Ex-Cop Faces Trial for Witness Murder, Alleged Grooming

Jury selection is set to begin this Tuesday for former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell, who stands accused of murdering Sandra Birchmore in February 2021. The trial will take place at the Moakley Courthouse in Boston. Federal prosecutors allege that Farwell strangled Birchmore inside her Canton apartment and subsequently attempted to make her death appear as a suicide.

Authorities report that Farwell allegedly began a relationship with Birchmore when she was 15 and he was 27, while he was a volunteer for a youth program she attended. A friend's call to the police department in January 2021, reporting the relationship, was allegedly relayed to Farwell. Birchmore was found dead the following day.

Farwell has pleaded not guilty to the charges. His defense team contends that Birchmore died by suicide, as initially determined by local investigators. They also argue that DNA tests later indicated Farwell was not the father of Birchmore's child.

Farwell, who has been held without bail, will not face the death penalty, as the Department of Justice announced in December 2025 that it would not seek capital punishment. If convicted, he faces a potential sentence of life in prison.

Due to federal courtroom restrictions on cameras, which have been in place since 1946, this trial will not be streamed for public viewing. Reporters will be present to document proceedings.