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Prosecutors allege ex-officer killed Sandra Birchmore; closing arguments expected Friday

According to ABC News, closing arguments are expected Friday in the federal trial of former Massachusetts officer Matthew Farwell, whom prosecutors accuse of killing Sandra Birchmore.

Published Nov 6, 2026 · 15:49 UTC3 reports

The short version

  • Closing arguments are expected Friday in the federal trial of former Massachusetts officer Matthew Farwell.[ABC News]
  • Prosecutors say Farwell killed Birchmore in 2021 and tried to stage her death as a suicide, while his lawyers deny he killed her.[ABC News]
  • The medical examiner first ruled the death a suicide but now lists the cause as undetermined, and medical experts disagree on whether she was strangled or hanged.[ABC News]

Key facts

  • Closing arguments are expected Friday in the federal trial of former Massachusetts police officer Matthew Farwell in Boston.[ABC News]
  • Federal prosecutors say Farwell killed 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore and tried to stage her death as a suicide in 2021 after learning she was pregnant.[ABC News]
  • Lawyers for Farwell acknowledge an extramarital relationship with Birchmore but deny he killed her or had sex with her before she was an adult.[ABC News]
  • The state medical examiner initially ruled Birchmore's death a suicide, but the office has since changed the official cause of death to undetermined.[ABC News]
  • Federal investigators concluded that the initial local probe into Birchmore's death was rushed and compromised.[ABC News]
  • The FBI investigation uncovered about 40,000 texts between Farwell and Birchmore, some discussing sex when she was 15.[ABC News]
  • A digital forensics expert testified that Birchmore's phone stopped moving three minutes before a lobby camera recorded Farwell leaving her building.[ABC News]
  • Prosecution expert Dr. William Smock testified that Birchmore was strangled with a duffel bag strap, while defense expert Dr. Thomas Andrew said the evidence pointed to hanging.[ABC News]

What remains uncertain

  • The cause of death is disputed: the prosecution expert testified to strangulation, while the defense expert said the evidence pointed to hanging.[ABC News]
  • Farwell's lawyers dispute that he killed Birchmore, so the allegations remain contested rather than established.[ABC News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.