Who is Matthew Farwell? Former Massachusetts police officer's trial begins five years after he allegedly killed pregnant lover

The trial of a former Massachusetts police officer, who is accused of killing his young lover five years ago, began on Friday (October 9). Sandra Birchmore, aged 23, was found dead in her bedroom in Canton, Massachusetts, with a duffel bag strap looped around her neck and tied to a closet door. Local and state authorities had ruled her death, which occurred February 1, 2021, a suicide. But federal prosecutors took up the case three years later and charged former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell with murdering her.

Birchmore met Farwell when she was 13

Assistant US Attorney Torey B Cummings told jurors that Farwell was supposed to be a mentor to Birchmore, but exploited her for years. Cummings said the two met when Birchmore was a 13-year-old in the Stoughton Police Department Explorers Academy, adding they first had sex when Birchmore was 15 and Farwell was 27.


The attorney added that the ex-officer killed her after she became pregnant, fearing that their secret relationship would be exposed.

Defense says Birchmore killed self

Defense attorney Kimberly Stevens said Birchmore was an anxious, lonely, and struggling young woman who had less than $3 in her bank account and became suicidal after Farwell ended their relationship.

Stevens conceded that Farwell, who was married, had an affair with Birchmore and made mistakes, but insisted that he did not kill her. The defence attorney contended that Birchmore killed herself in an “impulsive act of despair” after Farwell broke up with her.

Why was the case reviewed?

The case was reviewed after Birchmore’s family pressured investigators to reconsider the suicide ruling, saying she was planning her future and was excited to become a mother. A federal investigation led to Farwell’s indictment in 2024. In April, the medical examiner’s office changed the manner of Birchmore’s demise to "undetermined".

Farwell faces life in prison

Farwell, now 40, is charged with killing Birchmore. He faces an additional charge of causing the death of an unborn child. The former cop has pleaded not guilty to both charges.

DNA testing later ruled out Farwell as the father of Birchmore’s unborn baby. Farwell has been decertified as a police officer and banned from working in law enforcement in Massachusetts.

Farwell was arrested in August 2024 and has since been in prison. His trial, at the John J Moakley Courthouse in the state capital Boston, is expected to last about five weeks. If convicted, Farwell faces a potential sentence of life in jail.