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CTV News
20-06-2025
- CTV News
Investigator and jurors speak out about Karen Read murder trial in aftermath of not guilty verdict
Karen Read weeps as the final verdict of not guilty of second-degree murder is read in Norfolk Superior Court, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool) Two jurors and the lead investigator in murder trial of Karen Read have come forward to comment about the case since a jury returned a not guilty verdict earlier this week. Read, 45, was charged with second-degree murder by authorities who said she intentionally hit Boston police officer John O'Keefe with her car after a night of drinking in the suburbs. The high-profile case culminated in a not guilty verdict on murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene charges Wednesday. The jury found Read guilty of operating a vehicle while under the influence. The trial has centred in part on lead investigator Michael Proctor, who defense attorneys described as biased against Read from the beginning. The State Police Trial Board found Proctor guilty of sending crude and defamatory text messages about Read while leading the investigation into her. He was fired and has drawn ire from Read supporters who believe he played a key role in a cover-up to frame her. Proctor told NBC's 'Dateline' that the idea he is corrupt and framed Read is a 'ridiculous' accusation. He specifically said an accusation that he cracked Read's taillight to make it look like she backed into O'Keefe is 'absolutely not' true. 'I laugh because it's such a ridiculous accusation,' Proctor told the program. 'There's not one piece of evidence or fact to support that because it did not happen.' The judge in the case announced via court papers Wednesday that the jurors' names would be sealed from public view due to safety concerns. But one of the jurors, who identified himself only as 'Jason' in an interview with TMZ, said he did not believe Read collided with O'Keefe. He also said he did not think investigators planted taillight pieces at the scene to frame Read. 'I don't really know if there was a cover-up or not. I know that's the big conspiracy about it but I don't really know. All I know is there was a lot of holes in their investigation,' the juror said. Another juror, Paula Prado, told local news stations her mind changed about the case over the course of the last three weeks. At first, she thought Read was guilty of manslaughter, but her opinion changed as the case progressed. 'As the weeks passed by, I just realized there was too many holes that we couldn't fill. And there's nothing that put her at the scene in our opinion, despite just dropping John O'Keefe off,' Prado told media. Massachusetts State Police said in a statement that it extends its 'sincerest condolences to the loved ones of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe.' The statement said the the events of the last three years have 'challenged' the department to reviews it actions and improve accountability and oversight. 'Under my direction as colonel, the state police has, and will continue to, improve in these regards. Our focus remains on delivering excellent police services that reflect the value of professionalism and maintain public trust,' Colonel Geoffrey Noble said in the statement. The jurors, state police and Proctor are not the first to speak out about the verdict. Some of the key witnesses in the trial released a joint statement Wednesday in which they called the not guilty ruling a 'devastating miscarriage of justice.' The joint statement was issued by several people including Brian Albert, who owned the home where the party took place, and Jennifer McCabe, Albert's sister-in-law, who was with Read and O'Keefe on the night of O'Keefe's death. Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey said only: 'The jury has spoken.' Patrick Whittle, The Associated Press
Al Arabiya
20-06-2025
- Al Arabiya
Investigator and Jurors Speak Out About Karen Read Murder Trial in Aftermath of Not Guilty Verdict
Two jurors and the lead investigator in the murder trial of Karen Read have come forward to comment about the case since a jury returned a not guilty verdict earlier this week. Read, 45, was charged with second-degree murder by authorities who said she intentionally hit Boston police officer John O'Keefe with her car after a night of drinking in the suburbs. The high-profile case culminated in a not guilty verdict on murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene charges Wednesday. The jury found Read guilty of operating a vehicle while under the influence. The trial has centered in part on lead investigator Michael Proctor, who defense attorneys described as biased against Read from the beginning. The State Police Trial Board found Proctor guilty of sending crude and defamatory text messages about Read while leading the investigation into her. He was fired and has drawn ire from Read supporters who believe he played a key role in a cover-up to frame her. Proctor told NBC's Dateline that the idea he is corrupt and framed Read is 'a ridiculous accusation.' He specifically said an accusation that he cracked Read's taillight to make it look like she backed into O'Keefe is 'absolutely not true.' 'I laugh because it's such a ridiculous accusation,' Proctor told the program. 'There's not one piece of evidence or fact to support that because it did not happen.' The judge in the case announced via court papers Wednesday that the jurors' names would be sealed from public view due to safety concerns. But one of the jurors, who identified himself only as Jason in an interview with TMZ, said he did not believe Read collided with O'Keefe. He also said he did not think investigators planted taillight pieces at the scene to frame Read. 'I don't really know if there was a cover-up or not. I know that's the big conspiracy about it, but I don't really know. All I know is there were a lot of holes in their investigation,' the juror said. Another juror, Paula Prado, told local news stations her mind changed about the case over the course of the last three weeks. At first she thought Read was guilty of manslaughter, but her opinion changed as the case progressed. 'As the weeks passed by, I just realized there were too many holes that we couldn't fill. And there's nothing that put her at the scene in our opinion, despite just dropping John O'Keefe off,' Prado told media. Massachusetts State Police said in a statement that it 'extends its sincerest condolences to the loved ones of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe.' The statement said the 'events of the last three years have challenged the department to review its actions and improve accountability and oversight. Under my direction as colonel, the state police has and will continue to improve in these regards. Our focus remains on delivering excellent police services that reflect the value of professionalism and maintain public trust,' Colonel Geoffrey Noble said in the statement. The jurors, state police, and Proctor are not the first to speak out about the verdict. Some of the key witnesses in the trial released a joint statement Wednesday in which they called the not guilty ruling 'a devastating miscarriage of justice.' The joint statement was issued by several people, including Brian Albert, who owned the home where the party took place, and Jennifer McCabe, Albert's sister-in-law, who was with Read and O'Keefe on the night of O'Keefe's death. Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey said only: 'The jury has spoken.'
