Former police officer allegedly killed pregnant woman and staged it as a suicide

BOSTON (AP) — A former Massachusetts police officer pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges that he killed a woman when she was a minor and then tried to fake the death as a suicide after she told him she was pregnant.

Matthew Farwell, 38, made the confession during his first appearance in federal court in Boston. He was handcuffed and led out of the courtroom. A detention hearing is scheduled for September 10.

Farwell was arrested Wednesday at a mall in the city of Revere after being accused of strangling Sandra Birchmore in early 2021 after she told him she was pregnant and he was the father. Birchmore was 23 years old.

According to the allegations in the indictment, Farwell killed Birchmore to prevent authorities from finding out details of his sexual crimes.

Farwell worked as an officer for the Stoughton police department, south of Boston, for ten years, from 2012 to 2022. The reason for his departure from the police department was not immediately clear.

According to the indictment filed in the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, Birchmore first participated in the Police Explorer program at the age of 12.

Court records show that Farwell, who had volunteered with police investigators, abused his authority and access to manipulate, sexually exploit and then sexually abuse Birchmore when she was 15 and continued to have sex with her as she grew into adulthood.

“During several shifts when Farwell was supposed to be performing his duties as a Stoughton police officer, he instead engaged in sexual conduct with Birchmore,” the indictment states.

In late 2020, Birchmore found out she was pregnant and told Farwell, the indictment says.

FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Stephen Kelleher said Birchmore was excited when she learned she was pregnant and texted Farwell a poster she had made to celebrate the pregnancy. She had also contacted a friend for baby clothes and a photographer for possible baby photos, according to Kelleher.

Kelleher called the allegations against Farwell “depraved.”

“Matthew Farwell's gun and badge did not give him the authority to violate the Constitution, and they certainly did not entitle him to sexually exploit, abuse and rape a child before killing her and her unborn baby to cover up his alleged crimes,” he said.

Investigators also believed Farwell staged the incident in the apartment to make it appear as if she had committed suicide, Kelleher said.

The following month, a friend of Birchmore called Stoughton police and told them that Farwell had had sex with Birchmore.

According to the indictment, Farwell strangled Birchmore on or about February 1, 2021, and then used his police knowledge to stage her apartment to make it look like she had committed suicide.

In some cases, Farwell was present during work hours when he sexually abused Birchmore as a minor, and he falsely reported specific work hours to cover up this criminal conduct, court documents say.

Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara said Wednesday the department was working with other agencies, including the FBI, on the investigation.

“The day after Sandra Birchmore was found dead in her Canton apartment, I ordered a lengthy and aggressive internal investigation, with instructions that made clear that no stone would be left unturned,” McNamara said in a statement.

“The alleged murder of Sandra is a horrific injustice,” McNamara said. “The allegations against the suspect, a former Stoughton police officer, represent not only the worst case of professional misconduct but also of human indecency that I have witnessed in my nearly three-decade career in law enforcement.”

If Farwell is convicted of killing a witness or victim, he faces at least a life sentence. Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy declined to comment on Wednesday on whether federal authorities would impose the death penalty if Farwell were convicted. The decision rests with the Justice Department in Washington.

Massachusetts has banned the death penalty.

Another hearing is scheduled for October 17.

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Perry reported from Meredith, New Hampshire.