BOSTON — Matthew Farwell’s fate is now in the hands of the jury.
The former Stoughton Police officer is accused of killing Sandra Birchmore and her unborn baby and staging her apartment to look like a suicide.
On Friday, during closing arguments, both sides painted very different pictures of Sandra Birchmore.
The government went through their case for jurors and what they heard from experts throughout the trial.
The prosecution spelled out how Matthew Farwell could have killed Sandra Birchmore and why he would have wanted to, the day before his third child was born.
They pointed to Birchmore’s broken bone in her neck, broken necklace, and Farwell’s DNA on the portion of strap around Birchmore’s neck that was tied to her closet door.
They also described Birchmore as an oversharer, “If she had a hangnail she told people. If she was hungry, she told people,” said Elizabeth Riley during the prosecution’s rebuttal.
Prosecutor Brian Fogerty gave closing arguments on behalf of the government.
He said, “On February 1st the defendant had a massive problem. He went to Sandra Birchmore’s apartment in a disguise; he killed her with a ligature and his hands, and walked out.”
He continued later in his argument, “He went to clean up the mess that he had created for himself years earlier.”
Outside of the courthouse following the closing, Melissa Berry said, “Sandra wanted this child. She would have never taken her life.”
Sandra’s cousin Barbara Wright also said, “What stood out to me is that they said that Sandra was definitely not suicidal, very hopeful, planning for her future, getting ready for her baby. And was no way close to taking her own life.”
The defense focused on Birchmore being and feeling alone in the world, her past references to suicide, and said that when Matthew Farwell went to her apartment to end their relationship, she finally had no one left.
Kimberly Stevens for the defense said in part: “When all is lost in life, and all hope is gone, and you’re alone in the world, are you going to pick your phone up? Or did she sit down and take that strap and sit down as she knew how to do and make the pain stop?”
As Stevens got close to the end of her argument, she said, “Matt did not kill Sandra. They cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt with all the scientists and all the medical examiners.”
Sandra’s cousin Barbara Wright said, “It was upsetting because it wasn’t true. She had a lot of support from friends and family. And I talked to her that night, so I know it’s not true.”
The prosecution got the final word to jurors when they had the opportunity for a fifteen-minute rebuttal after the defense’s closing argument.
Jurors have two counts to consider.
Matthew Farwell is charged with “killing a witness or a victim” and “protection of unborn children.”
8 men and 4 women will decide his fate.
Melissa Berry added, “Sandra did not do this to herself, and we want her legacy to be of what a child goes through when they are groomed and how it looks so this never ever happens to another child like Sandra Birchmore.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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