More than three years after pregnant Sandra Birchmore was found dead in her Canton, Massachusetts, apartment, the former Stoughton, Massachusetts, police detective with whom she allegedly had a years-long sexual relationship has been charged with strangling her and staging the crime scene to make it look like she had committed suicide.
Former Stoughton Police Officer Matthew Farwell, 38, is accused of killing Birchmore to prevent her from admitting that the two had a relationship that began when Birchmore was 15.
Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673and Massachusetts provides this list of statewide resources for victims of sexual assault.
Here is a timeline of the key events in the case, as alleged in federal court documents.
March 2010: Sandra Birchmore joins the Stoughton Police Explorers
Sandra Birchmore joined the Stoughton Police Explorers program in 2010 at the age of twelve and participated until sometime in 2016.
March 2012: Matthew Farwell joins the Stoughton Police Department
Around the time he joined the Stoughton Police Department in 2012, Farwell began volunteering with the Police Explorers, and it is believed he met Birchmore while working in that program.
2012: Farwell begins communicating with Birchmore online
According to court documents, Farwell began communicating with Birchmore over the Internet in 2012. At the time, she was 15 and he was 26.
April 10, 2013: Farwell begins sexually harassing Birchmore
Farwell is accused of sexually abusing Birchmore when she was about 15 years old. Court documents reference a text message in which she states the date she lost her virginity: April 10, 2013. They allegedly continued to have sex until her death in 2021, when she was 23.
2019-2020: Farwell and Birchmore communicate via SMS
Farwell is believed to have had a sexual, sometimes violent, relationship with Birchmore for years. Court documents reference text messages between Farwell and Birchmore from 2019 to 2020 in which they frequently discuss their sexual encounters and describe apparent sexual violence. Farwell also demands that Birchmore delete these types of messages from her phone and Facebook.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or www.diehotline.org or send an SMS with the text LOVEIS to 22522.
October 2020: Birchmore tells Farwell she wants a child
Court records show that Birchmore told Farwell she wanted a child and that they had an agreement: Birchmore would keep quiet about Farwell's criminal activities and extramarital affair if he impregnated her.
December 2020: Birchmore learns she is pregnant
According to the federal indictment, Birchmore learned of her pregnancy sometime in December 2020. She texted Farwell that he was the father of her child.
January 20, 2021: Birchmore's boyfriend calls Stoughton police to report relationship with Farwell
A friend of Birchmore reportedly called Stoughton police and reported that Farwell had had sex with her, which apparently made Farwell “angry.”
January 24-26, 2021: Farwell asks Birchmore for a key to her apartment in Canton and begins to scout her out
Farwell allegedly asked Birchmore for a key to her apartment but told her to keep it a secret. Federal investigators allege that once Farwell had access, he began scouting Birchmore's apartment, inspecting her bedroom and closet. Birchmore found the behavior troubling and mentioned it to friends.
February 1, 2021: Farwell kills Birchmore
Federal investigators allege Farwell strangled Birchmore in her apartment and then staged the incident to make it appear that Birchmore committed suicide.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.orgYou can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
February 4, 2021: Birchmore's body is found
Canton police officers conducted an investigation and found Birchmore dead in her apartment. At least one first responder determined Birchmore had been dead for “days.”
February 6, 2021: Farwell lies to Massachusetts State Police investigators
Farwell is said to have given false information to Massachusetts State Police investigators when questioned about Birchmore's death.
February 9, 2021: Farwell performs and deletes Google searches
Court documents say Farwell performed two Google searches, which he then deleted – for “can delete [sic] imessage is restored hy [sic] Cellebrite” and “Can you withdraw your consent in Massachusetts?” Cellebrite is a tool for analyzing data on mobile phones.
May 2021: Birchmore's death is ruled a suicide
A state pathologist determines that Birchmore's cause of death was asphyxiation by hanging and the manner of death was suicide.
April 1, 2022: Farwell resigns from Stoughton Police Department
Farwell resigns amid ongoing investigation into Birchmore's death
September 23, 2022: Stoughton Police Chief Announces Details of Internal Investigation
The results of a lengthy internal investigation by the Stoughton Police Department show that three officers – Matthew Farwell, William Farwell and Robert Devine – and a fourth person are suspected of having inappropriate relationships with Birchmore. The officers have denied the allegations.
December 29, 2022: Birchmore's family files wrongful death lawsuit
Birchmore's estate is filing a civil lawsuit accusing him of “wrongful death, negligence, negligent supervision, negligent restraint, pain and suffering, and emotional distress” in connection with an alleged years-long care program.
Birchmore's estate has filed a civil lawsuit alleging “wrongful death, negligence, negligent supervision, negligent restraint, pain and suffering, and emotional distress” related to a years-long care regimen. Follow NBC10 Boston on… Instagram: instagram.com/nbc10boston TikTok: tiktok.com/@nbc10boston Facebook: facebook.com/NBC10Boston X: twitter.com/NBC10Boston
June 2024: Prominent pathologist classifies Birchmore's death as homicide
The Boston Globe reports that a former New York City medical examiner determined Birchmore's death was not a suicide, but a homicide. The Stoughton police chief confirmed the finding in a statement to the city.
August 28, 2024: Matthew Farwell charged in Birchmore's death
Federal investigators announce their charges against Matthew Farwell, who is accused in a grand jury indictment of strangling Birchmore and staging her apartment to make her death look like a suicide.
