{"id":908573,"date":"2026-11-07T01:08:19","date_gmt":"2026-11-07T01:08:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/908573\/"},"modified":"2026-11-07T01:08:19","modified_gmt":"2026-11-07T01:08:19","slug":"jury-to-resume-deliberations-on-monday-in-matthew-farwell-trial-over-death-of-sandra-birchmore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/908573\/","title":{"rendered":"Jury to resume deliberations on Monday in Matthew Farwell trial over death of Sandra Birchmore"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"John<\/a>\"Jennifer<\/a>BOSTON \u2014<\/p>\n

Jury deliberations began Friday following closing arguments in the trial of Matthew Farwell, a former Stoughton, Massachusetts, police officer accused of killing Sandra Birchmore in 2021 and staging her death as a suicide to conceal a sexual relationship that began when she was a minor. <\/p>\n

The jury consists of eight men and four women who will decide “guilty” or “not guilty” on whether or not Farwell killed Birchmore, according to the jury slip. <\/p>\n

The judge said the jury would like to come back on Monday to continue deliberations after asking for an initial extension past 5 p.m.<\/p>\n

“It’s exciting, it’s hopeful, and it’s terrifying,” said Birchmore’s cousin outside of court on Friday.<\/p>\n

In closing arguments, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Fogerty told jurors Farwell groomed and controlled Birchmore for years \u2014 monitoring her location and telling her to delete their text messages.<\/p>\n

Fogerty said that control began to slip when Birchmore became pregnant and pushed Farwell to acknowledge their relationship.<\/p>\n

Then, after a January call to Stoughton Police exposed the affair, Fogerty told the jury Farwell began making plans.<\/p>\n

The prosecution pointed to Farwell first becoming threatening, then accommodating \u2014 getting a key to Birchmore’s apartment.<\/p>\n

Fogerty said Farwell was captured on surveillance video arriving at her apartment on Feb. 1, 2021, wearing a mask. He left just minutes after Birchmore’s phone recorded its last steps and activity. <\/p>\n

“When the defendant went to Sandra Birchmore’s apartment on Feb. 1, 2021, on the eve of his wife’s planned C-section in white out conditions, he was there to save himself — to end any possibility she would expose him,” Fogerty said. <\/p>\n

The defense began presenting its final argument after a brief break.<\/p>\n

The defense has portrayed Birchmore as a young woman who struggled with her mental health. <\/p>\n

During the trial, they brought in a forensic pathologist as their final witness who testified that he believes the autopsy findings favored suicide. <\/p>\n

Farwell is accused of killing the pregnant Birchmore on Feb. 1, 2021, three days before she was found by police in her Canton apartment. <\/p>\n

Birchmore’s death was originally ruled a suicide, but federal prosecutors took over the case in 2024 and charged Farwell with murder. Her death certificate was updated this year to change the manner of death from “suicide” to “undetermined.” <\/p>\n