The Independent
20-06-2025
- The Independent
Investigator and jurors speak out about Karen Read murder trial in aftermath of not guilty verdict
Two jurors and the lead investigator in murder trial of Karen Read have come forward to comment about the case since a jury returned a not guilty verdict earlier this week. Read, 45, was charged with second-degree murder by authorities who said she intentionally hit Boston police officer John O'Keefe with her car after a night of drinking in the suburbs. The high-profile case culminated in a not guilty verdict on murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene charges Wednesday. The jury found Read guilty of operating a vehicle while under the influence. The trial has centered in part on lead investigator Michael Proctor, who defense attorneys described as biased against Read from the beginning. The State Police Trial Board found Proctor guilty of sending crude and defamatory text messages about Read while leading the investigation into her. He was fired and has drawn ire from Read supporters who believe he played a key role in a cover-up to frame her. Proctor told NBC 's 'Dateline' that the idea he is corrupt and framed Read is a 'ridiculous' accusation. He specifically said an accusation that he cracked Read's taillight to make it look like she backed into O'Keefe is 'absolutely not" true. 'I laugh because it's such a ridiculous accusation,' Proctor told the program. 'There's not one piece of evidence or fact to support that because it did not happen.' The judge in the case announced via court papers Wednesday that the jurors' names would be sealed from public view due to safety concerns. But one of the jurors, who identified himself only as 'Jason' in an interview with TMZ, said he did not believe Read collided with O'Keefe. He also said he did not think investigators planted taillight pieces at the scene to frame Read. 'I don't really know if there was a cover-up or not. I know that's the big conspiracy about it but I don't really know. All I know is there was a lot of holes in their investigation,' the juror said. Another juror, Paula Prado, told local news stations her mind changed about the case over the course of the last three weeks. At first, she thought Read was guilty of manslaughter, but her opinion changed as the case progressed. 'As the weeks passed by, I just realized there was too many holes that we couldn't fill. And there's nothing that put her at the scene in our opinion, despite just dropping John O'Keefe off,' Prado told media. Massachusetts State Police said in a statement that it extends its 'sincerest condolences to the loved ones of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe.' The statement said the the events of the last three years have 'challenged' the department to reviews it actions and improve accountability and oversight. 'Under my direction as colonel, the state police has, and will continue to, improve in these regards. Our focus remains on delivering excellent police services that reflect the value of professionalism and maintain public trust,' Colonel Geoffrey Noble said in the statement. The jurors, state police and Proctor are not the first to speak out about the verdict. Some of the key witnesses in the trial released a joint statement Wednesday in which they called the not guilty ruling a 'devastating miscarriage of justice.' The joint statement was issued by several people including Brian Albert, who owned the home where the party took place, and Jennifer McCabe, Albert's sister-in-law, who was with Read and O'Keefe on the night of O'Keefe's death. Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey said only: 'The jury has spoken.'
Associated Press
20-06-2025
- Associated Press
Investigator and jurors speak out about Karen Read murder trial in aftermath of not guilty verdict
Two jurors and the lead investigator in murder trial of Karen Read have come forward to comment about the case since a jury returned a not guilty verdict earlier this week. Read, 45, was charged with second-degree murder by authorities who said she intentionally hit Boston police officer John O'Keefe with her car after a night of drinking in the suburbs. The high-profile case culminated in a not guilty verdict on murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene charges Wednesday. The jury found Read guilty of operating a vehicle while under the influence. The trial has centered in part on lead investigator Michael Proctor, who defense attorneys described as biased against Read from the beginning. The State Police Trial Board found Proctor guilty of sending crude and defamatory text messages about Read while leading the investigation into her. He was fired and has drawn ire from Read supporters who believe he played a key role in a cover-up to frame her. Proctor told NBC's 'Dateline' that the idea he is corrupt and framed Read is a 'ridiculous' accusation. He specifically said an accusation that he cracked Read's taillight to make it look like she backed into O'Keefe is 'absolutely not' true. 'I laugh because it's such a ridiculous accusation,' Proctor told the program. 'There's not one piece of evidence or fact to support that because it did not happen.' The judge in the case announced via court papers Wednesday that the jurors' names would be sealed from public view due to safety concerns. But one of the jurors, who identified himself only as 'Jason' in an interview with TMZ, said he did not believe Read collided with O'Keefe. He also said he did not think investigators planted taillight pieces at the scene to frame Read. 'I don't really know if there was a cover-up or not. I know that's the big conspiracy about it but I don't really know. All I know is there was a lot of holes in their investigation,' the juror said. Another juror, Paula Prado, told local news stations her mind changed about the case over the course of the last three weeks. At first, she thought Read was guilty of manslaughter, but her opinion changed as the case progressed. 'As the weeks passed by, I just realized there was too many holes that we couldn't fill. And there's nothing that put her at the scene in our opinion, despite just dropping John O'Keefe off,' Prado told media. Massachusetts State Police said in a statement that it extends its 'sincerest condolences to the loved ones of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe.' The statement said the the events of the last three years have 'challenged' the department to reviews it actions and improve accountability and oversight. 'Under my direction as colonel, the state police has, and will continue to, improve in these regards. Our focus remains on delivering excellent police services that reflect the value of professionalism and maintain public trust,' Colonel Geoffrey Noble said in the statement. The jurors, state police and Proctor are not the first to speak out about the verdict. Some of the key witnesses in the trial released a joint statement Wednesday in which they called the not guilty ruling a 'devastating miscarriage of justice.' The joint statement was issued by several people including Brian Albert, who owned the home where the party took place, and Jennifer McCabe, Albert's sister-in-law, who was with Read and O'Keefe on the night of O'Keefe's death. Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey said only: 'The jury has spoken.'
