Indictment alleges MA ex-police officer killed pregnant woman to keep abuse secret

A federal grand jury indicted a Massachusetts ex-police officer for allegedly murdering his pregnant mistress, whom authorities say he had sexually abused since she was a minor.

The police officer indicted, Matthew Farwell, 38, faces life in prison if convicted of killing Sandra Birchmore, 23, on Feb. 1, 2021, in her Canton apartment near Boston.

Acting U.S. Attorney Josh Levy said Farwell, then an officer with the Stoughton Police Department, killed Birchmore to prevent her from revealing his statutory rape of her when she was 15. "When it became clear to Mr. Farwell that he could no longer control Sandra Birchmore, he allegedly silenced her permanently," Levy told reporters at a press conference.

According to the indictment, Birchmore joined the Stoughton Police Explorers program in 2010 at age 12. Farwell became an instructor there in 2012. Their relationship allegedly turned sexual by the time she was 15, with Farwell sneaking away while on duty to have sex with her.

Prosecutors allege Farwell maintained an abusive relationship with Birchmore into her adulthood. "Building off the years of grooming, Farwell later cultivated a controlling and sometimes abusive relationship with Birchmore. He tracked her location with his cell phone and, as voluminous text messages demonstrate, he engaged in sexual violence," prosecutors wrote in a memorandum supporting pretrial detention.

The indictment claims Farwell's violence included sexual fantasies involving minors. In a 2020 text message, he allegedly asked Birchmore to roleplay as a 13-year-old during sex, writing: "Will you say Matt stop I'm 13 I'm not ready for this omfg please stop."

In late 2020, Birchmore told Farwell she wanted to have his child. They agreed he would impregnate her in exchange for her silence about his past conduct, according to the indictment. However, when Birchmore became pregnant in December 2020, Farwell allegedly turned violent. Friends reported he had pushed, shoved, and choked her.

Prosecutors say Farwell learned in January 2021 that someone had informed Stoughton police about his past actions with underage Birchmore. He also discovered she had told a friend about the statutory rape.

The indictment alleges Farwell then planned Birchmore's murder. On Jan. 24, he obtained a key to her apartment and searched for places to kill her. "He inspected her bathroom and closet, places where items could be hung. His behavior was strange enough that Birchmore told multiple friends that she was concerned," the memo stated.

On Feb. 1, 2021, Farwell allegedly texted Birchmore that he was coming to her apartment. Prosecutors say he wore a face mask to conceal his identity, strangled her, and staged the scene to appear as a suicide. Canton police found Birchmore's body on Feb. 4 during a welfare check after she missed work.

An initial autopsy ruled Birchmore's death a suicide, but a second medical examiner determined she was strangled. According to the indictment, investigators later uncovered incriminating text messages and Google searches Farwell had attempted to delete.

Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara called Birchmore's death a "horrific injustice," representing "the single worst act of not just professional misconduct but indeed human indecency" in her nearly 30-year law enforcement career.

The Stoughton Police Department placed Farwell on leave and began an internal investigation following Birchmore's death. He resigned in April 2022. Federal authorities recently arrested Farwell on a charge of killing a witness or victim.