Former Stoughton police officer indicted for killing witness or victim
A former Stoughton police officer, Matthew Farwell, has been indicted on a charge of killing a witness or victim in connection with the death of Sandra Birchmore, a 23-year-old woman. The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced this development on Wednesday. Farwell was arrested by a law enforcement team in Revere on the same day.
The case against Farwell stems from his time as a police officer in Stoughton, where he also worked as an instructor for a department-run vocational education program called the Explorers Program. Prosecutors allege that Farwell used his authority and access within the program to groom and sexually abuse Birchmore, who joined the program at the age of 12 in 2010.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, Farwell began abusing Birchmore when she was 15 years old and continued to have a sexual relationship with her even after she became an adult. Prosecutors claim that Farwell engaged in sex acts with Birchmore while on duty as a police officer. The relationship between Farwell and Birchmore lasted until her untimely death on February 1, 2021.
The circumstances leading to Birchmore’s death are particularly disturbing. Prosecutors allege that Birchmore discovered she was pregnant in December 2020 and informed Farwell that he was the father. When she expressed her expectation that he would be involved in the child’s life, Farwell became violent. The US Attorney’s Office stated that Farwell held Birchmore in a headlock and expressed a desire for her to be dead.
In January 2021, one of Birchmore’s friends reported the relationship between Farwell and Birchmore to the Stoughton police. This incident led to a series of angry text messages from Farwell to Birchmore, followed by a request for a spare key to her apartment in Canton. Prosecutors allege that on February 1, 2021, facing the imminent disclosure of his criminal conduct, Farwell murdered Birchmore to silence her.
To make Birchmore’s death appear as a suicide, Farwell allegedly strangled her and staged her body and apartment. Despite her death occurring on February 1, Birchmore’s body was not discovered until February 4. Initially ruled a suicide, Birchmore’s death came under further scrutiny after a federal investigation uncovered critical new evidence. This evidence ultimately led to Farwell’s indictment and subsequent arrest.
Acting US Attorney Joshua Levy expressed his disappointment at having to charge a law enforcement officer with such serious crimes. However, he emphasized the Department of Justice’s commitment to investigating potential crimes without fear or favor.
Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara responded to Farwell’s indictment by calling the alleged murder a horrific injustice and the worst act of professional misconduct and human indecency she has witnessed in her nearly three-decade career in law enforcement. McNamara stated that it has been her mission over the past three years to ensure that justice is served in Birchmore’s case.
The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office confirmed that its investigation into Birchmore’s death remains open and active. Collaborating with local police, the state attorney general’s office, and the FBI, the DA’s office expressed its support for and willingness to assist federal authorities in prosecuting Farwell.
In March, Farwell reached a voluntary decertification agreement with the state Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST Commission) in connection with the allegations in the Birchmore case. The POST Commission, responsible for certifying and decertifying Massachusetts police officers, had previously denied Farwell’s application for recertification in October 2022.
Farwell made his initial court appearance in federal court in Boston, where a judge ordered him to be held pending a new court date next month. The case against Farwell serves as a tragic reminder of the importance of accountability within law enforcement and the need for thorough investigations to ensure justice is served.
