KINGSTON, Mass. — Before taking the top job in Kingston, Brian Holmes rose through the ranks of the Stoughton Police Department, eventually becoming deputy chief and leading the department’s internal affairs investigation into former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell.
“I was troubled by all of it, as a matter of fact, anybody that’s had hands-on this case, they are going to carry it with them for the rest of their lives,” Holmes said.
Birchmore first became involved with the Stoughton Police Department through its Explorers program when she was a teenager. Following her death, investigators uncovered her relationship with Farwell, which Holmes said began when she was a child.
“You don’t have a 13-year-old kid going to meet a police officer at age 27 to get homework help, and the relationships evolved into grooming,” Holmes said.
Holmes later testified as a prosecution witness during Farwell’s federal trial. He said the circumstances surrounding Birchmore’s relationship with Farwell became alarmingly clear after her death, which was initially ruled a suicide.
“There was definitely a sense of traumatic betrayal,” Holmes said.
Holmes said he pushed for prosecutors to take a deeper look at the case, pointing to potential crimes that extended far beyond violations of department policy.
“You’re talking about, you know, the exploitation of a child, you’re talking about possible civil rights violations, you’re talking about statutory rape,” he said.
Holmes said he eventually turned over evidence to Massachusetts State Police and later the FBI. He also said he pushed the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office for an investigative grand jury.
“The biggest thing I asked for was an investigative grand jury,” Holmes said. “He seemed resolved that the medical examiner had made the determination that this was a suicide, and I wasn’t happy with that and I let him know that.”
When asked whether that investigative grand jury ever happened, Holmes answered simply: “No.”
Following Farwell’s guilty verdict, the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office acknowledged criticism over its handling of the case. In a statement, the office said its ability to prosecute had been constrained by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s finding that Birchmore’s manner of death was suicide.
The DA’s office also said the case was referred to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and that it worked with federal prosecutors, including by funding the development of additional evidence.
Now, the incoming district attorney is set to investigate the Stoughton Police Department and its Explorers program.
Holmes believes the men and women serving in the Stoughton Police Department deserve to know the scope of that investigation and what investigators ultimately find.
Despite everything he uncovered, Holmes said he still has faith in the system.
“I say that I trust the system and if there is something to be found it will be found whether it’s at the state level or the federal level.”
For Holmes, being so close to the Birchmore investigation left a lasting impact. But after Farwell’s conviction, he said he also feels justice was ultimately served and that a weight has been lifted.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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