Matthew Farwell stands accused of killing Sandra Birchmore. Testimony in the trial has put focus on the former cop’s personal life. He reportedly staged the scene to make it look like a suicide.
Farwell allegedly strangled Birchmore when she told him she was pregnant and he was the father.
However, other reports and older social media posts have identified Farwell’s wife as Michelle. As per the Department of Justice, Farwell began to have sex with Birchmore the same year and ‘used his authority and access to groom, sexually exploit and ultimately sexually abuse Birchmore’. He allegedly did this as Birchmore was part of the Stoughton Police Department’s Explorers’ Program, and Farwell was an instructor there. During an April detention hearing, Farwell’s lawyer had pointed to his ties to Massachusetts, pointing to his wife and three kids who reportedly live on the South Shore.
The Stoughton Police, where Farwell worked, had put out a post in May 2013 congratulating him on the marriage to Michelle.
The Enterprise reported that Michelle has been identified as Farwell’s wife in a family obituary as well. Farwell’s wife is reportedly not listed in either the prosecution’s or defense’s list of witnesses. His defense team also noted that after Birchmore’s passing, Farwell ‘along with his wife, continued to raise their three young children in their family home.’
“Congratulations to Officer Matt Farwell on his wedding to his new wife Michelle today!,” they wrote .
“But even if he cannot find employment while this case is pending before trial, he does have compensation from the federal government.
And these are all examples of his ties to the community, reasons why he would not leave, would not leave his wife, would not leave his children, would not leave his mother,” his lawyer reportedly said.
