Norfolk DA Michael Morrissey nowhere to be found as criticism peaks of his investigation in Sandra Birchmore's death

Matthew Farwell, a former Stoughton, Massachusetts police detective, was convicted this week of killing Sandra Birchmore, a pregnant 23-year-old with whom he had an affair since she was a young teenager.

The conviction came more than five years after her death, raising questions about what took so long for investigators to seek justice.

"This is a travesty of justice," Barbara Wright, Birchmore's cousin, said after the conviction. "It shouldn't have come to this, the state should've done it, and I hope that Michael Morrissey hears me loud and clear when I say that."

Michael Morrissey is the elected Norfolk County District Attorney. He was elected in 2010 and has served since then but did not seek reelection this year. He will be replaced by Djuna Perkins in January.

In his recent tenure, Morrissey has overseen the prosecutions and conviction of Emanuel Lopes (twice), prosecution and acquittal of Karen Read (twice), and soon, the case of Aidan 'Turtleboy' Kearney.

Morrissey has drawn immense criticism for the handling of investigations by police previously in his unit – most notably, disgraced state trooper Michael Proctor, as well as Morrissey's lack of public appearances, statements, and accessibility in recent years.

Before Sandra Birchmore's case was ever picked up by the FBI, it was in the hands of Norfolk County investigators overseen by Morrissey. 

"The Norfolk District Attorney's Office (NDAO) recognizes the criticism it has received for its handling of this case," a statement from DA Morrissey read after Farwell's conviction. "However, its ability to prosecute was constrained by the finding of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) that the manner of death was suicide."

In response, current Kingston Police Chief Brian Holmes said, "we all face challenges. I mean, I was pushing on him to do more. If I'm pushing on him to do more … It's his obligation to do more if he sees cause to do it."

Holmes is the former Stoughton police deputy chief who oversaw the internal investigation into Matthew Farwell, as well as other members of Stoughton police, after Sandra Birchmore's death. 

Holmes is the person who referred the case to the FBI after the DA declined to prosecute it at the state level.

"The sense that I was getting is we are treating it as a suicide and that's it," Holmes told WBZ in an interview Thursday. He met with the district attorney and his second in command about the case.

"I wasn't happy with that," he said. "I challenged the DA and the first assistant to hold an investigative grand jury. It got contentious, but I said what you are looking at here is you are looking at the exploitation of a child, possible civil rights violations … He and the first assistant were just not interested in doing an investigative grand jury."

When asked how the meeting made him feel, Holmes said it was "very" frustrating.

"I think that it should've been his obligation to go to the medical examiner and bring the information to them. And I don't think that happened," Holmes said.

During Farwell's trial, the medical examiner testified that when she asked investigators for any updates before closing Birchmore's autopsy file, she was told there were no updates.

That response came from Lt. John Fanning, the state police officer who led the investigation at the state level into Birchmore's death.

Fanning did not testify in Farwell's trial and has received immense public criticism for his handling of the case.

"If I needed something from [Fanning], I would call him," Chief Holmes said. "I have a good working relationship with Lt. Fanning. I know there are plenty of people that are critical of him, but I thought he was a complete professional."

WBZ made every effort to contact DA Michael Morrissey to ask follow-up questions about this case and his statement. Reporter Kristina Rex emailed Morrissey's spokesperson, showed up to the Canton office (and was told the DA was not in), called and left a voicemail on his cellphone (no response), and knocked on his home door, where a woman said he wouldn't be home until Saturday.

Morrissey only has about two months left in office, and WBZ will continue its efforts to interview him.

When asked about whether justice for Sandra Birchmore was delayed, Kingston Chief Brian Holmes said, "There were some lessons learned. Thank God for the FBI."