of 'the axis of ballot harvesting,' echoing President George W. Bush's use of 'axis of evil' to describe nations propping up terrorism in the early 2000s. Proctor, a retired Army colonel serving his third, two-year term in the state House, also declined to identify an example of anything Kansas Reflector has published that is inaccurate. Instead, Proctor responded with the following statement: 'Here's a quote for you: 'You are a partisan hack and your so-called 'newspaper' is a woke, leftist propaganda rag.' Thanks for the opportunity to comment.' The response is consistent with Proctor's frequent criticism — including personal attacks on social media — of journalists who accurately report on him. So far, Proctor is the only Republican to file for secretary of state in next year's election cycle. The job involves overseeing voter registration in Kansas and guiding county-level administrators on election policy. Republican Rep. Ken Rahjes, of Agra, plans to join the race. In an interview, Rahjes didn't criticize Proctor. Rahjes said he is focused on 'making sure our elections are safe, secure, and that Kansans have confidence that their vote is counted.' 'If you look at the outcomes of the last three presidential elections in Kansas, Donald Trump has won all three,' Rahjes said. 'It looks like those elections have turned out the way that the people in Kansas have wanted.' In contrast, Proctor calls for restrictions on early voting — even though he acknowledges that he personally enjoys the convenience of voting early. And after launching his campaign for secretary of state in early April, Proctor has criticized voting rights groups — Loud Light, Kansas Appleseed, League of Women Voters and the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas — who challenge his proposals in legislative hearings and in court. Loud Light circulated on social media a video clip of Proctor speaking at a June 20, 2024, forum on elections that was published on Rumble, the far-right alternative to YouTube. During the forum, Proctor recalled the fierce campaign ahead of Kansas' August 2022 vote on abortion rights. Kansans overwhelmingly rejected a constitutional amendment to strip those rights, and post-election audits and recounts affirmed the integrity of the election. Illegal voting is exceedingly rare in Kansas, as a federal judge ruled in 2018, as it is in the rest of the U.S. But Proctor said he was going around to polling places in advance of the August 2022 election, 'and there's, like, all these, like, women, like 20- to 30-year-old women who, you know, that you never saw at the polls before, and it's like a long line, got a long line, and they're all there to vote, and it's just the — it's they're stealing it fair and square.' The Loud Light clip was unaltered, but when Proctor was asked during an April 19 town hall in Leavenworth to explain his comments, he replied: 'That'd be really terrible if I'd actually said that.' 'They chopped up a video to make it look like I said that 20- and 30-year-old women were stealing the election by voting, or something like that,' Proctor said. Melissa Stiehler, advocacy director for Loud Light, said in an interview that she was bothered by Proctor's willingness to 'drift further away from the truth' and 'really embrace things that he knows to be lies.' 'We've had these conversations behind closed doors in the past. He knows that these things aren't true, and yet he's embracing this culture of conspiracy theories for his own political gain, which is desperate and shameless,' Stiehler said. In an April 12 fundraising email, Proctor warned of 'a shadowy collection of groups I call the 'axis of ballot harvesting.'' His targets included Loud Light and States Newsroom, the parent organization of Kansas Reflector. Proctor's email said Kansas Reflector 'is part of a vast, dark money, left-wing propaganda machine called States Newsroom.' He said 'a significant percentage of that organization's funding' comes from foreign sources, including the Swiss businessman Hansjörg Wyss. States Newsroom follows all laws regarding nonprofits and does not accept donations from foreign-based entities. The U.S.-based Wyss Foundation's $1.14 million grant to States Newsroom in 2020 has never been a secret. On its website, States Newsroom publishes an extensive list of donors who have contributed more than $1,000, as well as its 990 tax forms. The organization's annual fundraising exceeds $20 million to support nonprofit news operations, including Kansas Reflector, in 39 states. 'As Chair of the House Committee on Elections, in response to this threat, I introduced House Bill 2106 to begin the process of getting foreign money completely out of Kansas politics,' Proctor wrote. 'This first-step bill requires organizations campaigning for or against constitutional amendments to ensure and certify that they have not accepted foreign money over the preceding four years or face serious civil and criminal consequences.' He then said the law would prevent 'foreign nationals like Hansjörg Wyss from improperly influencing Kansas elections.' HB 2106 requires any entity 'who engages in any activity promoting or opposing' a proposed constitutional amendment to certify that each donor is not a 'foreign national,' and that each donor has not received more than $100,000 from any foreign national within a four-year period. Kansas Reflector reports on the stakes of policies and elections but doesn't advocate for or against ballot questions or candidates. Proctor offered a different interpretation of the law during a Feb. 4 hearing in his committee, where Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose appeared via video to complain about States Newsroom. 'We are not about to legislate who can spend money doing news in the state of Kansas, OK. We're not going to touch that with a 10-foot pole,' Proctor said at the time. The Legislature adopted the bill with veto-proof bipartisan support — 94-25 in the House and 39-0 in the Senate — in advance of next year's vote on a constitutional amendment that would replace the current nominating system for Kansas Supreme Court justices with statewide elections for judicial candidates. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly allowed HB 2106 to become law without her signature. An abortion-rights advocacy group has filed a federal lawsuit to try to block the law from taking effect. Stiehler said Proctor's language in the fundraising email was 'really teetering on the line of at least some dog whistle language of antisemitic, globalist conspiracy theories.' 'This is a lot of hullabaloo,' she said. 'He's making up a fake problem and making up a fake enemy to try and create and drive the fear, to prove that only he is the one to fix it. And it's all based on lies and nonsense.'
New York Post
11-06-2025
- Science
- New York Post
Odds of ‘city-killer' asteroid hitting the Moon go up again
A 'city-killer' asteroid that, until a few months ago, was believed to be a threat to Earth is increasingly looking like it could crash into the Moon in 2032. Asteroid 2024 YR4 was discovered on Dec. 27 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Río Hurtado, Chile. Advertisement Since its discovery, the asteroid has warranted international attention, jumping to the highest asteroid threat on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale. In February, new ground-based observations dropped those chances of an Earth impact enough that asteroid 2024 YR4 is no longer considered a threat to Earth. The international astronomy community continues to closely watch asteroid 2024 YR4, which is no longer visible through ground-based telescopes until 2028. In May, a team led by Andy Rivkin, with Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland, used the James Webb Space Telescope's (JWST) Near-Infrared Camera to hone in on 2024 YR4. Advertisement 4 Asteroid 2024 YR4 has a slight chance of hitting the Moon in 2032. NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/R. Proctor / SWNS 4 An animation showing the asteroid passing the Earth and heading too the Moon. AP JWST data, along with expert analysis from NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, have refined the asteroid's orbit, increasing the chances of a crash with the Moon on Dec. 22, 2032, from 3.8% to 4.3%. In February, the odds of a Moon impact were about 1.7%. Advertisement However, NASA said if the asteroid does collide with the Moon, it will not alter its orbit. The Moon is covered in crater impacts from other space collisions. 4 The international astronomy community continues to closely watch asteroid 2024 YR4, which is no longer visible through ground-based telescopes until 2028. NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/R. Proctor / SWNS 4 The James Webb Telescope captured images of the asteroid in the darkness of space. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Andy Rivkin (APL) Advertisement Previous observations by JWST helped determine 2024 YR4 is about 200 feet wide, or about the height of a 15-story building, Rivkin wrote in an April blog post for NASA. Asteroid 2024 YR4 has dipped behind the Sun and beyond Webb's view for now.
