A former Massachusetts police officer, Matthew Farwell, was arrested by the FBI on allegations that he groomed a teenage girl, continued to have a sexual relationship with her when she was an adult, and ultimately killed her in her apartment when she told him she was pregnant with his child. Farwell allegedly strangled 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore in early 2021 to prevent authorities from discovering details of his sexual offenses. This incident occurred after Farwell had worked for the Stoughton Police Department for 10 years, from 2012 until 2022, although it was not immediately clear why he left the department.
According to court documents, Birchmore had begun participating in the police explorers program at the age of 12, where Farwell, a police explorers volunteer, used his position to groom, exploit, and abuse her when she was 15. These abusive behaviors continued into her adulthood, despite Farwell’s duty as a Stoughton police officer. Farwell allegedly murdered Birchmore in part to prevent her from disclosing information about crimes he had committed, including coercion and enticement, deprivation of rights under color of law, and a wire fraud scheme, as stated by FBI Special Agent Chenee Castruita in an affidavit.
In late 2020, Birchmore discovered she was pregnant and informed Farwell. According to the indictment, she was excited about the pregnancy and had shared her joy with friends. FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Stephen Kelleher described Farwell’s actions as depraved and emphasized that his authority as a police officer did not give him the right to exploit, abuse, and ultimately kill Birchmore. Investigators believe that Farwell staged the scene in Birchmore’s apartment to make it appear as though she had died by suicide.
Following Birchmore’s death, a friend contacted the Stoughton Police Department to report Farwell’s inappropriate relationship with her. According to court documents, Farwell allegedly strangled Birchmore on February 1, 2021, and then used his knowledge as a police officer to fake her death as a suicide. Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara expressed shock and disgust at the allegations, calling Farwell’s actions the most horrifying act of professional misconduct and human indecency she had seen in her nearly three-decade career in law enforcement.
Farwell has pleaded not guilty to the charges during an initial appearance in federal court in Boston. A detention hearing is scheduled for September 10, and another hearing is scheduled for October 17. If convicted of killing a witness or victim, Farwell could face a minimum sentence of life in prison. The possibility of the death penalty being sought rests with the Department of Justice, as federal authorities declined to comment on the matter. Massachusetts has banned capital punishment, meaning that Farwell would not be eligible for the death penalty in that state.
