‘Sandra’s first sexual experience involved a crime’: A former Massachusetts cop goes on trial

Former Massachusetts Officer Faces Federal Trial in Death of Sandra Birchmore

Earthguardiansonline.com – A federal jury in Boston is hearing sharply conflicting explanations for the 2021 death of Sandra Birchmore, a 23-year-old woman whose death was initially classified as a suicide. Former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell, now 40, has pleaded not guilty to charges alleging he killed Birchmore to prevent her from revealing their relationship.

The case began Friday at the John J. Moakley Courthouse, where prosecutors described a years-long pattern of exploitation that began when Birchmore was a teenager involved in a police youth program. Defense lawyers argued that Birchmore died by suicide after a painful breakup with Farwell.

Birchmore was discovered on February 1, 2021, in her Canton, Massachusetts, apartment. She was on her bedroom floor with a duffel-bag strap around her neck, attached to a closet-door handle. State and local investigators initially determined that her death was a suicide. A federal inquiry later resulted in Farwell’s 2024 indictment, and the medical examiner’s office changed the manner of death to “undetermined” in April.

Prosecution Says Relationship Began When Birchmore Was 15

Assistant U.S. Attorney Torey B. Cummings told jurors that Farwell was expected to serve as a mentor to Birchmore through the Stoughton Police Department’s Explorers program. Instead, prosecutors contend, he began a sexual relationship with her when she was 27 and she was 15.

“She could end his life with the information she had, so he decided to end hers first,” Cummings said.

Federal prosecutors allege that Farwell used Birchmore’s vulnerability for years, including arranging sexual meetings during his work shifts. Their case centers on the claim that Farwell killed Birchmore after she became pregnant because he feared the relationship would become public.

Farwell is charged with killing a witness or victim, a federal allegation that he acted to stop Birchmore from potentially providing information against him. He also faces a separate charge connected to Birchmore’s pregnancy under a federal law designed to protect unborn children.

DNA testing later excluded Farwell as the father of Birchmore’s unborn child. Prosecutors maintain that he believed he was the father when she died, making that belief relevant to their account of motive.

Defense Calls Death an “Impulsive Act of Despair”

Farwell’s attorney, Kimberly Stevens, told the jury that he had an affair with Birchmore and made serious personal mistakes, but she rejected the accusation that he killed her. Stevens portrayed Birchmore as isolated, financially distressed and struggling with anxiety after Farwell ended their relationship.

Birchmore had less than $3 in her bank account, Stevens said. The defense maintains that she took her own life that evening after Farwell broke up with her.

Stevens described Birchmore’s death as an “impulsive act of despair.”

The competing accounts place the jury at the center of a difficult question: whether Birchmore’s death was the result of suicide, as first concluded by investigators, or a homicide committed to conceal a relationship that began while she was underage.

A Youth Program and a Trusted Officer

Prosecutors described Birchmore as a young person who admired police officers and hoped to find structure through the Explorers program. Her mother enrolled her in the Stoughton Police Department program in 2010 amid health problems in the family. Birchmore’s father was not involved in her life, Cummings said.

Birchmore had experienced academic difficulties, had been diagnosed with ADHD and struggled to form friendships, prosecutors told jurors. In a group photograph shown in court, she was identified as the smallest participant, standing 5 feet tall.

She spent significant time at the police department and trusted officers there, including Farwell, the prosecution said. In late 2012, when Birchmore was 15, Farwell sent her a Facebook friend request and later began tutoring her at a local library.

Federal law makes it an offense for a person to engage in a sexual act with someone younger than 16 when the other person is at least four years older. The prosecution’s opening statement emphasized the age difference between Birchmore and Farwell, who was 12 years older.

Family Sought Further Investigation

Birchmore’s relatives challenged the original suicide determination and urged authorities to take another look at her death. Family members said she had been thinking about her future and was excited about becoming a mother.

Six of Birchmore’s cousins attended the opening statements. The case has also renewed attention on the responsibility held by adults in youth mentoring programs, particularly when those adults are police officers or otherwise occupy positions of authority.

Farwell has been decertified as a police officer and is prohibited from working in Massachusetts law enforcement. He has remained in custody since his August 2024 arrest. A conviction could bring a life sentence.

During opening arguments, Farwell sat between his two attorneys in a charcoal-gray suit, largely looking at a computer at the defense table. Prosecutors referred to him as “the defendant,” while Stevens repeatedly called him “Matt” and at one point rested an arm on his shoulder.

The trial is expected to run for about a month. Jurors will hear evidence intended to address Birchmore’s final days, the history of her relationship with Farwell and the circumstances surrounding her death.

This article includes discussion of suicide. Anyone in the United States experiencing a crisis can call or text 988 to reach the 24-hour Suicide Crisis Lifeline.