Former Massachusetts Detective Faces New Charge in Death of Pregnant Woman and Her Unborn Child
A former Massachusetts police detective accused of killing a pregnant woman now also faces a charge related to the death of her unborn baby.
Matthew Farwell, formerly with the Stoughton Police Department, was first indicted in August 2024 for the death of 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore, found dead in her Canton apartment on February 4, 2021. She was three months pregnant.
Birchmore’s death was initially ruled a suicide, but a federal review uncovered new evidence leading to Farwell’s indictment. A new filing this week adds a charge under the Protection of Unborn Children law. His trial is scheduled for next year.
In 2022, Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara said Farwell, his twin brother William, and Officer Robert Devine engaged in serious misconduct involving Birchmore.
An internal investigation found Birchmore met Farwell at 13 through the department’s Youth Explorers Program. At 15, she allegedly began an inappropriate relationship with Farwell, who was then 27. Federal investigators say Farwell used his position to groom and sexually exploit her, continuing the relationship into her adulthood, even while on duty.
Authorities allege Farwell falsified work records to hide their encounters. In late 2020, Birchmore learned she was pregnant and told Farwell he was the father. Investigators say he became violent, at one point putting her in a headlock and saying he wished she were dead.
A friend later alerted police to their relationship. Days after learning of the report, Farwell allegedly sent Birchmore angry texts and visited her apartment, asking for a spare key and searching her belongings.
Federal investigators believe that, fearing exposure, Farwell killed Birchmore around February 1, 2021, to silence her.

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