Ex-Massachusetts detective charged with woman’s murder

A former detective from Massachusetts has been indicted in relation to the murder of a young pregnant woman he allegedly began exploiting sexually when she was a teenager in a law enforcement youth programme.

Matthew Farwell, 38, who served as a detective in Stoughton, faces charges of killing a witness or victim in connection to the 2021 strangulation of 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. He is also accused of staging her body and apartment to resemble a suicide.

Farwell was apprehended on Wednesday and entered a plea of not guilty during his initial court appearance. His next court date is set for 10 September. Efforts to reach his attorney for comment have been made.

Matthew Farwell was ARRESTED in the death of Sandra Birchmore by Boston’s SWAT Team For the murder of Sandra & her unborn baby They groomed her as a child she was part of Stoughton Police Explorers Academy from 2010-2016 that they taught pic.twitter.com/5gN6xfRLaS

— Eurocatbaby (@Zanne31865720) August 28, 2024

The indictment alleges Farwell killed Birchmore to prevent her from reporting a federal crime to authorities, including coercing or enticing a minor into sexual activity.

“When Mr. Farwell realised he could no longer control Sandra Birchmore, he allegedly silenced her permanently,” acting US Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua Levy stated on Wednesday. “He allegedly tried to cover his tracks to evade justice. And he nearly succeeded.”

Farwell, an officer with the Stoughton Police Department since 2012, was an instructor in the department’s Police Explorers Academy youth programme. Birchmore joined the programme in 2010 at the age of 12, and Farwell “allegedly exploited his authority to groom, sexually exploit, and ultimately abuse her” by the time she was 15, according to a court affidavit.

Some of Farwell’s sexual contact with the minor occurred during his duty hours, and he allegedly continued to have sexual relations with Birchmore until her death in February 2021.

Federal prosecutors revealed that Birchmore learned she was pregnant in December 2020. She expressed happiness to her family and began arranging doctors’ appointments and buying items for her unborn child. In January 2021, a friend of Birchmore contacted the police department and reported the officer’s sexual contact with Birchmore. A department employee later informed Farwell, who was married, about the call.

Prosecutors allege that when Birchmore informed Farwell he was the father and expected his involvement, he became violent, including an incident where he placed her in a headlock and expressed a wish for her death.

On 1 February 2021, Farwell visited Birchmore’s apartment in Canton, wearing a Covid-19 medical mask. Once inside, he allegedly killed her and staged the scene to appear as a suicide, according to court documents. Her body was found during a wellness check three days later, and a medical examiner initially ruled her death a suicide.

Following Birchmore’s death, investigators examined her cell phones and laptop, uncovering messages between her and Farwell that indicated he had sex with her when she was a minor and discussed unprotected sex.

Prosecutors accuse Farwell of murdering Birchmore, whom he had exploited for years, by strangling her. Surveillance footage captured him leaving her apartment shortly after her death.

The charge of killing a witness or victim carries a mandatory sentence of death or life imprisonment, according to prosecutors.

Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara stated on Wednesday that she ordered a thorough internal affairs investigation following Birchmore’s death, ensuring no detail was overlooked.

“The alleged murder of Sandra is a horrific injustice,” McNamara said. “The allegations against the former Stoughton Police Officer represent the most egregious act of professional misconduct and human indecency I have witnessed in my nearly three-decade career in law enforcement.”