Disgraced former Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor appeared in a Dedham courtroom Monday, where he indicated he would exercise his Fifth Amendment right if questioned about racist and misogynistic text messages found on his cell phone.
Proctor was ordered to appear for a hearing in the high-profile murder trial of Myles King. King is accused in the July 2021 fatal shooting of Marquis Simmons in Milton, a case in which Proctor served as the lead homicide detective.
[ Ex-trooper Michael Proctor focus of pretrial hearing in murder case ]
Prominent defense attorney Rosemary Scapicchio has filed a motion to dismiss the charges against King, arguing that Proctor’s racial bias tainted his investigation.
Scapicchio had planned to grill Proctor on the stand regarding thousands of text messages, voicemails and personal phone data spanning more than a decade. However, the questioning never occurred after a private hearing in which Proctor stated the grounds for his Fifth Amendment claim.
Scapicchio told reporters she is not allowed to know what Proctor stated during the hearing, “but clearly something exposed him to criminal liability.”
According to Scapicchio, Proctor’s attorney previously indicated the former trooper would not invoke his Fifth Amendment rights. She said she was caught off guard when it happened.
“He represented to the court twice that he wasn’t going to take the Fifth,” Scapicchio said. “We thought we were just coming in here today to make sure everyone was all set to testify ... and then the whole world blew up.”
Proctor, who was dishonorably discharged from the Massachusetts State Police for misconduct revealed during Karen Read’s first trial, has faced intense scrutiny over the contents of his personal phone, which allegedly include racist, misogynistic, and derogatory communications.
Scapicchio argued the case against King should have been thrown out as soon as the texts were revealed in Karen Read’s civil suit in June 2026.
“He was the lead investigator. He was the one who made decisions,” Scapicchio said. “Where is this investigation going to go? What video are you going to take? He made all of those determinations as an absolute racist. And so for us to stand there and say that didn’t matter ... I just think it’s disgusting.”
After the hearing, Scapicchio confirmed the defense will move forward with its effort to toss the indictment against King.
She said she plans to call an expert witness on racial bias to testify about the King investigation.
Prosecutors have long argued that mounting evidence shows King is responsible for the killing.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Sept. 22.
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