Matthew Farwell, a former detective with the Stoughton police in Massachusetts, has been charged with the strangulation death of a pregnant woman, Sandra Birchmore, which was initially ruled a suicide. Farwell, 38, is accused of killing Birchmore in her Canton apartment in 2021 to prevent her from disclosing information about his long-standing sexual exploitation of her, which began when she was just 15 years old.
Farwell allegedly used his position of authority to groom and sexually exploit Birchmore, starting when she was in a police explorer’s program at age 12. Prosecutors claim that Farwell engaged in sexual acts with Birchmore while on duty as a police officer and continued to do so until her death. Birchmore learned she was pregnant in December 2020 and told Farwell, who allegedly became violent towards her. Two weeks before her death, Farwell is accused of asking for a spare key to her apartment and then murdering her on February 1, 2021, to silence her.
Prosecutors say Farwell staged the crime scene to look like a suicide and lied to investigators to conceal the murder. If convicted, Farwell could face the death penalty or life in prison. The case was reexamined after new evidence was discovered, leading to Farwell’s arrest. The investigation revealed a pattern of abuse spanning almost a decade, with Farwell allegedly exploiting his position as a police officer to engage in sexual acts with Birchmore.
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