Matthew Farwell Faces Trial in 2021 Killing of Pregnant Mistress Sandra Birchmore
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 9
Matthew Farwell Faces Trial in 2021 Killing of Pregnant Mistress Sandra Birchmore
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 9
Summary
Opening statements were set to begin Friday after a brief 9 a.m. hearing in the murder trial of former Stoughton officer Matthew Farwell, who is accused of killing 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore and staging her death as a suicide.
Prosecutors say Farwell strangled Birchmore on Feb. 1, 2021 after she told him she was pregnant and planned to keep the baby, alleging he wanted to stop her from speaking out.
DNA tests excluded Farwell as the unborn child's father, but prosecutors say text messages show he believed he was, as Birchmore shared updates on her due date, ultrasounds and doctor visits.
Federal authorities arrested Farwell, 40, in August 2024 after Birchmore's death was initially ruled a suicide and later reexamined through internal affairs and FBI investigations.
The case also centers on allegations that Farwell began grooming Birchmore through the police explorers program when she was 12 and sexually exploited her from age 15 into adulthood.