Key testimony from Week 4Dr. Max Noureddine, a DNA forensic expert for the defense, testified about how evidence can be contaminated at crime scenes and how multiple DNA samples can be present at the same location.Dr. Heather Garvin, a board-certified forensic anthropologist, focused on the structures of the neck, specifically the hyoid bone, a small U-shaped bone in the front of the neck. Garvin testified that peer-reviewed studies show the hyoid bone can break during hangings. However, she said studies do not show a conclusive link between hangings and fractures in the hyoid bone.
Daniel Loper testified on Wednesday about his review of data taken from devices owned by Sandra Birchmore and Matthew Farwell. Those devices included iPhones, Apple Watches, and laptops.Dr. Thomas Andrew, a forensic pathologist, was also called to testify on Wednesday afternoon. He opined that Birchmore’s apartment did not display signs of a struggle and said the injury to her hyoid bone likely occurred when her blood pressure was low or after her death.Key testimony from Week 3Dr. Maria Capo-Martinez, a medical examiner, said she performed Birchmore’s autopsy on Feb. 5, 2021, the day after her body was discovered in her Canton apartment. She initially ruled the cause of death as asphyxia by hanging and the manner of death as suicide. However, she told the jury that State Police did not provide her with any reason to believe the death was suspicious. Prosecution witness William Farwell, the fraternal twin brother of Matthew Farwell, testified under an immunity agreement with the federal government about his relationship with Sandra Birchmore. William Farwell said he began a sexual relationship with Birchmore in 2018, the year she turned 21, and stated that they had sex while he was on duty as a Stoughton police officer. He testified that Matthew Farwell told him about wiping his phone and destroying data that could connect him to Birchmore \"\"\"\" Dr. William Smock testified about hair tangled on the strap found around Birchmore\u2019s neck, saying it was “one of the biggest red flags of a homicidal event.” He also claimed that evidence, including an imprint on her chest and a broken bone, indicated the crime scene was staged. \"\"\"\" Digital forensics expert Jessica Hyde walked jurors through her analysis of Sandra Birchmore’s iPhone. She testified the phone’s last recorded button press and last recorded steps were at 9:40 p.m. on Feb 1, just minutes before surveillance video shows a man identified as Matthew Farwell leaving Birchmore’s apartment building at 9:43 p.m.
Key testimony from Week 2FBI Special Agent Heidi Kelsch testified over three days about evidence found on Birchmore\u2019s cellphone and Apple Watch, including graphic sexual fantasy text chains between the two in the months and weeks leading up to her death. Of the 40,000 text messages exchanged between Birchmore and Farwell, Kelsch said Birchmore initiated 60% of the conversations, a figure that eventually grew to 70%. Farwell often blocked Birchmore on his cellphone. \"\"\"\" Former Stoughton police dispatcher James Fitton testified about a call that came into the department a week and a half before Sandra Birchmore died. He said the female caller alluded to a relationship between her friend and Detective Matthew Farwell. Dr. Priyanka Venkataraman, who was Birchmore\u2019s OB\/GYN, testified about some of her medical records. Birchmore had been prescribed the antidepressant Zoloft, and during cross-examination, the doctor agreed that the drug can cause suicidal thoughts or actions. Jason Pickard testified in federal court about his relationship with Birchmore, whom he met in 2019 while working as a recruiter for the U.S. Army. He told the jury that he only learned last year that he was the father of her unborn child. \"\"\"\" Jurors heard additional testimony from a forensic scientist at the state crime lab. She said Farwell’s DNA was found on the strap prosecutors allege was used to kill Birchmore. She also testified that DNA testing revealed both Farwell and Pickard’s DNA on Birchmore’s underwear. Three women also told the jury about affairs they had with Farwell. Prosecutors fought to include their testimony, while the defense argued that surveillance video showing him wearing a mask the night Birchmore died was intended to help conceal the affair from his wife. However, the women testified that Farwell did not wear masks or disguises during their encounters. Friend and former classmate Lindsey Crean testified that Birchmore had babysat for Farwell’s children. She also said that Birchmore was \u201cvery, very happy\u201d about her pregnancy but that Farwell had grown angry after Birchmore said he did not have to be on the birth certificate, did not have to attend the birth and only asked that he stop by on holidays.Diala Alkhalil, a licensed mental health counselor, testified that Birchmore’s last session was the day before her death. She said Birchmore, like many other clients, was on Zoloft. Alkhalil also testified that Birchmore was ecstatic about her pregnancy.Key testimony from Week 1 The first witness called in the case was Det. Heather Cheever, of the Stoughton Police Department. She knew Birchmore, who was in the department’s Explorers program as a minor. Cheever testified that she had heard Birchmore was pregnant before her death, which was originally described as a suicide. She also testified that she recognized Farwell in surveillance video leaving Birchmore’s apartment building wearing a mask, but noted he had told her that he never believed in COVID-19.Cheryl Carlson, an assistant principal who hired Birchmore to work as an instructional assistant in Sharon Public Schools, said that Birchmore’s death “didn’t make sense” because she was excited about her pregnancy. Jurors heard from Erin Porter and Carlos Verissimo, who work at Canton Woods, about the layout of the building where Birchmore lived and the video recovered from the property. Canton School Resource Officer Ensley Cotard testified that he was asked to conduct the well-being check in Birchmore’s apartment. Photos of Birchmore’s body were introduced into evidence during his testimony.Massachusetts State Police homicide investigator Trooper Matt Dunne testified that after seeing the footage of Farwell entering and leaving Birchmore’s apartment building on Feb. 1, 2021, investigators decided they needed to speak with Farwell immediately. That interview took place in a Stoughton school parking lot on a weekend, and it was not recorded. He called that a “tactical decision.” According to Dunne, Farwell told investigators he went to Birchmore’s apartment to end their relationship. \"\"\"\" Lesley Davis, one of Birchmore’s friends, testified that Birchmore appeared excited about becoming a mother, saying Birchmore asked her to be the godmother and seemed to be in one of the happiest periods of her life.Stoughton police Sgt. Robert Kuhn testified that it was odd to see Farwell wearing a mask in surveillance footage because Farwell “despised” masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kuhn also testified that Farwell’s drinking was excessive in late 2020 and early 2021.Stoughton police Chief Donna McNamara testified Thursday that she knew Birchmore through the department’s youth mentor program and that the department opened an internal affairs investigation after Birchmore’s death, according to her testimony. McNamara identified Farwell as the subject of that investigation and said referrals were made to the POST Commission and the district attorney’s office.FBI master digital forensic examiner Christopher Beckstrom testified that he found a list of baby names on Birchmore’s phone and FBI Special Agent Heidi Kelsch also testified to the recovery of 40,000 communications between Farwell and Birchmore dating back to 2019. She said that some indicated the two first had sex when Birchmore was 15 years old. FBI Special Agent Heidi Kelsch read messages from 2020 to the jury, including one where Birchmore and Farwell discussed a sexual encounter in 2013, when she was 15 years old and he was 27. Farwell looked down as the messages were read aloud.
“I had butterflies so bad the day you took my virginity,” Birchmore wrote in the message read.
\"\"\"\"Case background: How we got here<\/p>\n

