Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A former police officer from Stoughton, Massachusetts, has been indicted for allegedly causing the death of an unborn child. Matthew Farwell, 39, of Easton, was previously charged with the murder of Sandra Birchmore, a pregnant woman. The new indictment alleges that Farwell's actions resulted in the death of Birchmore’s unborn son.
Farwell was arrested and charged in August 2024 and remains in federal custody. His arraignment is scheduled for a later date.
The superseding indictment states that on or around February 1, 2021, Farwell killed Birchmore by strangulation. It further alleges that he staged her body and apartment to make it appear as if she had died by suicide. According to prosecutors, Farwell acted to prevent Birchmore from revealing information about his sexual exploitation of her that began when she was a minor and continued until her death.
Court documents indicate that in the fall of 2020, Farwell agreed to attempt to impregnate Birchmore so she would not disclose details about their relationship publicly. During this period, communications between Birchmore and Farwell included statements such as “keeping it” and “the birth certificate is being signed.” Farwell allegedly replied by telling her she was “the worst person on the face of the earth.”
Birchmore reportedly expressed anticipation about her pregnancy through messages about due dates, ultrasounds, genetic testing results, gender reveals, and doctor appointments. She also scheduled prenatal care appointments after her date of death and made preparations for the baby’s arrival.
According to the indictment, at the time of her death Birchmore was eight to ten weeks pregnant.
If convicted under 18 U.S.C. §1841 for causing the death of an unborn child, Farwell faces a mandatory life sentence. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge following applicable guidelines and statutes.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the charges along with Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Riley, Torey B. Cummings, and Brian A. Fogerty are prosecuting the case.
“The details contained in the charging documents are allegations,” according to authorities. “The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
