For the first time ever, Boston Celtics fans will get to have an away game party right inside the TD Garden.
There won’t be a game on the parquet, but they’ll get to watch Games 3 and 4 on the big screens.
The Celtics, the TD Garden …
Massachusetts
Michael Proctor, lead investigator in Karen Read trial, to return back to stand
The lead investigator in the Karen Read murder trial will be back on the stand Wednesday.
Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor’s testimony so far this week was nothing short of explosive, and some say the damage from his testimony may have already been done.
Of the more than 50 witnesses we’ve heard from during trial so far, the testimony from the lead investigator in this murder case may be the most damaging for the prosecution.
Watch the Karen Read trial live on nbcboston.com, NECN, NBC Boston streaming platforms (including Roku, Peacock and Samsung TV) and NBC10 Boston’s YouTube page. Every night of the trial at 7 p.m., come back for analysis and more.
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The prosecution called Proctor to the stand Monday, and he read vulgar text messages aloud that he exchanged with family, friends and even his bosses pertaining to Read.
“I text my wife, ‘We’re gonna lock this whack job up. Yeah, she’s a babe, weird Fall River accent though, no a**,’” testified Proctor.
That was just one of the messages that Proctor sent to his inner circle during his investigation into John O’Keefe’s death, describing Read’s body, appearance and calling her names. He admitted on the stand that his messages were regrettable and unprofessional.
However, his words have transcended the trial and shined a spotlight on state police. Now trial experts, former police officers and a professor of criminology at Boston University says he’s concerned this case may be over.
“The testimony about the text messages was extremely damaging to the prosecution’s case and potentially fatal,” said Tom Nolan, former Boston police officer.
The prosecution painted Read as a murderer, guilty of hitting O’Keefe with her car and leaving him to die in the snow. Read’s lawyers maintain this is a cover up by law enforcement and have already highlighted that Proctor was a close family friend of the Alberts — the family who owned the home where O’Keefe’s body was found.
Despite Proctor’s comments displaying misogyny and sexism, his is still employed by state police though he is under internal investigation.
Proctor maintains his comments have no bearing on the integrity of his investigation. He will be back on the stand Wednesday to be cross-examined by Read’s defense.
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The fire occurred on Carson Street at about 5 a.m., the Boston Fire Department said.
It’s unclear what caused the fire and if there are any injuries.
This story will be updated once more information becomes available.
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‘Compromising integrity’: Fallout from Michael Proctor’s texts about Karen Read
Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor will be back on the stand Wednesday in the Karen Read murder trial.
The lead investigator in John O’Keefe’s death read a series of text messages for the jury Monday that he sent to family, friends and colleagues about the defendant and the case. They were crude, demeaning and inappropriate.
You can read a full breakdown of Proctor’s text messages here.
“The testimony about the text messages was extremely damaging to the prosecution case and potentially fatal,” said Tom Nolan, a professor of criminology at Boston University and former Boston police officer. “I was not impressed by Trooper Proctor’s contention that his text messages, in no way, had an effect on the factual evidence of the case, because it clearly did.”
Proctor, who serves as the lead investigator for the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office and is currently the subject of an internal affairs investigation with the state police, told jurors the text messages — some of which went to supervisors — were regrettable and unprofessional. But he said they don’t impact the integrity of the investigation.
“When you are now having to respond to extremely misogynistic statements and other unprofessional statements, you’re compromising integrity as an investigator, as a law enforcement professional,” said Todd McGhee, a security consultant who worked as a state trooper for more than 20 years.
McGhee says Proctor could eventually end up on the Brady List of officers whose credibility have been tainted.
“It’s not an automatic termination if your name makes that list,” he said. “However, it could cause reassignment based on your role within a unit.”
“They don’t have a strong history of imposing discipline on their members, so in all likelihood, this trooper will continue to be to be assigned to the district attorney’s office,” said Nolan. “I think that’s imprudent.”
“I have faith within my former agency,” McGhee said of the Massachusetts State Police. “There’s thousands of professional men and women that do the right thing every day every day.”
