BOSTON — Prosecutors have revealed new evidence in a recent court filing in the case of Sandra Birchmore and have indicated that this new evidence supports a finding that the former officer accused of killing her presents a serious risk of flight and obstruction.
Prosecutors say Bichmore was killed by former Stoughton officer Matthew Farwell.
His defense claims that her death was a suicide, as ruled by a medical examiner, as she was found hanging in her apartment back in 2021. Though federal prosecutors say Farwell staged the scene.
Farwell is also being accused of having an inappropriate relationship with Birchmore for years while she was in the explorer’s program underage, and investigators believe Farwell killed Sandra when she was 23 years old after learning she was pregnant with his baby.
“....He brutally murdered Birchmore, strangling her with a ligature in order to prevent information about his crimes from getting to law enforcement. This makes Farwell dangerous. And a preponderance of the evidence shows he is both a risk of further obstruction and a risk of flight,” the prosecution states in this new filing.
Farwell recently asked to be released on $50,000 bail. His lawyers argue that he has demonstrated he’s not a danger to the community or a flight risk.
The new court filing also said an unidentified person is the biological father of Sandra Birchmore’s unborn child, not Farwell or his brother, who is a named defendant in the civil lawsuit.
The new filing on April 6 states that DNA evidence ties Farwell to the crime scene and the murder weapon.
“While Farwell correctly states in his memorandum that his DNA was not found under Birchmore’s fingernails, he fails to mention that Farwell’s DNA was found on the ligature that tied Birchmore’s neck to a closet door handle,” the prosecution states in the recent court filing. “The presence of Farwell’s DNA on the murder weapon—i.e., the strap used to asphyxiate Birchmore—is, of course, highly inculpatory.”
The prosecution also says that Farwell’s DNA was found in Birchmore’s underwear at the time of her death, and that Farwell lied to investigators after he told them the last time he had sex with Birchmore was in 2020.
Prosecutors say there’s also evidence of Farwell’s state of mind before he murdered Birchmore.
“Approximately two weeks before Birchmore’s death, the co-worker and Farwell were eating at a restaurant. The witness told Farwell that he looked “stressed,” and Farwell indicated that he was having relationship problems with a woman other than his wife. When this witness asked if they could help, Farwell said the problem was going to take care of itself."
Farwell has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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