US News
Former Massachusetts detective convicted of murdering pregnant woman Sandra Birchmore
ABC News reports that former detective Matthew Farwell was convicted of murdering Sandra Birchmore, whose 2021 death was first ruled a suicide.
The short version
- A former Massachusetts police detective was convicted Tuesday of murdering Sandra Birchmore, according to ABC News reporting.[ABC News]
- Prosecutors said Farwell strangled Birchmore on Feb. 1, 2021, to keep her from revealing he had sexually abused her at 15.[ABC News]
- State police quickly concluded Birchmore killed herself, but the FBI later concluded the death was a homicide.[ABC News]
- Farwell's lawyers deny he killed her, arguing she died by suicide after he went to her apartment to end the relationship.[ABC News]
Key facts
- Matthew Farwell, a former police detective, was convicted of murdering Sandra Birchmore.[ABC News]
- Farwell was found guilty of strangling Birchmore on Feb. 1, 2021.[ABC News]
- Prosecutors said Farwell killed Birchmore to keep her from revealing that he had sexually abused her when she was 15.[ABC News]
- Massachusetts State Police investigators quickly concluded that Birchmore killed herself.[ABC News]
- The state medical examiner initially ruled the death a suicide and has since changed the manner of death to undetermined.[ABC News]
- The FBI began looking into the case two years later and concluded it was a homicide.[ABC News]
What remains uncertain
- Farwell's lawyers dispute that he killed Birchmore, saying she killed herself and that their relationship began when she was 16.[ABC News]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.