Will feds seek death penalty in Matthew Farwell's trial? Judge in Sandra Birchmore case sets deadline.
A trial date has been set in federal court for Matthew Farwell, the former Stoughton, Massachusetts police officer who is charged with killing Sandra Birchmore, a 23-year-old woman who was pregnant at the time of her death.
A trial date was set Thursday for October 5, 2026 with Judge Denise Caster presiding in a Boston federal courtroom. In addition, the government must determine by January 20, 2026 if it will seek the death penalty.
Birchmore died in 2021 inside her Canton apartment. Her death was initially ruled a suicide.
In August 2024, a federal grand jury indictment was filed, alleging that Farwell strangled Birchmore and staged the scene to make it look like she died by suicide.
Farwell has pleaded not guilty to killing a witness or victim and is being held without bail.
According to the indictment, Farwell had engaged in sexual acts with Birchmore before she was 15 years old. Birchmore was part of a youth program for children interested in law enforcement careers called "Stoughton Police Explorers Academy." Farwell, who was 27 at the time of the alleged assault, was a volunteer instructor.
Prosecutors alleged that Birchmore learned she was pregnant in December 2020. One of her friends called the Stoughton Police Department and said Farwell had been having sex with Birchmore on January 20, 2021. Birchmore was found dead February 4, 2021.
William Farwell, Matthew's twin brother, had his police certification permanently revoked by the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission in 2024.
An internal investigation found that William Farwell also had an inappropriate physical relationship with Birchmore and exchanged explicit messages and photos with her while on duty with the Stoughton Police Department.
Matthew Farwell's trial is expected to last about four weeks.