A former Stoughton police detective has gone on trial in federal court in Boston, accused of the 2021 murder of Sandra Birchmore, a young pregnant woman initially believed to have died by suicide. Matthew Farwell, who has pleaded not guilty, faces charges of killing Birchmore and staging the scene to suggest she took her own life, with prosecutors asserting the motive was to prevent her from revealing allegations that he sexually exploited her beginning when she was 15.
Birchmore’s death occurred in February 2021 at her Canton apartment. She was 23 at the time, living alone after the recent deaths of her mother and grandmother, and working as a teacher’s assistant. The state medical examiner and state police initially ruled the death a suicide. However, those close to Birchmore disputed this finding and pushed for further investigation.
Key to reopening the case was the sustained effort by Birchmore’s family and friends, led by her cousin Angelique Pirozzi, who rallied those familiar with Birchmore’s relationship with Farwell. Birchmore had known Farwell from a police explorers program she joined as a child, and she had reportedly told others that Farwell was the father of her unborn child—although DNA tests later excluded him as the father. Multiple acquaintances contacted authorities after Birchmore’s death, raising concerns about Farwell’s conduct and emphasizing that Birchmore was looking forward to motherhood.
During the trial’s first week, testimony has underscored the extensive support network Birchmore had, contradicting initial assumptions about her isolation. Friend Lesley Davis recounted pressing Canton police shortly after Birchmore’s death to investigate Farwell, citing episodes of abuse. Family members who sifted through Birchmore’s belongings discovered a broken necklace believed by an expert witness to indicate a struggle, which was reportedly overlooked by initial investigators.
The Stoughton Police Department undertook its own internal review under Police Chief Donna McNamara soon after Birchmore’s death. Then-Deputy Chief Brian Holmes led a thorough probe that uncovered multiple instances of misconduct not only involving Matthew Farwell but others within the department, including his twin brother William Farwell and former deputy chief Robert Devine. Holmes’s report detailed inappropriate relationships with Birchmore and concluded she had been sexually exploited beginning in her mid-teens.
Chief McNamara condemned the implicated officers for "lies, deceit, and treachery," declaring them unfit for law enforcement. She testified that the case was referred to the Norfolk District Attorney’s office, although no apparent prosecution followed. Holmes also said the findings were shared with other agencies, including the FBI.
Federal authorities subsequently arrested Matthew Farwell in August 2024, after building on state-level evidence and testimony that had previously been discounted or overlooked. The trial proceedings have featured testimonies from numerous family members and friends, who portray Birchmore as a vulnerable yet hopeful young woman, determined to support her unborn child despite her circumstances.
The case shines a light on complex issues of abuse, institutional misconduct, and the pursuit of justice beyond initial official findings. Farwell’s trial continues as the court weighs evidence that challenges earlier suicide determinations and offers a deeper understanding of Birchmore’s life and death.