A forensic expert testified in the ongoing trial of Matthew Farwell, who faces charges connected to the death of Jessica Birchmore, asserting that the evidence supports that Birchmore was murdered rather than having died by suicide. Birchmore was found hanging in her apartment, but the expert’s analysis challenges the initial ruling that her death was self-inflicted.
Dr. David Smock, a forensic pathologist, testified that Birchmore, 23, was killed before the ligature—identified as a duffel bag strap—was secured around the door. Central to his conclusion was a fracture on the right side of Birchmore’s hyoid bone, a U-shaped bone in the neck. Smock explained that the hyoid bone is typically flexible in younger people and only becomes rigid after 30, meaning a fracture of this kind is unlikely to occur during a hanging in someone Birchmore’s age. He added that no known cases exist of such fractures resulting from a seated hanging, especially since Birchmore’s body was discovered seated with only partial weight applied to the strap.
Smock outlined inconsistencies in the physical evidence, pointing out that Birchmore was found hanging with pressure on the left side of her neck, while the hyoid fracture was on the right. He also highlighted the presence of a snapped flamingo pendant necklace found on Birchmore’s body—a detail missing from initial reports and overlooked by state police and the medical examiner’s office. According to Smock, the broken necklace suggests a struggle prior to death, as such damage is rare in suicidal hangings. Additional abrasions on Birchmore’s nose and potential fingernail marks on her neck were presented as consistent with suffocation and defensive wounds. Smock also noted the entanglement of Birchmore’s hair in the strap as a common indicator of trauma and violence.
During cross examination, Smock acknowledged that some interpretations are subjective and that the state medical examiner, Dr. Maria Capo Martinez, who initially ruled Birchmore’s death a suicide and later revised it to undetermined, does not consider hair entanglement a definitive red flag. Dr. Martinez, a certified forensic pathologist, also testified during the proceedings, contrasting Smock's assessment.
Farwell, a former Stoughton police officer, has pleaded not guilty. His defense team maintains that Birchmore, who had known mental health challenges and was reportedly worried about the viability of her pregnancy, took her own life following their breakup on the night of her death. The defense is expected to present expert witnesses to counter Smock’s testimony once the prosecution rests its case.
Testimonies also revealed complex personal relationships between Birchmore and the Farwell brothers, Matthew and William. William Farwell testified under an immunity agreement that he had a sexual relationship with Birchmore, as did his twin brother Matthew. Both men were married at the time and aware of each other’s involvement with Birchmore, although Birchmore reportedly implored William not to disclose their relationship to Matthew. Text messages admitted into evidence indicate Birchmore claimed she had known Matthew since she was 15, a claim William said he doubted.
Following Birchmore’s death, William Farwell reported that Matthew’s reaction was muted. State police investigators, including Lieutenant John Fanning and Trooper Matthew Dunne, interviewed William, during which Fanning expressed frustration with the public pressure surrounding the case and suggested William would be “left out of it” in reports. The State police have not responded to requests for comment on the testimony.
The investigation has revealed tensions between state and federal authorities, with federal prosecutors criticizing the State police for mismanaging the case and initially classifying Birchmore’s death as a suicide. As the trial continues, the defense is preparing to challenge the prosecution’s forensic evidence, underscoring the ongoing dispute over the circumstances of Birchmore’s death.