Full Breakdown
Matthew Farwell on Trial for the Death of Sandra Birchmore
By Drooid · · How we work
In this breakdown
01
Central Allegations
Federal prosecutors allege that former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell killed 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore and her unborn child in her Canton apartment on February 1, 2021 and staged the scene as a suicide to conceal a long-standing sexual relationship that began when Birchmore was 15.
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02
Background & Context
Birchmore entered the Stoughton Police Explorers program at age 12 and met Farwell, then 24, through the mentorship. Their text messages after she turned 13 total roughly 40,000, including explicit references and threats. In 2023 the FBI reopened the case after a former deputy chief raised concerns about the original investigation, which had quickly labeled the death a suicide and failed to collect DNA from the duffel-bag strap used as a ligature.
Visual evidence
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03
Timeline of Key Events
- April 10, 2013 – Birchmore texts Farwell “Best day of my life” after their first sexual encounter.
- 2016-2018 – Birchmore dates former boyfriend William Kilroy, who later testifies she spoke of suicide.
- December 2017 – Birchmore tells Massasoit Community College administrator Joseph Harris she had attempted suicide.
- February 1, 2021 – Birchmore is found dead, hanging from a duffel-bag strap; initial autopsy rules suicide.
- 2023 – FBI begins its own investigation.
- April 2024 – State medical examiner Dr. María Del Mar Capó-Martínez changes the manner of death to “undetermined.”
- October 28-29, 2026 – Prosecution rests; defense presents witnesses, including Kilroy, Dr. Mindy Hull (chief medical examiner), and technician Kaitlyn Bulger.
04
Evidence Presented
- Digital forensics: Surveillance shows Farwell entering the building at 9:14 p.m.; Birchmore’s phone locks at 9:13 p.m., with last activity at 9:40 p.m. and a button press at 9:40:44.
- Forensic findings: A fractured hyoid bone was noted, which prosecutors argue is more common in strangulation than in hanging.
- Textual evidence: Messages include Farwell’s threat, “I’ll grab your throat and say you won’t say a word to anyone or you will be sorry.”
- Financial state: Defense cites Birchmore’s bank balance of less than $3 and ongoing psychiatric medication since age six.
05
Official Statements & Responses
- Defense attorney Kimberly Stevens described Farwell as “human” who made “regrettable mistakes” but did not kill Birchmore.
- Dr. Capó-Martínez said the change to “undetermined” followed new information and that her office “does not take that lightly.”
- Billy Farwell, Matthew’s twin, testified under immunity that both brothers had sexual contact with Birchmore, but denied knowledge of the February 2021 incident.
06
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Manner of death: The 2021 autopsy listed suicide; the 2024 revision lists “undetermined,” reflecting differing interpretations of the same forensic evidence.
- Hyoid bone: Prosecutors cite the fracture as evidence of homicide, while the medical examiner suggests post-mortem positioning could account for the break.
- Police documentation: Initial notes lack interview records, DNA sampling of the duffel strap, and rely on a suicide narrative provided to the medical examiner.
07
Verbatim Quotes
- “She was upset, depressed, angry, confused,” — William Kilroy, former boyfriend
- “I’ll grab your throat and say you won’t say a word to anyone or you will be sorry,” — Matthew Farwell, former officer
- “It was no longer a matter of whether his crimes would be exposed; it was a matter of when,” — Torey Cummings, prosecutor
These statements and the summarized evidence illustrate the contested narratives that the jury must weigh as the trial proceeds.