Matthew Farwell trial (live updates): Defense calls new expert witness as testimony resumes

BOSTON — Attorneys for former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell are calling new witnesses Monday as his federal trial continues.

Farwell is accused of killing Sandra Birchmore in 2021. His defense maintains that Birchmore took her own life.

Expert witnesses Dr. Bill Ralston, Dr. Heather Garvin, and Dr. Alicia McCarthy are slated to testify today.

Cameras are not allowed inside federal court. Boston 25 News will provide live updates from the courtroom as testimony unfolds.

Follow Lisa Gresci’s live updates from court

The allegations against Farwell

Farwell is accused of killing 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore, who was pregnant at the time of her death, and staging the scene at her Canton apartment to make it appear she died by suicide.

Prosecutors say Farwell believed he was the father of Birchmore’s unborn child until her death. DNA testing later determined that he was not the father.

Farwell has pleaded not guilty. His defense maintains that Birchmore died by suicide after Farwell went to her apartment to end their relationship.

What happened on Friday?

The defense continued presenting its case Friday, when jurors heard testimony from a forensic psychiatrist.

The psychiatrist testified that the deaths of Birchmore’s mother and grandmother increased her risk of suicide.

She also testified about an apparent suicide note Birchmore wrote several years before her death, telling jurors that people who take that type of action are at an increased risk of suicide.

During cross-examination, prosecutors highlighted that the psychiatrist had never met Birchmore.

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