Fox News
20-06-2025
- Fox News
Michael Proctor laughs at Karen Read corruption allegations as he fights to get job back
Former Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor laughed at the notion that he tried to frame Karen Read in 2022 when John O'Keefe died, he said in a recent television interview. In the interview which aired on Thursday night, Proctor responded to accusations that he's corrupt and deliberately tried to frame Read in the death of her boyfriend, who was a Boston Police Department officer. "I laugh because it's such a ridiculous accusation," Proctor said on NBC's "Dateline." "There's not one piece of evidence or fact to support that, because it did not happen. I would never do something like that." When asked if he cracked the taillight on Read's Lexus, Proctor responded "absolutely not." Proctor, who was the lead investigator in Read's case, shared "derogatory texts" regarding the suspect, in addition to sharing "sensitive or confidential information," an internal review found. The review found Proctor called Read a "wack job," a "babe… with no a--" and a "c---." He also wrote that he wished Read would kill herself in addition to joking about looking for nude selfies on Read's phone. Proctor told "Dateline" that he should get his job back. "I've never had a single complaint. I've never been the subject of any disciplinary actions. All my employee evaluations are either outstanding or excellent. And I still love the job. I still want to be a trooper. And I'm fighting for it. You know, I'm going to the appeals process now," Proctor said. The former Massachusetts State Trooper also responded to accusations that his text messages about Read were inappropriate. "What's in your private phone, your personal phone?" Proctor asked. " Have you ever had a moment of...A poor lapse of judgment, when you're just airing stuff out on your personal phone, you have an expectation of privacy in that little device." Proctor also told ABC's "20/20" he allowed his emotions to get too involved when he sent those texts. "I expressed those emotions in a negative way, which I shouldn't have. I shouldn't have been texting my friends anyhow," he said. "They are what they are. They don't define me as a person. They're regrettable. In a statement posted to X, Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble said new policies have been implemented following Read's case. "The events of the last three years have challenged our Department to thoroughly review our actions and take concrete steps to deliver advanced investigative training, ensure appropriate oversight, and enhance accountability. Under my direction as Colonel, the State Police has, and will continue to, improve in these regards. Our focus remains on delivering excellent police services that reflect the value ofprofessionalism and maintain public trust," Noble said. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB Jurors on Wednesday found Read not guilty of second-degree murder, but found her guilty of operating a vehicle while under the influence with a blood-alcohol level of .08% or greater. Following the verdict, special prosecutor Hank Brennan requested Read undergo 1 year of probation in addition to a 24D outpatient program, which is routine for the first drunken driving offense. The verdict came following 30 days of testimony and four days of jury deliberation. Prosecutors initially alleged Read killed her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe on Jan. 29, 2022 while she was driving her car drunk during a blizzard. SIGN UP TO GET THE TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER O'Keefe was found during the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2022, with his body lying in the snow. Kerry Roberts and Jennifer McCabe both testified against her, telling jurors that Read was panicked when she called them on the morning of Jan. 29, 2022 saying O'Keefe was missing. McCabe alleged that Read repeated the phrase "I hit him" on the morning he went missing. Timothy Nuttall, a paramedic, also said in court that he heard Read saying "I hit him" three times. Witnesses testified that Read and O'Keefe were drinking with friends, which included McCabe, in Canton and were invited to an after-party at Brian Albert's house, but the couple didn't attend. Read's defense team, however, maintained that Read never hit O'Keefe. Her lawyers blamed O'Keefe's injuries on a dog attack as well as an altercation with men at the after-party. According to witnesses who testified in court, while Read's car was outside Albert's house, she and O'Keefe weren't seen at the after-party. Read told reporters that she saw O'Keefe enter the house prior to her driving away.
