Former Stoughton detective charged in killing of woman pregnant with his child
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A former Stoughton police detective has been charged in the killing of a 23-year-old pregnant woman who federal authorities say he had been grooming for a sexual relationship since she was a teenager.
Why it matters: In court filings, prosecutors say Matthew Farwell, 38, strangled Sandra Birchmore and staged the scene to make the death look like a suicide.
- According to the indictment, Birchmore told Farwell he was the father of her baby in December 2020 and he killed her in February 2021.
Birchmore was a member of the Stoughton Police Explorers Academy, a vocational program for teens where Farwell was an instructor.
- Farwell, then 26, began a sexual relationship with Birchmore before she was 16, and it carried on until shortly before her death, according to court records.
- The indictment filed in U.S. District Court for Massachusetts says Farwell instructed Birchmore to conceal their illegal relationship and killed her to prevent her from telling authorities.
What they're saying: "He strangled her to death when he knew she was several weeks pregnant. He did so while he was serving [as] a police officer," according to a motion to detain Farwell.
The other side: The federal defender assigned to Farwell's case didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Axios.
The FBI says Farwell was with Birchmore during some of his shifts on duty and he concealed the relationship from other Stoughton police.
- According to filings, Birchmore wanted a baby and arranged for Farwell to impregnate her in exchange for keeping quiet about the affair and statutory rape.
Prosecutors say Farwell, a North Easton resident, killed his pregnant lover less than two weeks after a friend of Birchmore's told the Stoughton Police about the relationship.
- "With Farwell on notice that he could soon face consequences for his criminal conduct, he decided to kill Birchmore," the motion reads.
- Farwell killed Birchmore on Feb. 1, 2021, the day of an approaching blizzard and the day his wife was to give birth to their third child, according to the motion.
- The Boston Globe first reported on Farwell's resignation from the Stoughton Police and allegations about his relationship with Birchmore.