DEDHAM, Mass. — Karen Read‘s defense team on Tuesday added four new names to the list of witnesses whom they could call on to testify when they ultimately begin presenting their case in the 45-year-old Mansfield woman’s murder retrial.
In a new filing in Dedham’s Norfolk Superior Court, Read’s lawyers announced the addition of Matthew Coleman, of Quincy, Michael P. Arico, of Canton, Nicholas David White, of Milton, and Jonathan Diamandis, of Milton, to their witness list.
Boston 25’s Ted Daniel reported that these supplemental witnesses have been added for the sole purpose of authenticating texts sent by former Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor.
Ok, I'm told ppl on of the defense supplemental witness list have been added for the sole purpose of authenticating former Trooper Michael Proctor's texts.
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) May 27, 2025
Proctor, who served as the lead investigator in the Read murder case, was fired from his role within the state police in March.
Proctor was assigned to investigate the death of Read’s Boston police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe. He was relieved of his duty without pay this past summer after a mistrial was declared in Read’s murder case and his last day with the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office followed soon thereafter.
Proctor came under fire for a series of disparaging texts he sent about Read, which he read aloud in court during witness testimony at her first trial. Proctor admitted on the stand that the texts were “unprofessional.”
He called Read things like a “whack job” and other derogatory words. He talked about her medical issues and wrote, “No nudes so far,” while going through her phone.
When asked outside court last week if her lawyers plan to call Proctor to the witness stand, Read simply said, “TBD.”
Proctor was among 91 names included on the defense’s initial witness list, which was filed in court back in March, weeks before her second trial started.
The list includes many familiar names, including members of the Albert and McCabe family, Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey, Brian Higgins, and Dr. Marie Russell, in addition to Proctor and his wife, Elizabeth.
Testimony resumed Tuesday morning after jurors were given an extended break for Memorial Day weekend.
The prosecution called Dr. Judson Welcher, of Aperture LLC, to the stand. He is expected to be the final witness before they rest their case and turn things over to Read’s defense.
Read said last week that she’s feeling “anxious” to present a “more robust” case.
“I’m ready to put on our case, which will be more robust than what we had last year,” Read explained. “More witnesses, broader, and deeper.”
Prosecutors allege Read intentionally backed into O’Keefe after she dropped him off at a house party and returned hours later to find him dead. The defense has claimed that she was a victim of a vast police conspiracy and that O’Keefe was fatally beaten by another law enforcement officer at the party.
Read has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death.
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