Jury selection begins Tuesday in trial of Matthew Farwell

BOSTON — Jury selection in the trial of Matthew Farwell is expected to begin on Tuesday.

Farwell is accused of strangling 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore inside her Canton apartment and staging her death as a suicide in 2021.

Prosecutors allege Farwell maintained an inappropriate relationship with Birchmore that began when she was underage.

Farwell’s lawyers were in court Friday, one day after a judge denied their request for a change of venue. His defense argued that media coverage would make it impossible for Farwell to get a fair trial.

Birchmore was found with a ligature around her neck tied to a closet door handle.

According to prosecutors, Farwell killed Birchmore after she told him she was pregnant with his child. Prosecutors say DNA evidence links him to both the crime scene and the murder weapon.

Farwell has pleaded not guilty and maintains that Birchmore died by suicide.

Although her death was initially ruled a suicide, the manner of death was later changed to “undetermined.”

Court filings also say an unidentified person is the biological father of Sandra Birchmore’s unborn child, not Farwell or his brother, who is a named defendant in a civil lawsuit.

Farwell’s trial will happen in federal courtroom in Boston.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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