Thu Mar 20 01:50:00 UTC 2025: ## State Trooper Fired After Sending Misogynistic Texts About Murder Suspect
**BOSTON, MA** – Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor has been fired following a months-long suspension for sending crude and misogynistic text messages about Karen Read, the woman accused of murdering Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe. The decision, announced Wednesday, comes after a trial board recommended termination and was upheld by Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, head of the State Police.
Colonel Noble stated that maintaining public trust requires accountability for actions that compromise the department’s values and integrity. The decision, he emphasized, followed a thorough and impartial process considering the severity of the offenses and their impact on the investigation.
Proctor’s attorney, Daniel J. Moynihan, plans to appeal the termination to the Civil Service Commission, arguing that the decision was predetermined and that Proctor’s investigation was not compromised. Moynihan highlighted Proctor’s previously unblemished 12-year career and claimed the texts were sent in private conversations with friends. Proctor will not receive a pension due to not reaching the 20-year service requirement.
The State Police Association of Massachusetts president, Brian Williams, criticized the department’s decision, suggesting it prioritized appeasing media pressure over factual evidence presented during the trial board. He described the board’s process as flawed, alleging bias among its members.
Proctor’s text messages, which were revealed during a separate federal grand jury investigation into the handling of the O’Keefe case, were used by Read’s defense to argue investigative bias. The federal investigation is now reportedly closed.
Read’s retrial, scheduled for April 1st, will likely be impacted by Proctor’s firing. While his testimony remains on both sides’ witness lists, prosecutors are seeking to bar reference to internal affairs investigations, including Proctor’s case. Legal experts offer differing opinions on the impact of the firing, with some believing it will benefit the prosecution’s credibility, while others suggest it may create an unprecedented situation where a terminated trooper testifies against a murder defendant. The firing has also been criticized as an example of the department succumbing to public pressure and potentially damaging the reputation of State Police discipline.
First Piper 