A former Stoughton police officer has been indicted on a charge of killing a witness or victim in connection with the 2021 death of 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced Wednesday.
FBI Boston in a post on X said an FBI SWAT team arrested Matthew Farwell, 38, of North Easton without incident following the indictment.
The US Attorney’s Office said Farwell was expected to make his initial appearance in federal court in Boston at 2:30 p.m.
“It is disheartening to have to charge law enforcement officers, especially with crimes this serious,” said acting US Attorney Joshua Levy in a press conference. “But it is our job at the Department of Justice to investigate potential crimes without fear and without favor.”
Farwell served as a police officer in Stoughton from 2012 until 2022. In his role, the US Attorney’s Office said Farwell worked as an instructor for a department-run vocational education program dubbed the Explorers Program.
Prosecutors said Birchmore joined the program in 2010, when she was 12-years-old. Once in his role within the program, prosecutors said Farwell used his authority and access to groom Birchmore and ultimately sexually abuse her.
The US Attorney’s Office said Farwell first abused Birchwell when she was 15-years-old and continued to have sex with her when she became an adult.
Prosecutors said Farwell engaged in sex acts with Birchmore while on duty and continued his relationship with her until she died on Feb. 1, 2021.
The US Attorney’s Office said Birchmore learned she was pregnant in December 2020 and had been excited about the pregnancy. When she told Farwell he was the father of the child and when she said she expected him to be involved in the child’s life, though, prosecutors said Farwell became violent.
“At one point while she was pregnant, Farwell allegedly held Birchmore in a headlock and told her that he wished she were dead,” the US Attorney’s Office said.
In January, 2021, prosecutors said one of Birchmore’s friends called Stoughton police and referenced the relationship between Farwell and Birchmore.
The US Attorney’s Farwell sent angry text messages to Birchmore after the January incident and later asked if she could give him a spare key to her apartment in Canton.
“[O]n Feb. 1, 2021, facing perceived imminent disclosure of his criminal conduct, Farwell murdered Birchmore to silence her,” the US Attorney’s Office said, citing the indictment against Farwell.
Prosecutors said Farwell strangled Birchmore and staged her body and apartment to make her death look like a suicide.
Though Birchmore died on Feb. 1, her body was not found until Feb. 4.
Authorities initially ruled Birchmore’s death a suicide. After a federal investigation probed new evidence, though, officials said they found “critical new evidence” leading to Farwell’s indictment and arrest.
