Embattled Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor, who became the subject of controversy for his role in the Karen Read murder trial, will not testify in the case of Brian Walshe, a Cohasset man accused of killing his wife and then hiding her dismembered body in 2023, according to a recent court filing.
The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office stated in a filing Friday that, at this time, the Commonwealth doesn't plan to call Proctor, the lead investigator in both cases, to the stand in Walshe's trial. They said "dozens of additional officers," including Cohasset Police Sgt. Harrison Schmidt, also investigated the case.
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"As of the time of this filing, the Commonwealth does not intend to call Michael Proctor to testify in this matter," the filing said.
In the filing, prosecutors also cited Proctor's testimony from the Read trial, and an extraction performed on Proctor's work phone.
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"Based on the Norfolk District Attorney's Office's preliminary review of the data and because the extraction of the Proctor work phone and cloud is expected to contain, among other things: information about open investigations, surveillance video from unrelated investigations, personal identifying information and/or medical information of individuals involved in unrelated investigations, location data of Proctor and third parties, releasing the entire extraction report outside of law enforcement is anticipated to jeopardize open investigations, compromise the privacy and safety of civilians, and thus be contrary to the interests of justice," the filing says. "Accordingly, the Norfolk District Attorney's Office is in the process of ascertaining how to determine what — if any — information on Trooper Proctor's work phone or cloud account is discoverable in this or other cases."
The district attorney's office is considering hiring an external firm to review Proctor's phone and cloud data, according to the filing.
The question of whether to release Proctor's phone records has become part of the ongoing Read case, tied to Proctor's testimony as the lead investigator during the first trial. During that testimony, it came out that he made inappropriate comments about Read and the investigation in text messages to friends, family, and colleagues, including his supervisors.
Among the concerning messages were disparaging remarks about Read's medical conditions, and said he had found "no nudes so far" when going through Read's phone.
A judge declared a mistrial in the Read case in July, but the prosecution has vowed to retry the case. Read is accused of hitting and killing John O'Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend, with her SUV in January 2022. But her defense argued she was the victim of a police cover-up. With Proctor's credibility now questioned, the fallout could affect not just Read's case but other open investigations.
Proctor remains under investigation and suspended without pay from the Massachusetts State Police.
