Former Stoughton officer indicted in death – NBC Boston

A former Stoughton, Massachusetts, police detective has been federally indicted within the loss of life of Sandra Birchmore, accused of killing her after which staging her condo to make it seem she had dedicated suicide.

Matthew Farwell, 38, of North Easton, is accused of getting a sexual relationship with Birchmore from the time she was 15 years previous till she was 23, killing her someday after she informed him she was pregnant along with his youngster. Federal prosecutors say he did so to forestall her from revealing their relationship and his alleged crimes tied to it.

“Sandra Birchmore survived years of grooming, statutory rape after which sexual violence, all by the hands of Matthew Farwell, who was employed all through the connection as an officer after which detective for the Stoughton Police Division,” performing U.S. Lawyer Joshua Levy stated at a information convention on Wednesday.

Authorities allege that Matthew Farwell strangled Sandra Birchmore in 2021 and staged her condo to make it seem that she took her personal life.

Farwell was arrested by an FBI SWAT crew Wednesday morning in Revere.

Stoughton police, the Norfolk District Lawyer’s Workplace and the Massachusetts Lawyer Basic’s Workplace all launched statements on the indictment quickly after its launch Wednesday — Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara known as the allegations “a horrific injustice,” whereas a spokesman for District Lawyer Michael Morrissey stated the workplace appears to be like “ahead to supporting and aiding Federal authorities as they pursue this prosecution.” Lawyer Basic Andrea Pleasure Campbell known as Farwell’s alleged actions “malicious, predatory, and horrific.” Learn their full statements beneath.

Birchmore, who was three months pregnant, was discovered lifeless at her condo in Canton in 2021. Whereas her loss of life was initially dominated a suicide, in response to the Boston Globe, a pathologist employed by her household discovered Birchmore’s loss of life was in actual fact a murder. In response to the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace, the federal investigation reexamined previous proof and found “vital new proof” that led to the indictment.

Crucial new data helped result in a brand new federal cost alleging that Stoughton Police Officer Matthew Farwell killed Sandra Birchmore, whom he’d had a sexual relationship with as a baby, and whose loss of life in Canton in 2021 was initially dominated a suicide.

“Sandra Birchmore survived years of grooming, statutory rape after which sexual violence, all by the hands of Matthew Farwell, who was employed all through the connection as an officer after which detective for the Stoughton Police Division,” performing U.S. Lawyer Joshua Levy stated at this information convention.

Levy declined to touch upon why federal investigators initially turned concerned within the case, however stated Wednesday they’ve been trying into it for round a 12 months.

In response to court docket paperwork, Birchmore turned pregnant and round December 2020 informed Farwell he was the daddy of her youngster. In January 2021, somebody allegedly known as the Stoughton Police Division to report that Farwell had been having intercourse with Birchmore.

Birchmore, in response to Levy, was reportedly excited in regards to the being pregnant. In actual fact, in response to the FBI, simply days earlier than her loss of life Birchmore was making telephone calls inquiring a few new child photoshoot and child garments.

In the meantime, Levy stated, Farwell reacted negatively. He spent years grooming Birchmore and this sequence of occasions had him “dropping management,” “dropping endurance”, and “dropping his mood.”

In February 2021, Farwell strangled Birchmore to loss of life after which staged her condo to make the loss of life seem like a suicide, the indictment states. He’s accused of killing Birchmore “with malice aforethought, willfully, intentionally maliciously and with premeditation, and with the intent to forestall the communication by any individual to regulation enforcement officer of knowledge referring to the fee or potential fee of a federal offense.” The official cost is one depend of killing a witness or sufferer, and one depend of wire fraud. If convicted, Farwell faces a minimal of life in jail.

Prosecutors additionally allege that earlier than her loss of life, Farwell informed Birchmore to delete proof that he had intercourse along with her earlier than her sixteenth birthday. After her loss of life, he researched find out how to delete knowledge from his personal telephone, court docket paperwork state. He’s additionally accused of mendacity to the Massachusetts State Police investigators who initially dealt with the case.

