BOSTON — Testimony resumes Friday morning in the federal trial of former Stoughton police detective Matthew Farwell, who is accused of killing Sandra Birchmore and her unborn baby.
One witness on Thursday described herself as best friends with Sandra Birchmore.
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Get caught up with what happened Thursday:
Lesley Davis, Birchmore’s friend, said she bought Birchmore a baby stroller when she learned she was pregnant.
Davis also said Birchmore asked her to be the baby’s godmother.
After Birchmore’s death, Davis said she, her mother, and brother went to Canton Police because she wanted investigators to know about Birchmore’s relationship with Farwell.
The prosecution asked Davis Thursday, “How soon into your friendship did she mention Matthew Farwell?”
“Almost immediately,” said Davis.
The prosecution then asked: “Approximately how old do you think Sandra was when she told you about Matthew Farwell?”
“Fifteen,” Davis said.
Davis told jurors Birchmore would have sex with Farwell in his police vehicle and personal truck.
She talked about Birchmore wanting to be a mother and said it seemed like Birchmore always wanted Farwell to be the father of her child.
Davis described a fight between Birchmore and Farwell after she got pregnant.
She said there was one time when Farwell pushed Birchmore to the ground when she tried to get him to sign the baby’s birth certificate, and he wouldn’t.
The night Birchmore died, Davis said she spoke to Birchmore on the phone for about 25 minutes right around 8pm.
The prosecution asked if she would remember if Birchmore said she was going to kill herself.
“I would have 100% remembered, yes,” said Davis.
The defense tried poking holes in Davis’s testimony.
They asked if she knew Birchmore was on antidepressants and that Birchmore had at least one prior suicide attempt.
Farwell’s defense is that Birchmore took her own life after he went to her apartment to end their relationship.
A sticking point in the trial has been Farwell’s appearance in surveillance footage at Birchmore’s apartment the last day she was seen alive.
Farwell is seen wearing a mask in and out of the apartment lobby from the door to the elevator.
Stoughton Police Sgt. Robert Kuhn testified Thursday that he never saw Farwell wearing a mask if it wasn’t required.
He said that stood out in the video.
“For him to be wearing a mask was odd, yes,” Kuhn said.
When Kuhn was asked about Farwell’s attitude towards masks, Kuhn said, “He despised them.”
Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara also said, in part, “He did not like wearing masks, and he was pretty vocal about it...”
The prosecution also alleged that Farwell committed a crime by lying to the Town of Stoughton and meeting Birchmore for sex while he was on the clock as an officer.
The prosecution asked Chief McNamara, “Is it permissible for a Stoughton Police officer, while on duty, to go have sex with someone in a car?”
“No,” said McNamara.
The defense asked about where it says in the department’s policy that employees can’t have sex on their lunch or dinner break.
McNamara told the defense attorney you have to be “ready to respond to a call” during your lunch or dinner break.
Defense asked, “Can you go to the post office?”
“Yes,” McNamara said.
“Can you get your nails done?” the defense asked.
McNamara said, “No.”
Nicholas Guarino also took the stand Thursday and spoke about extracting data from Birchmore’s three devices.
Kingston Police Chief Brian Holmes was still testifying when court wrapped up for the day.
Holmes was Deputy Chief of Stoughton Police when Sandra Birchmore died, and he conducted an internal affairs investigation of the police department after her death.
Boston 25 News is providing updates from inside the courtroom throughout the trial.
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