In a significant turn in the murder trial of Cohasset man Brian Walshe, accused of dismembering his wife Ana Walshe, prosecutors have declared they will not call suspended State Trooper Michael Proctor to the stand. Proctor, who had been a lead investigator on the Walshe case, came under fire for his conduct in a separate, earlier trial—the case of Karen Read. The Norfolk District Attorney’s office stated they have intentionally chosen not to include Proctor on their witness list as they prepare for the Walshe trial, a date for which has yet to be set, according to a Boston 25 News report.
The reason for this move stems from Proctor's involvement in the Read case where his actions compromised his credibility. Not only was Proctor suspended without pay following the mistrial in Read’s case, but additionally, he is currently under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police. The scrutiny revolves around his inappropriate comments about Read and the Read murder investigation conveyed via text messages, reports NBC Boston. These messages included disparaging remarks regarding Read's medical conditions and the revelation that he had searched through Read's phone for "nudes." Proctor's credibility has been so vitally compromised that to call him forward could likely have biased not just the trial at hand but also other open investigations.
Prosecutors have also voiced concerns about releasing the contents of Proctor's work phone and the extraction report of his phone and cloud data, which is expected to contain sensitive information potentially harmful to various open investigations. "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 as obtained by The Boston Globe.
The District Attorney's office is now considering hiring an external firm to review Proctor's data to determine what information may be discoverable in the Walshe case or other ongoing cases. Meanwhile, the upcoming Brian Walshe trial is being handled by a team of "dozens of additional officers," with Sergeant Harrison Schmidt of the Cohasset Police Department notably mentioned by prosecutors as part of this investigative team.
