Former police officer faces charges in death of preborn baby

A former Massachusetts police officer accused of killing a pregnant woman in 2021 now faces additional charges for the death of her preborn son.

Key Takeaways:

• Matthew Farwell was charged in 2021 for the murder of Sandra Birchmore.

• Farwell, a former police officer, reportedly groomed and raped Birchmore when she was a teen in the police explorers program.

• Farwell now faces additional charges in the killing of Birchmore's preborn child.

The Backstory:

Authorities say that 39-year-old Matthew Farwell strangled 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore on February 1, 2021, after she told him she was pregnant and he was the father of her child. Birchmore was eight to 10 weeks pregnant at the time of her death.

Farwell was an officer for the Stoughton Police Department from 2012 to 2022. He allegedly began grooming Birchmore when she joined the police explorers program at age 12. When she turned 15, he allegedly began sexually assaulting her.

“During some of the shifts when Farwell was supposed to be performing his duties as a Stoughton police officer, he was instead engaged in sex acts with Birchmore,” the initial court indictment stated.

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After learning she was pregnant and then strangling Birchmore, Farwell reportedly tried to stage the scene to make it appear that she had committed suicide.

Authorities say Birchmore was excited about the pregnancy and had planned a pregnancy photo shoot, but Farwell feared his sexual abuse crimes would come to light if she had the baby.

“Matthew Farwell’s gun and badge did not grant him authority to violate the constitution, and it certainly didn’t entitle him to sexually exploit, abuse, and rape a child before killing her and her unborn baby in an attempt to cover up his alleged crimes,” FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Stephen Kelleher said in 2024.

In August 2024, Farwell pleaded not guilty to charges that he killed Birchmore.

The Details:

In a statement released last week, the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts, announced that Farwell has now been charged with one count of causing the death of Birchmore’s preborn child.

The statement further discloses:

"According to court documents, Farwell agreed to attempt to impregnate Birchmore in the Fall of 2020 to avoid her publicly disclosing details about their relationship. Birchmore told Farwell that she was “keeping it” and “the birth certificate is being signed.” Farwell allegedly responded by telling her that she was 'the worst person on the face of the earth.'

Over the next several weeks, Birchmore expressed excitement to Farwell about her due date, ultrasounds, genetic testing, gender reveals and doctor appointments. She booked prenatal care appointments that post-dated her death. She also ordered baby items, conducted Google searches related to her pregnancy and future child-rearing decisions, planned for newborn baby photos and an official pregnancy announcement intended for Valentine’s Day. 

According to the indictment, if Farwell is found guilty of causing the death of an unborn child, he faces life in prison.

Farwell's trial is scheduled to begin October 5, 2026.

The Bottom Line:

Sadly, Birchmore's homicide is not uncommon. Homicide is a leading cause of death of pregnant women, especially in domestic violence situations, and often when the woman refuses pressure to kill her preborn child.