Farwell, 40, is a U.S. Army veteran who served as an explosives expert from 2004 to 2008. He became a police officer in Stoughton in 2012.<\/p>\n

Birchmore first applied to join the Stoughton Police Explorers Academy in 2010. According to prosecutors, her mother wanted Birchmore to join the program to help her interact with role models.<\/p>\n

She met Farwell in 2012, while she was 15. Prosecutors said they became friends on Facebook, Farwell tutored her at the library, and their relationship developed a sexual component. According to documents filed in the case, prosecutors believe the two first had intercourse when Birchmore was 15 and Farwell was 27.<\/p>\n

Additionally, prosecutors said evidence including text messages and journals reflect discussions of choking, role-playing and examples of Farwell demanding control over elements of Birchmore’s life.<\/p>\n

Their extramarital relationship allegedly continued for years, and prosecutors alleged in an indictment that Farwell met Birchmore for sex while on duty. During the years from 2013 to 2020, Farwell’s twin brother, William Farwell, and former Stoughton police Deputy Chief Robert Devine are also accused of having inappropriate contact with Birchmore.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors said Birchmore presented Farwell with an ultimatum in October 2020. She demanded that he try to conceive a child with her in exchange for her silence about their relationship and his conduct.<\/p>\n

On Dec. 28, 2020, Birchmore sent to Farwell a picture of a poster reading “Congrats we are goin to be parents” with an ultrasound image, court records show. According to the prosecution, Birchmore told friends that Farwell became violent with her after that.<\/p>\n

On Jan. 20, 2021, prosecutors wrote in an indictment that a friend of Birchmore’s disclosed their relationship to the Stoughton Police Department. A few days later, prosecutors said that Farwell requested a spare key to Birchmore’s apartment.<\/p>\n

Birchmore was found dead on Feb. 4, 2021. It was originally ruled a suicide, and the defense said she’d run a search for “What color is the suicide ribbon?” But federal prosecutors said Birchmore had been working on plans for her future child, including obtaining newborn photos and clothing.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors said video showed Farwell entering Birchmore’s apartment at 9:14 p.m. on the night she died, and leaving the building at 9:43 p.m., three minutes after Birchmore’s phone recorded its final movement. Birchmore was found by police three days later with a duffle bag strap around her neck and attached to a closet doorknob.<\/p>\n

An Internal Affairs report in August 2022 delivered findings of severe misconduct against Farwell, his brother and Devine. All three resigned.<\/p>\n

Birchmore’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in December 2022 and retained a pathologist, Dr. Michael Baden, who issued a report on June 18, 2024, which concluded her death was a homicide staged to look like a suicide.<\/p>\n

Farwell was arrested by the FBI on Aug. 28, 2024. The initial charge was killing a witness or victim. Prosecutors said warrants allowed them to obtain his DNA, which was linked to samples from the ligature and Birchmore’s clothing, but not the unborn child.<\/p>\n

A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment on Oct. 28, 2025, adding a count pertaining to the death of the unborn child. In December 2025, the Department of Justice announced it would not seek the death penalty in this case.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Birchmore’s death certificate was updated by the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The manner of death was changed from “suicide” to “undetermined.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"BOSTON \u2014 Jury deliberations began Friday following closing arguments in the trial of Matthew Farwell, a former Stoughton,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":908574,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[54186,98646,139190,4,450,36412,275,8609,6052,189796,10071,55389,380009,1155,380011,380014,36010,380007,380017,13794,451,380016,380008,82241,74793,380018,18293,102326,139192,380015,3,22215,8293,37698,13658,139193,380013,380012,219983,5642,53817,16673,35741,452,453,1975,380010,2394],"class_list":["post-908573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-breaking-news","tag-apartment","tag-apartment-building","tag-birchmore","tag-breaking-news","tag-breakingnews","tag-case","tag-day","tag-death","tag-defense","tag-defense-attorney","tag-department","tag-device","tag-diala-alkhalil","tag-dna","tag-dna-evidence","tag-event-year","tag-evidence","tag-farwell","tag-farwell-brother","tag-friend","tag-headlines","tag-hyoid-bone","tag-jason-pickard","tag-juror","tag-jury","tag-key-testimony","tag-last-year","tag-mask","tag-matthew-farwell","tag-matthew-farwell-trial","tag-news","tag-p-m","tag-phone","tag-prosecutor","tag-relationship","tag-sandra-birchmore","tag-sexual-relationship","tag-smock","tag-strap","tag-suicide","tag-surveillance-video","tag-testimony","tag-text-message","tag-top-stories","tag-topstories","tag-week","tag-william-farwell","tag-year"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/908573","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=908573"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/908573\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/908574"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=908573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=908573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=908573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}