Ex-Stoughton Officer Faces Federal Charges in Sandra Birchmore, Unborn Child Deaths

Matthew Farwell, a former Stoughton police officer, has been federally charged with the death of Sandra Birchmore's unborn child in addition to being accused of killing Birchmore herself. Birchmore, who was 23 and pregnant, was found dead in her Canton apartment in 2021, with her death initially ruled a suicide before a federal investigation uncovered evidence of homicide. Farwell allegedly groomed Birchmore from her early teens through the police Explorers Program, engaging in a sexual relationship with her that began when she was underage. Prosecutors say Farwell strangled Birchmore after she revealed her pregnancy and staged the scene to appear as a suicide, while also being married with children at the time. The case, which includes charges that Farwell violated protections for unborn children, could potentially result in the death penalty. Farwell's trial is scheduled to begin in October 2026, following multiple delays and a superseding indictment that added the charge related to the unborn child.