Ex-Massachusetts Officer's Murder Trial Begins for Pregnant Mistress
Matthew Farwell is accused of killing Sandra Birchmore and staging her death to appear as a suicide.
The murder trial for a former Stoughton, Massachusetts, police officer accused of killing his pregnant mistress and staging the scene to look like a suicide commenced Friday after a morning hearing. The trial of Matthew Farwell will proceed with opening statements followed by testimony from Stoughton Detective Heather Cheever and an elementary school official.
Farwell, 40, was arrested in August 2024 by the FBI in connection with the death of 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore. Her death occurred three years prior, in February 2021.
Prosecutors allege that Farwell groomed Birchmore since she was a teenager, maintained a sexual relationship with her for years, and then killed her when she became pregnant. They claim he staged her death to look like a suicide.
Birchmore's death was initially ruled a suicide. However, internal affairs and FBI investigations led to Farwell's charges. Last year, federal prosecutors stated that Farwell killed the pregnant Birchmore to prevent her from revealing the pregnancy. According to court documents, text exchanges between Farwell and Birchmore from December 2020 to February 1, 2021, indicate he believed he was the father, despite DNA testing excluding him as the unborn child's father.
Prosecutors detailed that Birchmore was excited about her pregnancy, sharing updates on her due date, ultrasounds, doctor's appointments, and a gender reveal with Farwell. She was between eight and 10 weeks pregnant when she died, just two weeks before she reportedly planned to publicly announce her pregnancy.
Birchmore joined the police department's explorers program at age 12. Farwell, who volunteered with the program, is accused of using his position to groom and exploit Birchmore after she turned 15. At the time, Farwell was 27. They allegedly continued their sexual relationship into her adulthood, with some encounters occurring while Farwell was on duty. He is accused of strangling her on February 1, 2021, after learning of her pregnancy.
Farwell has pleaded not guilty and has been held in jail since his August 2024 arrest. Jury selection for the trial took place earlier this week.
Stoughton is a suburb located approximately 20 miles south of Boston.