DEDHAM, Mass. — A high-stakes hearing centered on disgraced former Massachusetts State Police Detective Michael Proctor continued Thursday at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham as defense attorneys pushed to have murder charges against Myles King of Milton thrown out.
King is charged in the 2021 shooting death of Marquis Simmons in Milton. His attorney, Rosemary Scapicchio, argues the investigation was tainted by Proctor before he was suspended and later fired for conduct that began to surface during the first Karen Read trial.
Norfolk Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally returned to the stand for hours, more than a year after he was called to testify in the ongoing motion-to-dismiss proceedings. Lally previously served as the lead prosecutor in the King case when former Trooper Michael Proctor was the lead investigator.
Scapicchio questioned Lally directly about whether he was aware of offensive statements and potential racial bias involving the former investigator.
Scapicchio: “Were you aware of any biases and racist beliefs held by Trooper Proctor?”
Lally: “No, that was never communicated to me…”
The defense maintains that the murder charges against King should be dismissed not only because of Proctor’s handling of search warrants and other evidence, but also because of alleged racist text messages and voicemails linked to the former trooper.
Following the hearing, Scapicchio told Investigative Reporter Ted Daniel she reviewed a voicemail Proctor allegedly sent to friends.
“One of them was the comment where he said, ‘Slow-roll it to an accident because it involved a Black person,’” Scapicchio said. “What I wanted to do with that information is ask this witness, as the prosecutor in the case, had he known that Proctor held those views.”
Judge Peter Krupp denied Scapicchio’s request to play the recording.
Prosecutors, however, pushed back against assertions that the district attorney’s office withheld evidence or mishandled discovery. Assistant District Attorney Michael McGee led Lally through logs of evidence turned over during the prosecution, presenting documents on screen and asking Lally to confirm whether he had reviewed and shared them with defense counsel.
Lally testified that he turned over the evidence provided to him by Proctor and confirmed the dates the items were shared.
No ruling on the motion to dismiss was issued Thursday. Lally remained on the stand when proceedings ended for the day and is expected to return when the hearing resumes.
Judge Peter Krupp set the next hearing date for September, when Scapicchio said she plans to call Proctor himself to the stand.
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