Killing of Sandra Birchmore
| Date | February 2021 |
|---|---|
| Location | Canton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Type | Alleged homicide |
| Deaths | Sandra Birchmore |
| Accused | Officer Matthew Farwell |
| Charges | Killing a Witness or Victim |
On February 4, 2021, 23-year-old American woman Sandra Birchmore (May 1997 – February 2021) was found dead in her Canton, Massachusetts apartment. Her death was initially ruled as a suicide by asphyxia; however, federal authorities later determined that her death was a homicide, with a local police officer alleged to have killed her.[1][2]
Birchmore's case has drawn parallels to the Karen Read case, another high-profile investigation in Norfolk County. Both cases involve allegations of law enforcement misconduct and have raised questions about the integrity of the investigations conducted by local authorities.[3][4]
Background
[edit]Birchmore was from Stoughton, Massachusetts. She was raised by her mother and grandmother, who both died when she was a teenager.[5] When she was 12, she became involved with the Stoughton Police Explorers program, a program for youths interested in law enforcement careers. In the program, she met Officer Matthew Farwell, an instructor for the program.[6] When she was 15 and he was 27, he allegedly began grooming her. He had a sexual relationship with her over the years, leading up to her pregnancy in late 2020.[2][7]
Investigation
[edit]On February 4, 2021, Birchmore's colleague alerted the police after she missed days of work. Police found her body in her apartment that day. Surveillance videos from February 1 show Birchmore walking in and out of the apartment in the afternoon and Farwell walking into the building in the evening and leaving after about 30 minutes. When she was discovered, she was wearing the same clothes she wore on February 1.
Her death was initially ruled as a suicide by asphyxia; However, federal authorities later determined that her death was a homicide, alleging that Farwell allegedly strangled her to death and staged it as a suicide to cover up their relationship and her pregnancy.[1][2] Farwell was federally indicted on charges of murder in 2024.
In 2022, Birchmore's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit naming Matthew Farwell, his twin brother William Farwell, and their supervisor Robert Devine.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "25 Investigates: Sandra Birchmore's death initially investigated by state law enforcement". Boston 25 News. August 28, 2024.
- ^ a b c Cristantiello, Ross. "Sandra Birchmore case timeline". www.boston.com.
- ^ Fortin, Matt (August 29, 2024). "Feds have stepped in on Karen Read, Sandra Birchmore cases. Experts say it's unusual". NECN.
- ^ "Two deaths in one Massachusetts town cast doubt on the relationship between police and prosecutors". NBC News. September 2, 2024.
- ^ Chavis, Lakeidra (August 30, 2024). "How a Massachusetts Cop Allegedly Groomed and Killed Sandra Birchmore". The Marshall Project.
- ^ Markos, Mary; DiGiammerino, Thea (August 29, 2024). "Advocate says Sandra Birchmore's family 'always thought that she was murdered'". NBC Boston.
- ^ a b "Sandra Birchmore's family files suit against 3 ex-Stoughton police officers". www.boston.com. December 30, 2022.
External links
[edit]- United States v. Matthew Farwell, statement of case via DocumentCloud