A former detective with a Massachusetts police department has been accused of murdering a pregnant woman he allegedly began grooming, and then raping, as a teenager.
Matthew Farwell, who previously worked for the Stoughton Police Department, pled not guilty to charges relating to the murder of 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore. According to court documents, Farwell, who is now 38, first met Birchmore in 2010, when she was 12 years old. Interested in a career in law enforcement, Birchmore joined the Police Explorers, and Farwell was one of her instructors. He allegedly used his position of authority over Birchmore to groom her; once she turned 15, he began sexually abusing her.
The sexual abuse of Birchmore reportedly continued until her death. “We allege that Sandra Birchmore survived years of grooming, statutory rape and then sexual violence, all at the hands of Matthew Farwell,” U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy said at a press conference.
Disturbing text messages were found on Farwell’s phone, including google searches on how to delete data. In 2019, Farwell talked about taking Birchmore’s virginity, saying how it was “a big thing to get to be the first,” and asked her, “what would you have done if we never used a condom and I never pulled out … ” to which she replied that she would still finish school. “Farwell sent a text indicating he would have liked to have sex with Birchmore when she was even younger, saying, ‘You should’ve told me we could’ve [expletive] so much sooner,’” prosecutors said in court filings. “After sending that text, Farwell quickly instructed Birchmore, ‘Clear that part out baby,’ and when she confirmed that she did so, he texted ‘Good girl.’”
READ: Pregnant woman murdered after repeatedly asking police for help
He was also allegedly violent towards Birchmore, even before the pregnancy. “On at least 20 occasions in just the year before her death, Farwell sent Birchmore text messages stating that he would grab her throat, pin her down by her throat, squeeze her throat, or choke her during sexual activity,” prosecutors wrote. “For example, less than four months before her death, Farwell told Birchmore that during their next sexual encounter, he was going to ‘grab [her] throat.’” He also tracked her location using her phone.
Around December of 2020, Birchmore found out she was pregnant, and told Farwell he was the father. In a text message, he replied, “I literally have nothing to say right now how could you express that in text when I said I don’t appreciate it,” and told her she was “truly the worst person on the face of the earth.” He also allegedly became violent upon finding out, shoving her and placing her into a chokehold.
Farwell is believed to have felt forced to act when a friend of Birchmore’s disclosed their relationship to Stoughton police. Rather than filing charges against Farwell, a department employee told him about the phone call, and Farwell instructed the employee to keep the information quiet. On February 1st, 2021, he allegedly strangled Birchmore and then tied her body to a door handle, intending to stage the scene as a suicide.
“When it became clear that he could no longer control Sandra Birchmore, he allegedly silenced her permanently,” Levy said. According to the press release from the Department of Justice, Birchmore was excited about her pregnancy, scheduling doctor’s appointments and telling loved ones how excited she was to be a mother.
