Matthew Farwell Trial: 5 Things to Know About the Sandra Birchmore Murder Case

Joshua Ritter (0:06)

Sandra Birchmore was just 12 years old when she joined a police youth program in Stoughton, Massachusetts. She wanted to serve her community and learn more about the officers entrusted to protect it. Yet years later, one of those officers would become the man federal prosecutors say she needed protection from the most. By 23, Sandra was unexpectedly pregnant, but she embraced the idea of becoming a mother and was preparing for her baby. Then she was found tragically dead inside her apartment. Local investigators initially ruled her death a suicide, a tragic and seemingly final explanation for a young woman whose life had ended far too soon. But years later, a federal investigation would tell a very different story. Prosecutors now allege that Sandra was the victim of a calculated murder, and that the man responsible was Matthew Farwell, a married police officer who they say had sexually abused Sandra beginning when she was just 15 years old. According to prosecutors, Farwell killed Sandra to prevent her from exposing their relationship and used his experience as a police officer to help conceal the crime. Now the approaching trial raises a chilling question. Did a police officer entrusted to investigate crimes use everything he knew about the system to cover up his own? I'm your host, Joshua Ritter, criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor. And this is a special presentation of Five Things You Need to Know, the Case of Matthew Farwell brought to you by Courtroom Confidential.

Number one, who were Sandra Birchmore and Matthew Farwell? Sandra grew up in Stoughton, Massachusetts, and she joined the Stoughton Police Explorers Program in 2010 at the age of 12 The program introduced young people to careers in law enforcement. And at the time of her death, she was 23, living in Canton and working for Sharon Public Schools. She was also taking classes in preparation for nursing school.

Matthew Farwell, on the other hand, was a Mary police officer who worked for the Stoughton Police Department from 2012 until his resignation in 2022 He had previously volunteered with police explorers and became an instructor after joining the department. Prosecutors allege he used that position of trust to groom Sandra and began sexually abusing her when she was just 15 years old.

They allege the sexual contact continued into her adulthood, including encounters, while he was still on duty. Sandra learned that she was pregnant in December of 2020 and scheduled prenatal appointments, purchased baby items, and planned a Valentine's Day pregnancy announcement. According to prosecutors, she was 8 to 10 weeks pregnant when she was killed. This history is important because it helps us understand how a child was exploited and groomed by not just any adult, but an adult in a position of authority and a person who she felt loved her. A central question will become, how does this history help jurors understand the alleged control and the secrecy of their relationship without allowing evidence of abuse to substitute for proof of murder?

Number two, what happened before Sandra was found dead? Let's take a look at the timeline. February 1st, 2021, surveillance recorded Sandra returning to her apartment that afternoon. Farwell visited that very same evening. He later acknowledged the visit to investigators, but denied involvement in her death.

It's important to look at the digital timeline. According to the FBI affidavit, Sandra's phone locked at approximately 9:13 PM and was not unlocked again before police recovered it. Its last recorded movement occurred at approximately 9:40 PM, three minutes before Farwell is seen leaving. February 4th, 2021, a coworker contacted police after Sandra failed to report to work. Canton officers conducted a wellness check and found her tragically dead. Investigators say she was wearing the same clothing seen in the February 1st surveillance footage. Her death was initially classified as suicide. That leads us to the federal investigation. Prosecutors now say Farwell strangled Sandra during that February 1st visit and arranged the scene to resemble suicide. He was arrested on August 28th, 2024, more than three years later. It's going to be important for prosecutors during trial to use that surveillance, those phone records, her digital footprint, and his to establish the window in which Sandra was killed. Now, this is circumstantial evidence. A phone recording movement obviously does not tell us, does not identify who was carrying it. But it is important for jurors to understand and be able to connect the dots as to when she possibly lost her life.

Number three, why do prosecutors believe Farwell wanted to silence Sandra? Well, the pregnancy, first of all, obviously increased the pressure. Sandra told Farwell he was the father of her child and expected him to participate in that child's life. Prosecutors alleged discussions about the pregnancy were followed by threats and physical violence. And we know that someone contacted his department. Around January 20th of 2021, Sandra's friend called Stouten to police and disclosed the sexual relationship. Prosecutors say Farwell learned about that call and sent Sandra angry messages. They allege he subsequently asked for a spare key and inspected areas of her apartment. The alleged motive extended beyond exposing infidelity. Prosecutors say Sandra could reveal sexual abuse, misconduct committed under police authority, and claims for paid work time. Their theory is that Farwell killed her to prevent those disclosures from reaching law enforcement and unraveling his entire life. One significant development to keep in mind, later DNA testing excluded Farwell as the biological father of Sandra's unborn child. Prosecutors nevertheless maintain that he believed she was pregnant with his child. So how will this paternity test play into the case? Will it weaken the prosecution's theory? Or is it only important for him to have believed that he was the father? Will jurors be able to understand his motive, that of concealing an affair from the charged intent to prevent disclosure of federal crimes? And will it be enough to convince jurors that this fear of his life unraveling was enough for him to make the decision to kill?