Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor was questioned about a message in which he told his sister that he hoped Karen Read "kills herself."
The lead investigator in the Karen Read case was back on the witness stand Wednesday and again talking about text messages he sent over the course of the investigation.
On cross-examination, Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor was asked about one message in particular in which he told his sister that he hoped Read "kills herself."
Forced to answer for his remark, Proctor said: "My emotions got the best of me with that figure of speech."
Read is charged with murdering her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, by hitting him with her car and leaving him outside in the cold and snow to die. Her defense team claims she is being framed in a massive cover-up, and alleges Proctor is one of the key players in that cover-up. Proctor denied that claim during his testimony.
Court TV livestreamed the proceedings on Wednesday.
Proctor was also questioned about footage missing from two crucial surveillance videos in the case.
The video from inside the sally port on the day that Proctor seized Read's SUV and took it into evidence is missing the moment he arrived at the Canton Police Department with the vehicle. The video from O'Keefe's home is also missing the footage of Read first returning home from the home of Brian Albert on the day of John O'Keefe's death.
In both instances, Proctor said he did not know why the footage was missing but stated under oath that he did not delete any footage from either video.
This marked the second difficult day for Proctor on the stand.
On Monday, Proctor was questioned about texts in which he referred to Read as a "whacko," a "whack job," and one where he referred to the defendant as a c-word. He tried to avoid saying that slur, but after the defense objected, the judge ordered him to say the word.
Proctor on Monday also shared texts he exchanged with a fellow trooper after seizing and searching Read's phone, one of which read: "no nudes so far." He also referred to her as "a babe" with "no ass" and disparaged her "Fall River" accent in a text to friends on the day of O'Keefe's murder.
In another text, someone asked about the fallout the homeowner Brian Albert might have received since O'Keefe's body was discovered on his property.
"Bet the owner of the home will receive some s***," wrote Proctor's friend.
"Nope, homeowner is a Boston cop, too," replied Proctor.
Albert has not been charged with a crime.
Then, after Read's arrest, Proctor's sister texted to inform him that Albert wanted to buy him a present. Proctor said he never received a gift from the man.
Proctor repeatedly apologized to the jury during his testimony, saying at one point: ”Comments I shouldn’t have made, that I’m not proud of,” Proctor said. “These juvenile, unprofessional comments had zero impact on the facts, the evidence, and the integrity of the investigation."
On top of all this this, Proctor is also the focus of an internal investigation by MSP over "a potential violation of Department policy" a spokesperson tells Inside Edition Digital. The reason for the investigation is not being shared by the MSP at this time and the spokesperson said that the trooper "remains on full duty."
The defense has argued that Proctor planted the evidence at the crime scene, Proctor denied that claim multiple times on Monday.
Proctor has not been charged with any crime, and the MSP will not say if the internal investigation into the trooper is related to the Read case.
"Trooper Proctor has been fully cooperative in responding to the investigations conducted by the US Attorney’s Office and the Massachusetts State Police Internal Affairs Unit," Proctor's lawyer Michael R. DiStefano tells Inside Edition Digital. "To be clear, Trooper Proctor remains steadfast in the integrity of the work he performed investigating the death of Mr. John O’Keefe."
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