The legal team representing a former Massachusetts police officer, charged with the murder of his pregnant girlfriend and allegedly staging it as a suicide, will present their case on Tuesday to transfer the trial to Rhode Island.
Matthew Farwell’s defense argues that a fair trial is unattainable for him in Massachusetts, according to a report by Boston25.
In 2024, Farwell faced federal charges concerning the death of Sandra Birchmore, which occurred on February 1, 2021. Initially, the Stoughton Police Department concluded her death was a suicide, as previously noted by CrimeOnline.
The investigation by the department led to the resignations of Farwell, his twin brother William Farwell, and Robert Devine after it was discovered that they all had sexual relationships with Birchmore. However, no charges were pressed against them at that time.
According to the federal indictment, Matthew Farwell initiated a relationship with Birchmore when she was 15 and a participant in the Police Explorer’s Academy. This relationship continued over the years, sometimes even while Farwell was on duty. In late 2020, Birchmore, then 23, informed Farwell that she was pregnant with his child, despite him being a married father of three.
The indictment alleges that Farwell strangled Birchmore and staged her living space to simulate a suicide scene.
Farwell’s trial is set to begin in October, Boston25 said, and he has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors announced last month they were not seeking the death penalty.
