Former Massachusetts officer's murder trial begins over pregnant woman's death

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 9 Oct, 11:55 · Archive

A former Massachusetts police officer faces trial accused of killing his pregnant mistress and staging her death as suicide.

The trial of Matthew Farwell, 40, a former officer with the Stoughton Police Department, began with jury selection and opening statements on Friday in Boston federal court. Farwell is charged with murdering Sandra Birchmore, 23, in February 2021 and staging her death to look like suicide.

Federal prosecutors say Farwell groomed Birchmore from the age of 15, using his position as a police officer to sexually exploit her over several years. The New York Post reports she was first enrolled in a police youth program at age 12. When Birchmore told Farwell she was pregnant and intended to keep the baby, prosecutors allege he killed her because he feared 'losing control' over her. According to prosecutors, Farwell told her she was 'the worst person on the face of the earth.' The killing allegedly occurred hours before Farwell's own wife gave birth.

Birchmore's death was initially classified as a suicide, but the FBI and police internal affairs later reopened the case. Although both Farwell and Birchmore believed he was the father based on text exchanges from December 2020 to February 2021, DNA testing after her death excluded him as the biological father. The New York Post reports that Farwell's brother, officer William Farwell, and Robert Devine, director of the Stoughton police youth program, were also accused by Birchmore's family of sexually abusing her.

How it is being reported

• Mass. cop faces trial in Sandra Birchmore case after she was ‘groomed starting at 12 —then killed’ when she got pregnantDisgraced ex-cop Matthew Farwell is finally slated to face trial over five years after he allegedly killed pregnant Sandra Birchmore in her apartment and staged it as a suicide.New York Post · 9 Oct, 11:30
• Former Massachusetts police officer faces murder trial over pregnant woman's staged suicideProsecutors say former Stoughton officer Matthew Farwell groomed Sandra Birchmore starting at age 15 and later strangled her over her pregnancy.Fox News · 9 Oct, 11:00

In this story: Matthew Farwell · Sandra Birchmore · Stoughton Police Department · Massachusetts

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