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Disgraced ex-cop Matthew Farwell was convicted Tuesday by a Boston jury for killing 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore and her unborn child.
Farwell, 41, was found guilty on two federal charges of killing a witness or victim and causing the death of an unborn child and faces up to life in prison at his sentencing on Feb. 3.
The jury, made up of eight men and four women, deliberated for roughly 14 hours — and sent out a note Monday afternoon saying they were deadlocked. They were ultimately able to resolve their impasse after a judge told them the following morning to keep at it.
People could be heard crying in the courtroom gallery and Birchmore’s family and friends hugged each other after the verdict was read out, according to WCVB.
Farwell’s lawyer rubbed his back before he left the courtroom. He’s been in custody since his 2024 arrest.
The verdict comes after a nearly four-week-long trial where federal prosecutors claimed Farwell, a married father, killed Birchmore inside her Canton, Massachusetts, apartment and disguised it as a suicide to silence her about their relationship and her pregnancy.
Birchmore had allegedly told Farwell that she was ready to come forward about the former Stoughton police detective sexually abusing her for years, starting when she was just 15.
During closing arguments, prosecutor Brian Fogerty argued Farwell killed Birchmore to “clean up his mess” because he was about to be “exposed” for the alleged abuse.
Farwell’s attorney, Kimberly Stevens, argued that Birchmore took her own life the same night Farwell told her he was breaking things off with her. The defense attorney claimed Birchmore had delusions that Farwell was going to leave his family and start one with her.
“Ms. Birchmore built a fantasy world around the idea … that she would be married to Matthew and have his kids,” Stevens said.
Prosecutors said Farwell murdered Birchmore the day before his wife gave birth to their third child.
Birchmore was jealous of Farwell’s wife’s pregnancy, prompting her to demand that he have a child with her, or she would expose their years-long affair to the spouse, the feds claimed.
Farwell eventually agreed and Birchmore became pregnant with a boy in Dec. 2020 — just a few months before her death, the feds alleged.
The duo thought that Farwell was the father, but DNA later revealed that the fetus belonged to another man, prosecutors revealed at trial.
Jurors heard from dozens of witnesses, including Stoughton police dispatcher James Fitton — who said he was instructed by Farwell to “never talk about this again” when he relayed a call from a woman claiming that Farwell was having an affair with her friend.
Prosecutors said that the call was the catalyst that pushed Farwell to decide to kill Birchmore just 13 days later.
Farwell and Birchmore met when she was only 12 and attending the Stoughton police’s “Explorers” program for kids, where Farwell was one of the instructors.
Birchmore was an aspiring cop when Farwell allegedly groomed her before sexually assaulting her when she was just 15.
“According to the defendant, this was the best day of his life. Sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl was this man’s single best day,” Fogerty said.
Her Feb. 1, 2021, death was initially ruled a suicide by state investigators before the feds took another look at the case and arrested Farwell for the murder over three years later.
“Despite Mr. Farwell’s attempt to silence Sandra Birchmore, today her story is told. Through the testimony of friends and experts, through thousands of text messages and photos, what happened to Sandra Birchmore is no longer Mr. Farwell’s secret,” United States Attorney Leah Foley said Tuesday. “He now faces life in federal prison. Justice has indeed been served.”
