Family members and supporters of Sandra Birchmore rejoiced Tuesday outside Moakley Federal Courthouse after a guilty verdict was reached in the case against former Stoughton police detective Matthew Farwell.
The long-awaited verdict was one Birchmore’s family had been fighting for since Farwell was charged with her death in 2024. Her cousins said the verdict felt right as it was read aloud, sending Farwell behind bars for life. His sentencing is scheduled for February.
“I don’t think about him anymore,” one cousin said when asked whether there was a message for Farwell.
Family members reflected on the life Birchmore might have had.
“If not for Matt Farwell, Sandra would be seeing her son off to kindergarten next year,” a family member said. “We can’t imagine where she could be now if she had actually been mentored when she joined the Stoughton Police Explorers program at age 12. Instead, she was groomed and sexually assaulted.”
“She was an amazing young woman,” another emotional family member said outside court.
The family wiped away tears while listening to the U.S. Attorney’s press conference on a phone, where officials said justice was served for Birchmore and her unborn son.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Birchmore’s cousin Barabara Wright. “We finally got justice. We’ve been fighting hard for her.”
“I knew they just needed a little more time,” another said of the jury.
Supporters who organized rallies and stood by the family throughout the trial also celebrated the verdict.
“This is what happens when a child is groomed and manipulated, and that’s what happened with Sandra,” one supporter said. “Matthew Farwell is a monster. Instead of stepping up and doing the right thing, he took her life.”
Family members also thanked the jurors, with one saying, “I wouldn’t want to be on the jury, so a huge thank you to all of them. I wish I could give each and every one of them a hug.”
The family said the verdict is not the end of its pursuit of justice and accountability. One relative said they intend to hold other people accountable, adding, “They’re all going to fall like dominoes.”
For now, the family said it plans to let the moment sink in while making clear that its pursuit of accountability is just beginning.
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