“Let me be clear, Matthew Farwell’s gun and badge didn’t grant him the authority to disregard the Structure, they usually actually didn’t entitle him to sexually abuse and rape a baby earlier than killing her and her unborn child in an try to cowl up his alleged crimes,” stated Stephen Kelleher, assistant particular agent in control of FBI Boston.

Levy stated his workplace and the FBI will share the outcomes of their investigation with the Norfolk County District Lawyer’s Workplace and the opposite related state companies to allow them to decide if state fees can be filed.

Sources for victims of sexual assault can be found by the Nationwide Sexual Violence Sources Middle and the Nationwide Sexual Assault Phone Hotline at 800-656-4673, and Massachusetts gives this checklist of statewide and assets for sexual assault survivors.

Farwell, who was arrested Wednesday, met Birchmore when she was a member of the Stoughton Police Explorers Academy, a vocational program designed for youth fascinated by regulation enforcement careers. Birchmore began this system in spring 2010, when she was 12, and attended by round 2016. The indictment alleges that Farwell began having intercourse with Birchmore whereas she was underage and generally did so when he was alleged to be on responsibility.

The household of Sandra Birchmore is suing the city of Stoughton. Birchmore was the younger lady who state investigators dominated died by suicide just a few years in the past. After her loss of life was dominated a suicide, her household employed a pathologist, whose findings contradict that official report. The pathologist says Birchmore was killed. The police chief responded to these findings on Monday.  

Farwell is one among three former Stoughton law enforcement officials who had been accused of getting inappropriate sexual relationships with Birchmore, although just one is accused of beginning when she was underage. The opposite officers have denied the allegations.

Birchmore’s household has filed a wrongful loss of life lawsuit.

The case has shined a light-weight on allegations of abuse within the Explorers program. Earlier this 12 months, The Marshall Challenge stated it discovered no less than 193 different allegations of inappropriate habits from regulation enforcement, together with grooming and sexual abuse, involving the Explorers program within the final 50 years.

The Boy Scouts, which created this system, informed The Marshall Challenge on the time it has been dedicated to youth security, and that “applicable measures” are taken when “a frontrunner in one among our packages has abused a place of belief” maintain them accountable.

Learn the federal indictment of Matthew Farwell right here:

Learn Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara’s full assertion right here:

The day after Sandra Birchmore was discovered lifeless in her Canton condo, I ordered a prolonged and aggressive inside affairs investigation, the directions of which made it clear that no stone ought to be left unturned.

The Stoughton Police Division has supported different companies and labored with different companies, together with the FBI investigation that as we speak resulted in a homicide indictment that concluded that Sandra was killed.

The alleged homicide of Sandra is a horrific injustice. The allegations in opposition to the suspect, a former Stoughton Police Officer, symbolize the one worst act of not simply skilled misconduct however certainly human indecency that I’ve noticed in an almost three-decade profession in regulation enforcement.

It has been my life’s work over these previous three years to make sure that justice was served. As I’ve said beforehand, Sandra Birchmore obtained no justice throughout her life. It’s crucial that justice be served in her loss of life, and as we speak’s actions seem to carry our society one step nearer to justice.

Learn Norfolk District Lawyer’s Workplace spokesman David Traub’s full assertion right here:

The Birchmore investigation has remained open and energetic, however as we don’t remark extensively on energetic investigations.

That work has included collaboration with native police, the Lawyer Basic of the Commonwealth, and the FBI, as every entity has distinctive assets and jurisdiction. Two State Cops assigned to the Norfolk District Lawyer’s Workplace had been on the command put up for the operation when the apprehension was made in Revere. We sit up for supporting and aiding Federal authorities as they pursue this prosecution.

Learn Lawyer Basic Andrea Pleasure Campbell’s full assertion right here:

“Whereas as we speak’s indictment doesn’t carry again the valuable lifetime of Sandra Birchmore, these fees are an necessary step in holding Matthew Farwell accountable for his malicious, predatory, and horrific actions. I applaud the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace and sit up for persevering with to collaborate with them as my workplace continues its investigation into this matter.”