A former Massachusetts police detective, Matthew Farwell, has been indicted in connection with the killing of 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore, a young pregnant woman. Federal prosecutors allege that Farwell began sexually exploiting Birchmore when she was a teenager in a law enforcement youth program.
Farwell, who was a detective in the town of Stoughton, has been charged with killing a witness or victim in relation to Birchmore's strangulation death in 2021. He is also accused of staging her body and apartment to make it appear as a suicide.
Farwell was arrested and pleaded not guilty during an initial court appearance. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10. The US Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts has reached out to his attorney for comment.
According to the indictment, Farwell allegedly killed Birchmore to prevent anyone from reporting a federal crime to law enforcement, including coercing or enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. Farwell, who was an instructor in the Stoughton Police Explorers Academy law enforcement program for young people, allegedly used his authority to groom, sexually exploit, and abuse Birchmore starting when she was 15 years old.
The court documents reveal that Birchmore learned she was pregnant in December 2020 and informed Farwell, who became violent upon hearing the news. Prosecutors allege that Farwell strangled Birchmore to death on February 1, 2021, and staged her apartment to make it look like a suicide.
After Birchmore's death, law enforcement agents discovered messages between her and Farwell on her electronic devices, detailing their sexual relationship that began when she was a minor. Prosecutors claim that Farwell left Birchmore's apartment shortly after killing her, as captured by video surveillance footage.
The count of killing a witness or victim carries a mandatory sentence of death or life in prison. Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara expressed shock and dismay over the allegations, calling Birchmore's murder a horrific injustice and Farwell's actions the worst act of professional misconduct and human indecency she has witnessed in her nearly three-decade career in law enforcement.
