BOSTON — Testimony is set to resume Monday in the federal trial of former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell, who is accused of killing Sandra Birchmore and her unborn child.
A key prosecution witness, Birchmore’s longtime therapist, is expected to return to the stand after emotional testimony late last week.
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What happened on Friday?
Diala Al Khalil told jurors on Friday that she first treated Birchmore as a child and later resumed counseling sessions following the deaths of Birchmore’s mother and grandmother. Al Khalil testified that she met with Birchmore the day before her death in 2021.
According to Al Khalil, Birchmore shared concerns about her safety and fears that something might happen to her inside her apartment. The therapist testified that Birchmore recounted waking up in the middle of the night when her room became cold and seeing her deceased mother standing at the foot of her bed holding her unborn baby.
Defense attorneys questioned Al Khalil about whether the experience could have been a hallucination. Al Khalil testified that while she did not endorse Birchmore’s account, she respected her beliefs and did not classify the experience as a hallucination.
The therapist also told jurors she was shocked when she learned Birchmore had reportedly died by suicide, testifying that Birchmore had never expressed suicidal thoughts or intentions during their sessions.
Boston 25 News legal analyst Elyse Hershon said the prosecution appears to be using witnesses such as Al Khalil to challenge any suggestion that Birchmore took her own life.
“The prosecution wants to show there was no evidence that Sandra Birchmore was contemplating suicide,” Hershon explained. “The defense, meanwhile, is arguing that even without evidence, suicide remains a possibility.”
Prosecutors are also expected to call additional witnesses, including the medical examiner and Farwell’s twin brother, whose testimony has shown he also had a sexual relationship with Birchmore.
With testimony continuing this week, closing arguments could begin during the first week of November.
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