Police officer from Stoughton, Massachusetts, has been charged by the federal government with Sandra Birchmore’s death. He is accused of killing her and making it look like she killed herself in her flat.
Matthew Farwell, 38, from North Easton, is said to have slept with Birchmore from the time she was 15 years old until she was 23 years old.
People say he killed her after she told him she was pregnant with his child. Federal prosecutors say he killed her to keep her from talking about their connection and the crimes that went along with it.
“Sandra Birchmore suffered years of grooming, statutory rape, and sexual violence at the hands of Matthew Farwell,” acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy said at a news conference on Wednesday. “Farwell was a Stoughton police officer and later a detective during their relationship.”
An FBI SWAT team arrested Farwell in Revere on Wednesday morning.
As soon as the charges were brought, the Stoughton Police Department, the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office, and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office all put out comments. Donna McNamara, the chief of police in Stoughton, called the accusations “a horrific injustice.
“According to a spokesperson for District Attorney Michael Morrissey, the office is committed to “supporting and assisting federal authorities in this prosecution.”
Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said that what Farwell is said to have done was “malicious, predatory, and horrific.” You can read their full comments below.
Birchmore was found dead in her Canton apartment in 2021. She was three months pregnant at the time.
At first, her death was thought to be a suicide, but a pathologist hired by her family later found that it was truly a murder.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said that the government investigation looked at old evidence and found “critical new evidence” that led to the indictment.
Levy wouldn’t say why federal investigators got interested in the case in the first place, but he did say that they had been looking into it for about a year.
Court records show that in December 2020, Birchmore told Farwell that she was pregnant and that he was the father. There was a report to the Stoughton Police Department in January 2021 that Farwell was having a sexual connection with Birchmore.
Levy said that Birchmore was apparently thrilled about the pregnancy. The FBI said that she had been calling about a newborn photoshoot and baby clothes just a few days before she died. Farwell, who had spent years training Birchmore, had a bad reaction, though. Levy says that this set of events made him “lose control,” “lose patience,” and “lose his temper.”
According to the charge, Farwell choked Birchmore to death in February 2021 and set up her apartment to make it look like she killed herself.
Accused of killing her “with malice aforethought, willfully, deliberately, maliciously, and with premeditation,” he did it to stop anyone from telling police about a federal crime. He is accused of killing a witness or victim and wire fraud. If found guilty, he will spend at least life in jail.
Prosecutors also say that before she died, Farwell told Birchmore to delete proof of their connection before she turned 16.
He is accused of lying to the Massachusetts State Police officers who first looked into the case after she died about how to delete data from his own phone.
Stephen Kelleher, deputy special agent in charge of the FBI Boston office, said, “Matthew Farwell’s gun and badge did not give him the right to ignore the Constitution.
They also did not give him the right to sexually abuse and rape a child before killing her and her unborn child to hide his alleged crimes.”
Levy said that the results of the investigation by his office and the FBI would be shared with the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office and other state organizations so that they could decide if state charges will be brought.
Farwell, who was arrested on Wednesday, met Birchmore for the first time through the Stoughton Police Explorers Academy, a program for young people who want to work as police officers.
In the spring of 2010, when he was 12, Birchmore started the program and stayed a part of it until about 2016.
The complaint says that Farwell had sex with Birchmore when she was still too young to have sex, and that some of these encounters happened while he was meant to be working.
Three former Stoughton police officers are accused of having sexual relationships with Birchmore that were not suitable. Only one of them is said to have started the relationship with Birchmore when she was too young to consent. These claims have been pushed back by the other cops.
Birchmore’s family has since sued for wrongful death.
There have been claims of abuse in the Explorers program, and this case has brought those claims to light.
The Marshall Project said earlier this year that it had found at least 193 more claims of wrongdoing by police in the past 50 years related to the Explorers program. These claims included bullying and sexual abuse.
The Marshall Project was told by the Boy Scouts that they are committed to keeping kids safe and that “appropriate measures” are taken to hold leaders accountable if they abuse their power.
Read Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara’s full statement here:
The day after Sandra Birchmore was discovered dead in her Canton apartment, I ordered a thorough and intensive internal affairs investigation with clear instructions to leave no detail unchecked.
The Stoughton Police Department has been actively supporting and collaborating with other agencies, including the FBI, whose investigation has now led to a murder indictment confirming that Sandra was murdered.
The alleged murder of Sandra is a profound injustice. The accusations against the former Stoughton police officer involved represent not only a severe breach of professional conduct but a grave moral failing that I have rarely encountered in my nearly thirty-year law enforcement career.
Ensuring justice for Sandra has been my primary focus over the past three years. As I have previously stated, Sandra did not receive justice during her lifetime. It is crucial that justice be achieved posthumously, and today’s developments bring us a step closer to that goal.
Read Norfolk District Attorney’s Office spokesman David Traub’s full statement here:
The investigation into Birchmore’s case remains ongoing, though we generally refrain from discussing active investigations in detail.
Our efforts have involved close collaboration with local police, the Attorney General’s Office, and the FBI, each contributing their unique resources and expertise.
Two State Police officers from the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office were present at the command post during the operation in Revere. We are committed to supporting and assisting federal authorities throughout this prosecution.
Read Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s full statement here:
“Although today’s indictment cannot restore Sandra Birchmore’s lost life, these charges mark a crucial step toward holding Matthew Farwell accountable for his reprehensible and predatory actions.
I commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their work and look forward to continued collaboration as my office continues its investigation into this case.”
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