Ex-Officer Convicted of Murdering Sandra Birchmore

BOSTON, Mass. — A federal jury in Boston has convicted former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell of killing Sandra Birchmore and causing the death of her unborn baby, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced.

Read the U.S. Attorney's Office release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/matthew-farwell-convicted-murdering-sandra-birchmore-and-causing-death-her-unborn-baby

The office announced the verdict on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.

Matthew Farwell, 41, of Easton, Massachusetts, was convicted of one count of killing a witness or victim and one count of causing the death of an unborn child, according to the release.

Farwell was arrested and charged in August 2024, the release said.

A Youth Program, A Long Exploitation, A Pregnancy

Farwell was a sworn Stoughton police officer beginning on or about March 27, 2012, according to the release.

He served as an instructor in the department's Explorer's Program, a program for youth learning about law enforcement careers, the release said.

Sandra Birchmore joined the Stoughton Explorers Program in 2010, when she was 12 years old, according to the release.

According to the release, Farwell began sexually exploiting Birchmore when she was a minor and continued into her adulthood, until her death on February 1, 2021.

In late 2020, Birchmore learned she was pregnant, and both she and Farwell believed he was the father, according to the release.

A Phone Call, A Final Visit, A Staged Scene

On January 20, 2021, an individual called the Stoughton Police Department and referenced Farwell and Birchmore's sexual relationship, according to trial evidence cited in the release.

Evidence presented at trial established that Farwell became angry on learning of the call and instructed the police dispatcher not to discuss it, the release said.

On February 1, 2021, shortly after 9:00 p.m., Farwell texted Birchmore asking whether he could stop by her apartment, according to the release.

Surveillance footage showed Farwell entering her apartment building at about 9:14 p.m. and leaving at about 9:43 p.m., the release said.

A forensic examination established that Birchmore's phone last recorded movement at 9:40 p.m., according to the release.

According to evidence presented at trial, Farwell strangled Birchmore, killing her and her unborn baby, and staged the death to look like a suicide by hanging, the release said.

Birchmore's death was initially ruled a suicide by state authorities, according to the release.

In October 2023, several witnesses contacted federal authorities, and Farwell was charged federally ten months later, the release said.

"Despite Mr. Farwell's attempt to silence Sandra Birchmore, today her story is told," said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley.

"Today, our hearts are with the Birchmore family, and with all who knew and loved Sandra," said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division.

Mandatory Life Exposure, Sentencing, What Happens Next

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for February 3, 2027, according to the release.

The charge of killing a witness or victim carries a mandatory sentence of death or life in prison, the release said.

The charge of causing the death of an unborn child carries a sentence of no less than life in prison, according to the release.

Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Riley, Torey B. Cummings and Brian A. Fogerty of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit are prosecuting the case, the release said.

Anyone with information about a crime can contact the FBI Boston Division or submit a tip through the FBI's tip line.

Sources

U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts, "Matthew Farwell Convicted of Murdering Sandra Birchmore and Causing the Death of Her Unborn Baby," November 10, 2026: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/matthew-farwell-convicted-murdering-sandra-birchmore-and-causing-death-her-unborn-baby