Michael Proctor

“The rest of the unprofessional and regrettable comments are something I'm not proud of, and I shouldn't have wrote in the private or any type of setting.”

Proctor acknowledged the impropriety of comments in his personal messages about Read.

“These juvenile, unprofessional comments have zero impact on the facts and the evidence and the integrity of this investigation.”

Proctor maintained that his personal messages did not affect his investigative work.

The judge sustained objections and struck a partial answer concerning whether missing Ring video would leave a digital footprint; the jury was later instructed not to consider stricken material.

Proctor read derogatory personal texts about Read, called them unprofessional and regrettable, and testified that they did not affect the facts, evidence, or integrity of his investigation.

“I used regrettable language. I said going through his retarded -- retarded client's phone right now.”

Proctor expressly acknowledged the wording he used while discussing his review of Read's phone.

“I believe poor jokes have -- and unprofessional language have no bearing on the integrity and the facts and physical evidence of this case.”

Proctor maintained that his messages did not affect the investigation's integrity or evidence.

“In the investigation part, absolutely. Through these text messages, absolutely not. They were juvenile and regrettable.”

Proctor distinguished his investigative conduct from the text messages and expressly characterized the messages as juvenile and regrettable.

“I would say based off that language, yes.”

Proctor agreed that his language about Read had dehumanized her.

“I should've clarified it, sir.”

Proctor acknowledged that he should have clarified earlier testimony concerning sallyport video.

“Yeah, I observed a jump in video.”

Proctor acknowledged a discontinuity in the sallyport video under questioning about its timing.

“All the information gathered after that date indicated no one else was responsible for Mr. O'Keefe death.”

Proctor gave his account of what the later investigation showed.

“I believed based on all the physical evidence and facts, Mr. O'Keefe got out of that vehicle holding that cocktail glass he walked out of the Waterfall bar with, Ms. Read pulled ahead and then backed into him and struck him with her vehicle and then left.”

Proctor stated the investigative conclusion he said he held when sending the criticized texts.

“Based on the evidence, sir, my emotions got the best of me. So it was in poor taste. Yes. It was inappropriate, juvenile, but it was my emotions had gotten the best of me.”

Proctor characterized his derogatory comment about Read as an emotional and inappropriate lapse.

“Again, another disgusting comment.”

Proctor acknowledged the nature of another derogatory message discussed on recross.