Friend of woman allegedly killed by officer says suicide claim "a lie"

Sandra Birchmore, 23, was found dead in her Canton, Massachusetts, apartment in February 2021. The medical examiner initially concluded that she died by suicide, but later changed the cause of death to undetermined. That change left the circumstances unresolved and helped fuel demands for further investigation.

Lauren Andrews said she spoke with Birchmore two weeks before her death. Birchmore had told her she was pregnant, planned to attend nursing school, and wanted a life for her baby. Andrews said Birchmore appeared excited and showed no signs of wanting to hurt herself. She also immediately suspected former officer Matthew Farwell.

Federal prosecutors now allege Farwell strangled Birchmore and staged the death to look like suicide. Public pressure continued for years before prosecutors charged him with murder in 2024. Farwell has pleaded not guilty, so the allegations remain to be decided at trial.

Grooming generally means building trust, influence, or dependence with a young person so that exploitation becomes possible. It matters because the relationship can appear voluntary while the adult uses age, authority, access, or emotional influence to control the younger person. The article presents prosecutors’ grooming claim, not a final court finding.

Prosecutors allege Matthew Farwell met Birchmore when she was 13 and belonged to the police department’s youth program. They say he groomed her for years and began having sex with her when she was 15, while he was 27. Lauren Andrews described the conduct as “complete, 100% exploitation.”

Farwell is now on trial and has pleaded not guilty. An internal affairs investigation found hundreds of text messages and explicit exchanges between Farwell and Birchmore over several years. If prosecutors’ account is accepted, the alleged pattern shows how early trust and authority preceded sexual exploitation.

The age difference is central to the prosecution’s account of the relationship. Birchmore was 13 when she met Matthew Farwell through a police department youth program. Farwell was 27. Those ages place the meeting within a setting where a young participant encountered an adult police officer.

Prosecutors allege Farwell groomed Birchmore for years before their sexual relationship began. They say sex started when Birchmore was 15, while Farwell was 27. Lauren Andrews, who regarded Birchmore as part of her family, called the relationship exploitation and grooming.

The case is now being heard in court, and Farwell has pleaded not guilty. The article states that at least two other Stoughton police officers also had inappropriate relationships with Birchmore, showing that the allegations extend beyond one officer. The jury will assess the prosecution’s claims and Farwell’s defense.

The source does not state exactly what evidence led the medical examiner to change Birchmore’s cause of death from suicide to undetermined. It only reports that the change occurred later. That distinction matters because an undetermined finding does not itself establish who caused a death or how it happened.

The article describes several developments surrounding the case. Andrews rejected the suicide conclusion after speaking with Birchmore two weeks before her death. Birchmore had said she was pregnant, excited about the baby, and planning nursing school. Andrews also told Canton police she suspected Farwell, but said the officer did not take her concerns seriously.

Years of public pressure preceded federal charges in 2024. An internal affairs investigation later found hundreds of messages and explicit exchanges. Prosecutors now allege Farwell strangled Birchmore and staged a suicide, while his lawyers dispute key claims. The court must determine what the evidence proves.

Matthew Farwell faces charges connected to Birchmore’s death and her unborn baby. The article identifies the charges as killing a witness or victim and failure to protect an unborn child. It also describes him as being on trial for killing Birchmore and her unborn baby.

Prosecutors allege Farwell strangled Birchmore in February 2021 and made the death look like suicide. They say Birchmore had told him she was pregnant and that he was the father. Later DNA testing showed he was not the father, but prosecutors claim he believed he could have been at the time. Farwell’s lawyers say he never believed that.

Farwell has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he faces life in prison. The trial therefore carries the possibility of the harshest penalty stated in the article, while the final outcome depends on the court’s evaluation of the evidence and the competing accounts.

The police department’s internal affairs investigation found that at least two other Stoughton police officers had inappropriate relationships with Birchmore. The article specifically names William Farwell, Matthew Farwell’s twin brother. It does not name the other officer. William was not criminally charged.

William admitted during the internal investigation that he had a sexual relationship with Birchmore for two years while she was an adult. The investigation also found that Matthew Farwell had shared hundreds of text messages and explicit exchanges with Birchmore over several years. These findings broadened the concern beyond one alleged relationship.

The article states that all three officers resigned from the force after the investigation was released in August 2022. It does not describe additional departmental discipline or criminal charges against William or the unnamed officer. Matthew Farwell later faced federal charges in 2024 and is now on trial.

A power imbalance exists when one person has greater age, authority, status, or access than another. In a police youth program, an officer may represent an institution that young participants and families are expected to trust. That setting can make it harder for a young person to recognize pressure, resist influence, or report misconduct.

The article says Farwell met Birchmore when she was 13 through the Stoughton police department’s youth program. Prosecutors allege he groomed her for years and began having sex with her when she was 15, while he was 27. Andrews described the relationship as exploitation. The age and role difference are key parts of that allegation.

The case also raises broader concerns because the internal investigation found inappropriate relationships involving at least two other officers. All three officers resigned after the investigation was released in August 2022. Farwell’s criminal case remains unresolved, and he has pleaded not guilty.