Community seeks answers after police officer charged in Sandra Birchmore’s death – Boston News, Weather and Sports

STOUGHTON, MASS. (WHDH) – Twenty-three-year-old Sandra Birchmore’s death was originally ruled a suicide, a finding her loved ones never believed.

“I never thought for a second that it was suicide,” said Michael Varner, a former Birchmore self-defense instructor. “But we just had to let it play out.”

Now, the news that Matthew Farwell has been charged with killing her and making her death look like a suicide has her friends searching for answers and wondering if more charges will be filed in connection with her death. Before her death, Birchmore claimed she was pregnant with Farwell’s child.

“She had a passion for life,” Varner said of Birchmore. “Sandra always had a good day, there was never a bad day. There was never a day she didn’t have a smile on her face. She was always happy.”

A spokesman for the District Attorney’s Office said the state medical examiner determined in 2021 that she took her own life and that no criminal charges were filed in connection with her death.

Birchmore’s family hired an investigator, who determined her death was not a suicide.

In 2022, the police department conducted an internal review of the case and discovered inappropriate conduct between Birchmore and Farwell dating back to when she was 15, leading Farwell to resign.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office hired its own expert to conduct a second investigation and determined that her death was a homicide.

“It’s not the last time you’ll see medical examiners disagree on something, but it doesn’t happen that often,” 7NEWS legal expert Tom Hoopes said. “And I’ve personally had cases that went from suicide to accident, but to go from suicide to murder … it’s more than a little disturbing.”

The shocking case has now caused some city residents to question those in positions of authority.

“I think they need to do some research on the people they’re hiring to make sure they’re qualified to be police officers,” Michael Modest said.

A spokesman for the district attorney’s office said they have been and will continue to cooperate with the feds in the case. They have not said whether other charges will be filed against other Stoughton police officers.

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