Ex-Cop Accused of Murdering Pregnant Lover

Former police officer Matthew Farwell, 40, is currently on trial in federal court in Boston for the alleged murder of Sandra Birchmore, 23, and her unborn baby. The incident occurred at Birchmore's home in Canton, Massachusetts, in February 2021.

Birchmore was discovered deceased, with a luggage strap around her neck. Her death was initially classified as a suicide but was later re-investigated and deemed a homicide. Farwell, indicted in August 2024, denies the charges, asserting Birchmore's death was self-inflicted.

Prosecutors contend that Farwell groomed Birchmore from the age of 13 when they met through a police explorer program. They allege he began raping her when she was 15 and he was 27. It is claimed Farwell agreed to impregnate Birchmore to silence her, but became enraged upon learning of her pregnancy in December 2020, while his own wife was also pregnant.

Text messages presented in court showed Farwell calling Birchmore "the worst person on the face of the earth" after the pregnancy reveal. However, FBI Special Agent Heidi Kelch testified that DNA testing identified Army recruiter Jason Pickard as the biological father of the unborn child. Birchmore had reportedly shared news of her pregnancy with approximately 80 people and purchased baby items.