Sandra Birchmore Murder Case: Cop's Dismissal Motion Rejected — Trial Date Confirmed

A federal judge has rejected former Stoughton police detective Matthew Farwell's bid to have murder charges dismissed in the death of 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore. The October 2026 trial will proceed — and the full story of what allegedly happened to Birchmore is one of the most chilling law enforcement abuse cases in the country.

Birchmore was found dead in her Canton, Massachusetts apartment in February 2021, three months pregnant. Her death was initially ruled self-inflicted by state medical examiners. Local prosecutors declined to act. It took a federal investigation to bring charges.

Prosecutors allege that Farwell first encountered Birchmore through the Stoughton Police Department's Explorer Program — a youth outreach initiative she joined at age 12. By the time she was 15, according to federal charging documents, Farwell had allegedly begun a criminal sexual relationship with her that would continue for nearly a decade. He allegedly met with her for sex while on duty and fraudulently logged those hours as police work.

Two additional law enforcement figures connected to the same program have faced accountability: former Deputy Chief Robert Devine was decertified by a state oversight board, and Farwell's twin brother William lost his law enforcement certification in Massachusetts.

Prosecutors believe Farwell was tipped off through department channels about a friend's report regarding the relationship — and that Sandra was dead within two weeks. Surveillance footage places him at her apartment the night she was last seen alive.

The defense argued the indictment lacked the specificity required for federal jurisdiction. The judge disagreed. Trial is on.

True Crime Today has the full breakdown.

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