STOUGHTON – Former Stoughton, Massachusetts police detective Matthew Farwell is accused of killing 23-year-old Sandra Burchmore in 2021 while she was pregnant with what he said was her child.
According to a grand jury indictment filed Tuesday in federal court, Farwell strangled Burchmore to death in her Canton apartment and then staged the scene to make it look like she had committed suicide. Burchmore’s death had been ruled a suicide by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, with no foul play involved.
U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy will hold a press conference at 1:45 p.m. to announce Farwell’s arrest and charges, which can be viewed live on CBS News Boston in the video player above.
Former Stoughton Police Officer Matthew Farwell indicted
According to the indictment, Farwell “engaged in sexual intercourse and other sexual acts with Birchmore” before he turned 16. In 2012, Birchmore attended the Stoughton Police Explorer Academy, a youth program for children interested in careers in law enforcement, and Farwell was a volunteer instructor at the academy.
Federal prosecutors allege that Farwell “used his power and access to seduce, sexually exploit and ultimately sexually abuse Ms. Burchmore when she was 15 years old, and continued to have sexual relations with her after she became an adult.”
Sandra Burchmore was found dead in her Canton apartment in 2021. Facebook photo
“Farwell engaged in sexual conduct with Burchmore during a shift when he was supposed to be performing his duties as a Stoughton Police Officer,” the indictment states.
According to the indictment, Birchmore told Farwell he was the child’s father after learning she was pregnant in December 2020. On or about Jan. 20, 2021, a friend of Birchmore called the Stoughton Police Department to report that Farwell had been having sexual intercourse with Birchmore.
According to the charging documents, officers with the police department told Farwell about the call, and Burchmore’s body was discovered a few days later.
Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara said the department is working with the FBI on the investigation.
“The alleged murder of Sandra is a horrific act of injustice,” she said in a statement. “The allegations against the suspect, a former Stoughton police officer, are not only the worst act of professional misconduct I have seen in my nearly 30-year career as a law enforcement officer, but the worst act of human indecency.”
A spokesman for Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey said Wednesday that the Birchmore case remains “open and ongoing.”
“This work has included working with local police, the state attorney general and the FBI, as each agency has its own resources and jurisdiction. Two state police troopers assigned to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office were in command of the operation when the arrests were made in Revere,” spokesman David Traub said. “We look forward to assisting and cooperating with federal authorities as they pursue this prosecution.”
History of the Sandra Birchmore Incident
Former officers Farwell, his twin brother William Farwell and Robert Devine were found to have violated police department rules in 2022 following a 19-month investigation. Investigators said the trio had exhibited a “highly disturbing pattern of behavior” toward Birchmore.
The Boston Globe reported in June that Burchmore’s family had filed a civil lawsuit against Stoughton police, the town and three former officers. A pathologist hired by the family said Burchmore’s death was a homicide caused by strangulation.
In response, Chief McNamara said he was “deeply disturbed and troubled” by the findings and that “further investigation at the highest levels is certainly warranted.”
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