DEDHAM, Mass. (Court TV) — Brian Walshe’s defense will get to review former Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor’s communications in the Karen Read case for information that could help Walshe in his impending murder trial for the death of his wife, Ana Walshe. But the fate of the remaining so-called Proctor files – and documents from the Read federal investigation – is in the hands of a federal judge as a Monday deadline looms for their destruction.
Brian Walshe appears in court via video conference Aug. 15, 2025. (Court TV)
Walshe is set to stand trial in October on allegations he killed and dismembered the mother of their three children because he thought she was having an affair. He has pleaded not guilty and denies involvement in his wife’s death.
Walshe’s defense argued the so-called Proctor files could potentially yield information that may benefit Walshe’s case, much like how Proctor’s lewd texts about Read turned the tide in Read’s case by suggesting his investigation was tainted by bias.
In a Thursday hearing in Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham, Assistant District Attorney Lisa Beatty told Judge Peter Krupp that “all the Proctor chats and communications from the Read case” have been provided to Walshe and other Norfolk County defendants whose cases somehow involved Proctor.
The document dump comes amid discussions between state and federal prosecutors over what can and can’t be shared from the Read federal investigation, material from which was sealed under a protective order.
MORE | Brian Walshe defense awaits sealed files as October trial approaches
The timeline for the destruction of these files was originally set for 30 days after the jury verdict in the Read case. However, revelations of bias in Proctor’s texts about Read prompted Walshe and four other Norfolk County defendants to demand that the investigative files be preserved for review, citing the constitutional requirement for prosecutors to disclose potentially exculpatory evidence under what’s known as Rule 14.
The records have been in the possession of Read trial prosecutors since December 2024, but the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office held the position that no one else in the office could review or share the files without a court order or an agreement with federal prosecutors. Judge Dennis Casper extended the deadline for the destruction of the documents to Monday, August 18. Earlier this week, the Norfolk DA’s Office filed a motion to intervene in the preservation process, a request that Judge Casper has yet to rule on.
Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor shows the jury a broken tail light while testifying, Monday, June 10, 2024, at Norfolk Superior Court, in Dedham, Mass., during the trial for Karen Read. (Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)
The current proposal, as outlined by Beatty, would allow two designated attorneys from the Norfolk DA’s Office to review the remaining “non-grand jury” evidence and share materials deemed relevant and discoverable under Rule 14 provisions with Walshe and others. However, the Norfolk DA’s Office will need to seek permission from federal prosecutors or obtain a court order to share information related to grand jury proceedings.
Defense attorneys expressed cautious optimism regarding the proposal and concern if Judge Casper does not approve it. “In theory, this sounds like progress,” said Joseph Krowski, Jr., the attorney representing defendant Jovanni Delossantos.
Attorney Rosemary Scappichio, who represents co-defendants King and Johnson, asked if an agreement existed between the Commonwealth and the United States Attorney’s Office to preserve the documents before the judge’s ruling. Beatty confirmed the documents would not be destroyed unless Judge Casper ordered it so.
Walshe’s lawyer, Larry Tipton, pointed out that the clock is ticking as his trial approaches. Beatty offered assurances that prosecutors were “anxious” to bring the case to trial and would work to identify material that should be turned over to Walshe as soon as possible.
