Michael Proctor -- it is a name we have heard over and over and over again during the Karen Read trial.
The Massachusetts State Police detective led the investigation into Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe's death, but it hasn't been clear until know if he would or wouldn't take the stand.
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"What is unusual is even the question on if the lead investigator would be called or not during a homicide trial," legal analyst Michael Coyne said.
We have learned from Read's lawyers that Proctor will be a state witness.
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Proctor was called in to investigate O'Keefe's January 2022 death with prosecutors alleging Read hit O'Keefe with her SUV and left him for dead in a snowbank in Canton, Mass.
A former New York City prosecutor who is not affiliated with the case says, based on what has already been said in open court -- from the search of Read's phone for compromising photos to text messages exchanged -- if Proctor was his client, you wouldn't be hearing much from him whenever he is called to the stand.
"If his lawyer believes that he is just going to tell the truth and he is being wrongfully attacked by the defense, so be it," Mark Bederow said. "I wouldn't be surprised in the least if his lawyer makes it clear to the court that he would make a blanket assertion of his 5th amendment right against self-incrimination on any substantive topic related to this case."
As the trial has wrapped for another week, Gov. Maura Healey weighed in briefly Friday when asked if she has been following the highly-publicized case.
"I certainly followed it," Healey said. "But I will leave it to others, including MSP, to speak more about the trial."
Court resumes Monday.
