A former Stoughton, Massachusetts, police detective charged with murdering a pregnant woman appeared in a brief court hearing on Monday as both sides continued reviewing evidence. Matthew Farwell, 38, was indicted in August 2024 for the death of 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore, who was found dead in her Canton apartment on February 4, 2021.
Birchmore, who was three months pregnant, was allegedly killed to prevent authorities from uncovering Farwell’s long-term sexual exploitation of her. Prosecutors say Farwell first met Birchmore when she was a child in the Stoughton Police Department’s Youth Explorers Program. By the time she was 15 and he was a 27-year-old officer, authorities allege he had begun an inappropriate sexual relationship with her that continued into adulthood.
According to investigators, Birchmore told Farwell in December 2020 that he was the father of her unborn child, at which point he became aggressive. Court documents allege that he put her in a headlock and told her he wished she were dead.
Monday’s hearing focused on the ongoing discovery process. Farwell was not required to appear in court. Outside the courthouse, Birchmore’s supporters gathered in protest and spoke to the media.
“It’s been a long time coming, and I hope that Sandra finally gets justice—hopefully this year,” said Birchmore’s cousin, Barbara Wright. “I define justice as seeing Matthew go behind bars for the rest of his life.”
Prosecutors argue that Farwell staged Birchmore’s death to look like a suicide. The indictment claims he acted to prevent authorities from uncovering his criminal behavior, which allegedly included engaging in sex acts with Birchmore while on duty. Farwell has pleaded not guilty.
An internal affairs investigation revealed that Birchmore first encountered Farwell at age 13 through the Stoughton Explorers Program. Investigators say he used his position as a police officer to groom, exploit, and abuse her, continuing the relationship into her adulthood. While on duty, Farwell allegedly falsified records to claim he was working when he was actually with Birchmore.
In late January 2021—just a week before Birchmore’s death—a friend of hers contacted the Stoughton Police Department and mentioned Farwell’s sexual involvement with her. When Farwell learned of the inquiry, investigators say he sent Birchmore angry messages and visited her apartment, requesting a spare key and urging her to keep it secret.
Federal authorities allege that, in the days leading up to her death, Farwell searched Birchmore’s home, including her closets and bathroom, before ultimately killing her. Her death was initially ruled a suicide, but federal investigators later uncovered new evidence that led to Farwell’s indictment.
Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara has strongly condemned Farwell’s alleged actions, calling them “the single worst act of not just professional misconduct but indeed human indecency that I have observed in a nearly three-decade career in law enforcement.”
“As I have stated previously, Sandra Birchmore received no justice during her life. It is imperative that justice be served in her death, and today’s actions appear to bring our society one step closer to justice,” McNamara said in a statement.
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