FILE · D.MASS-24-CR-10259
ACTIVE · TRIAL IN PROGRESS
United States v. Matthew Farwell
A plain-English guide to the federal case against a former Stoughton, Massachusetts police officer charged in the 2021 death of Sandra Birchmore: the charges, the pretrial rulings, and the jury trial now under way in Boston.
Trial in progress. Matthew Farwell has pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent. The charges are allegations, and no verdict has been reached.
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- Case number
- 1:24-cr-10259-DJC · U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts (Boston)
- Date alleged
- On or about February 1, 2021 · Canton, Mass.
- Charges
- Killing a witness or victim (18 U.S.C. § 1512) · Causing the death of an unborn child (18 U.S.C. § 1841)
- Status
- Jury trial under way since October 6, 2026. Pleaded not guilty. No verdict
The case in brief
Sandra Birchmore joined the Stoughton Police Department's Explorers youth program in 2010, at 12. Matthew Farwell volunteered with the program and became an instructor after joining the department as an officer in 2012. On February 4, 2021, Sandra, 23 and pregnant, was found dead in her Canton apartment; the state medical examiner ruled the death a suicide.
A federal grand jury indicted Farwell in August 2024 on a charge of killing a witness or victim, and a superseding indictment in October 2025 added a count of causing the death of her unborn child. Prosecutors allege he groomed and abused her beginning when she was a teenager and killed her to keep her from reporting him. These are allegations that have not been proven. He has pleaded not guilty and denies killing her; the defense says she took her own life. The government is not seeking the death penalty.
Jury selection began on October 6, 2026, before Chief U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper, and testimony began on October 13. No verdict has been reached. Farwell is presumed innocent unless a jury unanimously finds the government has proved guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
In memory of Sandra Birchmore. Matthew Farwell is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
What's inside the pack
- Plain-English summary with an at-a-glance fact box and a presumption-of-innocence note
- Remembering Sandra Birchmore, and a schematic of key places
- Three-part timeline (2010–2022; charges & pretrial; the trial)
- Key people: court, prosecution, defense, investigators (private people not named)
- Six court documents explained, with links to file-stamped public copies
- Glossary of legal terms
- Discussion questions
- Full numbered source list (38 sources) and a case-notes worksheet
Contains no photos and no description of her death or the evidence. Allegations of abuse are described only in the neutral terms of the charging papers, and jurors and private people are not named.
Preview pages
Free short timeline
A condensed version of the pack's three-part timeline. Source numbers match the pack's source list. Current as of October 14, 2026.
Farwell is sworn in as a Stoughton police officer and becomes an Explorers instructor. [1][2]
Sandra Birchmore is found dead in her Canton apartment; the medical examiner later rules the death a suicide. The indictment alleges she was killed on or about Feb 1. [2][18]
Farwell resigns from the department during an internal investigation. [19]
A federal grand jury indicts Farwell; he is arrested, pleads not guilty and is held. [1][3][6]
A superseding indictment adds a count of causing the death of an unborn child; he pleads not guilty to both counts. [2][4][6]
Prosecutors file notice that they will not seek the death penalty. [7][23]
The court denies a defense request to move the trial out of Boston. [8]
Jurors are sworn and opening statements are given; the defense says he did not kill her. [6][27]
Sources for this timeline
- U.S. District Court, D. Mass., Indictment, United States v. Farwell, No. 1:24-cr-10259, ECF 1 (Aug. 27, 2024); via CourtListener RECAP and USAO — storage.courtlistener.com
- Superseding Indictment, ECF 63 (Oct. 28, 2025); via CourtListener RECAP and USAO — storage.courtlistener.com
- U.S. Attorney's Office, D. Mass., “Former Massachusetts Police Officer Arrested in Connection with Murder of Young Woman” (Aug. 28, 2024) — www.justice.gov
- U.S. Attorney's Office, D. Mass., “Former Stoughton Police Officer Indicted for Allegedly Causing the Death of His Victim's Unborn Baby” (Oct. 28, 2025) — www.justice.gov
- CourtListener, docket, United States v. Farwell, No. 1:24-cr-10259 (D. Mass.), including clerk's notes of hearings and trial days (checked Oct. 14, 2026) — www.courtlistener.com
- Notice of the United States Regarding the Death Penalty, ECF 75 (Dec. 9, 2025); via CourtListener RECAP — storage.courtlistener.com
- Memorandum & Order denying motion for transfer of venue, ECF 87 (Jan. 23, 2026); via CourtListener RECAP — storage.courtlistener.com
- FBI Special Agent's Affidavit in Support of Detention, ECF 9-1 (Aug. 28, 2024); USAO copy — www.justice.gov
- Boston Globe, “Stoughton officer resigns amid probe sparked by woman's suicide…” (Apr. 4, 2022) — www.bostonglobe.com
- CBS Boston, “DOJ won't seek death penalty against Matthew Farwell in Sandra Birchmore case” (Dec. 2025) — www.cbsnews.com
- Boston Globe, “Matthew Farwell jury selection begins in Sandra Birchmore death trial” (Oct. 6, 2026) — www.bostonglobe.com
- Boston.com, “Opening statements: Prosecutors allege Matthew Farwell killed Sandra Birchmore to ‘silence’ her, while defense says she was suicidal” (Oct. 9, 2026) — www.boston.com
- WHDH 7News, “Testimony continues in Matthew Farwell trial” (Oct. 14, 2026) — whdh.com
- NBC Boston, “Sandra Birchmore trial, live updates on the Matthew Farwell case” (Oct. 14, 2026) — www.nbcboston.com
Follow the official record: U.S. Attorney's Office, D. Mass., case page.
Get the full case file
15 printable pages, 6 court documents explained, 38 numbered sources.
Buy the PDF · $9Independent educational resource. Not legal advice. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any court, agency, party, organization or family.