Massachusetts Cop Accused of Murdering Pregnant Girlfriend to Cover Up Affair
Prosecutors allege Matthew Farwell groomed Sandra Birchmore as a teen and killed her when she became pregnant, staging her death as a suicide.
A Massachusetts police officer is on trial for allegedly murdering his pregnant girlfriend, Sandra Birchmore, to conceal their affair and her pregnancy. Prosecutor Torey Cummings told a jury that Officer Matthew Farwell "lulled" Birchmore into a false sense of security before strangling her with a duffel bag strap and staging her death as a suicide.
Farwell, a married father of three, allegedly began a sexual relationship with Birchmore when she was 15 and he was a volunteer instructor in the Stoughton Police Department’s “Explorers” program. Cummings stated that Farwell first raped Birchmore on April 10, 2013, when she was 15, an act described as statutory rape in Massachusetts, where the age of consent is 16.
Prosecutors presented text messages as evidence, including one where Farwell allegedly told Birchmore that the day of their first sexual encounter was “the best day of my life” and that he couldn’t wait to “f–k” her again. He also reportedly shared sexual fantasies involving domination, pain, and rape.
The relationship continued, and when Birchmore became pregnant in late 2020, she was reportedly overjoyed. She texted Farwell a congratulatory announcement, and began purchasing baby items such as a car seat and stroller. Prosecutors claim Farwell, however, reacted with anger, texting Birchmore, “You are truly the worst person on the face of Earth.”
Despite this initial reaction, Cummings alleged that Farwell’s demeanor shifted in the days leading up to Birchmore's death on February 1, 2021. He allegedly asked for a key to her apartment and surveyed her home, actions Birchmore found “weird” in a text to a friend nine days prior.
On the night of the alleged murder, Farwell texted Birchmore asking if he could stop by. Birchmore responded affirmatively, saying the door would be open. Surveillance footage showed Farwell entering Birchmore's Canton apartment building about an hour before her death, wearing a mask despite his previous opposition to mask mandates. He was seen leaving approximately an hour later.
Prosecutors claim Farwell strangled Birchmore, who was 5-foot-2, with a duffel bag strap. He then allegedly propped her body against a closet door and attached the strap to the doorknob to simulate a suicide. Cummings stated that Farwell killed Birchmore the day before his wife was due to give birth to their third child, to prevent her from discovering the affair and pregnancy.
DNA testing later revealed that Farwell was not the father of Birchmore’s unborn child, contrary to their mutual belief. Cummings argued that Birchmore, who had a history of mental health struggles, had begun taking antidepressants again, indicating a desire to live for herself and her baby.
However, defense attorney Kimberly Stevens argued that Birchmore died by suicide, citing her mental health issues and online searches related to suicide. Stevens presented evidence of Birchmore searching for phrases like “can I die just for a day, I just want to see who would cry when I was gone” and “what color is the suicide ribbon.”
Farwell, who has been in custody since his 2024 arrest, has pleaded not guilty. He faces life in prison if convicted of killing a witness or victim and causing the death of an unborn child. The trial is ongoing, with the first witness scheduled to testify.