Boston—Jurors began deliberations Friday in the federal murder trial of former Stoughton police detective Matthew Farwell. The case centers on the death of Sandra Birchmore, 23, who was found with a duffel‑bag strap around her neck on February 1, 2021, after becoming pregnant.
Prosecution’s case
Federal prosecutors argue Farwell killed Birchmore to prevent her from exposing a long‑standing sexual relationship that began when she was 15 and he was 27. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Fogarty told the jury, “He went to clean up the mess he created for himself years earlier, a mess that could bring serious charges and destroy his life. He cleaned up the mess by taking Sandra’s life.”
The government presented forensic evidence from Dr. William Smock, who testified that Birchmore’s injuries were consistent with strangulation by a duffel‑bag strap and that she struggled before dying. A digital‑forensics expert testified that Birchmore’s phone stopped moving three minutes before security footage captured Farwell leaving the building.
Defense’s arguments
Farwell’s attorney, Kimberly Stevens, acknowledged the extramarital relationship but denied any homicide. She emphasized that Birchmore was an adult who could legally consent under Massachusetts law and suggested she may have taken her own life. Stevens asked the jury to consider Birchmore’s prior threats of suicide and her emotional state at the time of the incident.
Defense expert Dr. Thomas Andrew, former chief medical examiner of New Hampshire, disputed the prosecution’s homicide determination, suggesting the evidence did not conclusively prove murder.
Key evidence
The prosecution highlighted roughly 40,000 text messages between Farwell and Birchmore uncovered by the FBI. The messages revealed a pattern of sexual activity when Birchmore was a minor, her pressure on Farwell to become pregnant, and her threats to expose the affair to his wife. After Birchmore became pregnant, the texts show increasing conflict, including arguments over Farwell’s role in the child’s life. A paternity test later confirmed the child’s father was not Farwell.
Investigators also noted procedural shortcomings in the original Stoughton police investigation. The FBI found that Farwell was interviewed for only 15 minutes in a parking lot, that investigators failed to take notes or collect DNA, and that his phone was examined only after he had deleted texts with Birchmore.
Trial timeline and next steps
The trial, which lasted nearly a month, featured about 50 witnesses and 500 exhibits. Jurors deliberated for a little more than three hours before taking a weekend break. A verdict is expected after they reconvene.
The case has drawn significant attention in Massachusetts, where the state medical examiner initially ruled the death a suicide before changing the manner of death to “undetermined.” Birchmore’s family and friends have long maintained that she would not have taken her own life, pointing to her excitement about becoming a single mother and the presence of a new stroller in her apartment.
The federal investigation, prompted in part by a former deputy chief of the Stoughton Police Department, underscores concerns about local law‑enforcement handling of sexual‑abuse allegations and the importance of thorough, independent reviews.
Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.
