BOSTON — A hearing involving former police officer Matthew Farwell, accused of strangling a young woman and staging the scene, took place in Federal Court on Monday.
Family and friends of Sandra Birchmore, the 23-year-old found dead in her Canton apartment in February 2021, attended the hearing in hopes of seeing her accused killer.
Farwell, a former Stoughton police officer, was arrested last year following an FBI investigation into the alleged suicide of Sandra Birchmore. He is accused of killing Birchmore and staging the scene to make it appear self-inflicted.
Birchmore was pregnant with Farwell’s child at the time of her death.
The status hearing on Monday morning was brief, with both the prosecution and defense providing updates to the judge on their progress. Both sides reported cooperating well, and no intervention from the court was necessary.
Although Farwell did not appear in court, supporters of Sandra Birchmore were present, continuing their attendance at each hearing in search of justice.
“We want to support Sandra, even though she is no longer here,” said Melissa Berry, head of the “Justice for Sandra Birchmore” group. “We want to make sure she knows we care about what happens and that she is supported throughout this process. We’re here to ensure justice is served.”
A new status hearing has been scheduled for April 15, at which time the court hopes to set a trial date.
Although both the prosecution and defense noted that a large volume of evidence still needs to be reviewed, the defense recently requested a “significant” amount of discovery.
Sandra Birchmore’s supporters have made it clear they will wait as long as necessary for justice to be delivered.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
