Former Massachusetts Police Officer Charged With Killing Unborn Child in Addition to Murder of Woman He Allegedly Exploited

A former Massachusetts police officer, previously charged with killing a woman he is accused of sexually exploiting when she was underage, now faces an additional federal charge: causing the death of her unborn child.

Matthew Farwell, 39, of Easton, is accused of strangling Sandra Birchmore in early 2021 after she revealed she was pregnant and claimed Farwell was the father. Birchmore was 23 at the time of her death. Farwell had served with the Stoughton Police Department from 2012 until 2022.

Farwell was first arrested and charged in August 2024 and remains in federal custody pending his trial on the original charges. He is being represented by federal public defenders.

According to the indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, Birchmore had been involved in the police explorers program since she was 12. Farwell, who served as a volunteer with the program, allegedly used his position of authority to groom, sexually exploit, and abuse Birchmore starting when she was 15, continuing the abuse after she became an adult.

The indictment further alleges that Farwell engaged in sexual acts with Birchmore during times he was supposed to be performing his police duties. After Birchmore disclosed her pregnancy in late 2020, Farwell allegedly strangled her on or about February 1, 2021, then staged her apartment to make it appear as though she had died by suicide.

When Farwell was initially charged, Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara stated that the department, working alongside the FBI and other agencies, conducted a thorough investigation. She said:

“The day after Sandra Birchmore was found dead in her Canton apartment, I ordered a lengthy and aggressive internal affairs investigation, the instructions of which made it clear that no stone should be left unturned.”

The new charge underscores the gravity of the alleged crimes and adds federal scrutiny to a case already marked by shocking allegations of abuse of authority, sexual exploitation, and premeditated murder.

Farwell’s trial on the initial charges is scheduled for next year, with the added charge of causing the death of Birchmore’s unborn child expected to factor into federal proceedings.