The embattled lead investigator into suspected Boston cop killer Karen Read has been fired by Massachusetts State police.

Michael Proctor, a 12-year veteran of the force who led the probe into the death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, has been terminated in a move that his wife and sister say “unfairly exploits and scapegoats” him and the work of his detectives. 

Read, 45, is a former finance professional accused of ramming O’Keefe, her boyfriend, in a hit-and-run, then leaving him to die in the street during a January 2022 snowstorm. 

Read’s murder trial ended with a hung jury on July 1, 2024. During Proctor’s key testimony, a series of rude and lewd text messages he sent about the case were read in court, tanking his credibility in the eyes of at least some jurors. 

Read’s new trial is expected to be led by a special assistant prosecutor, Hank Brennan, who once represented the mobster James “Whitey” Bulger.

Fox News’ Andrew Fone contributed to this report.