Live updates: Matthew Farwell trial closing arguments in Sandra Birchmore case
What to know about Matthew Farwell and the Sandra Birchmore case
- Farwell is a former Stoughton, Massachusetts, police officer. He met Birchmore when she was a 13-year-old cadet in the department's youth explorers program, and prosecutors say they began a sexual relationship when she was just 15.
- Birchmore was found dead in her Canton apartment with a duffel bag strap around her neck in February 2021. The 23-year-old's death was initially ruled a suicide.
- More than three years later, Farwell was arrested and the medical examiner changed Birchmore's manner of death to "undetermined." Prosecutors allege that Farwell strangled Birchmore, who was pregnant with what she believed was his child, and then staged the scene to look like a suicide to cover-up their years-long affair.
- The defense argues that Birchmore committed suicide because she had a history of mental health issues and was devastated when Farwell told her that he was not the father and wanted to end their relationship.
What is Matthew Farwell charged with?
Farwell faces federal charges of killing a witness or victim and causing the death of an unborn child. He has pleaded not guilty.
The government could have pursued the death penalty against Farwell, but decided last year it would not. If convicted, Farwell faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
What happened in the Farwell trial this week?
Testimony ended on Wednesday after jurors heard from 50 witnesses in the case. Before the defense rested, Farwell confirmed to the judge that he made the decision not to testify in his own defense.
There was no court on Thursday. Earlier in the week, the defense called expert witnesses to raise doubt about how Birchmore died, testifying that injuries to a bone on her neck could have been caused in a suicide by hanging and not strangulation as prosecution witnesses alleged.
Matthew Farwell trial jury
There are 10 men and six women on the jury.
Four will be randomly selected as alternates, and the remaining 12 will deliberate until they reach a verdict.