Sandra Birchmore's friend relieved that former Stoughton police officer was arrested for her murder

STOUGHTON – Friends of Sandra Birchmore are happy after the indictment of former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell. Investigators say he abused Sandra at a young age before impregnating her, strangling her and covering up the murder to make it look like a suicide.

“A very good child”

“No, she definitely didn't want to kill herself. All our friends knew she wouldn't do it,” said Natalia Alves, a friend of Birchmore's who had coffee with her several times a week. “She was a very good child who wanted to be a teacher. She wanted to have a baby, a small child, a family of her own.”

Birchmore was found dead in 2021. Her death was ruled a suicide by Canton police and the Norfolk District Attorney's Office. At the time, Birchmore was pregnant.

In 2012, Birchmore began attending the Stoughton Police Explorers Academy, a program for children interested in a future in law enforcement, where Farwell was a volunteer instructor. Acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua Levy said the two began an illicit sexual relationship years after the program began.

“By having sex with her when he was a 27-year-old police officer and she was just 15 years old,” Levy said.

Court documents reinforce Alves' argument, saying Birchmore wanted a baby. According to the documents, Farwell agreed to impregnate Birchmore in exchange for her silence about their illicit relationship.

“The 6'4″ Farwell began to become violent toward the 4'6″ Sandra Birchmore,” Levy explained.

The indictment states that Birchmore told Farwell she was pregnant in December 2020. Alves says the two discussed her pregnancy during one of their coffee chats.

“She was happy”

“She said the baby's father was a Stoughton police officer,” Alves recalls. “She was happy. One of her dreams was to have a baby, and she had a baby. There was no way she was going to kill herself.”

At the time of her death in February 2021, Alves never told police about their conversation, but her death had already been ruled a suicide without foul play. On Wednesday, she learned that charges had been filed against Officer Farwell.

“One of my patients told me that guy Farwell went to jail,” Alves said. “I was like, 'What?' I was so happy I started crying. I was like, 'Oh my God! Thank God!'”

In an FBI affidavit, Birchmore texted someone that Farwell had asked for a key to her apartment.

“She told friends he had been inspecting the apartment in a strange way, including the closet in front of which she was found dead,” Levy said.

Farwell was arrested Wednesday morning at a Revere shopping center. SWAT teams arrested him as he was operating a gravel truck. If found guilty, he faces life in prison. Levy says the death penalty is still a possibility.