From Police Program to Pregnancy: The Full Story of Sandra Birchmore’s Homicide

What I'm about to brief you on. is something deeply troubling. to me. as a human being. and as a police chief. On February 4th, 2021, 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore. was found deceased in her apartment. in Canton. [music]. What I am here to talk about today. is her life. and how she was failed by,

manipulated by, and used by people. of authority. that she admired and trusted. right up until her final days. Ms. Birchmore was a vulnerable person. who had one constant in her life. since childhood. Her unwavering admiration. of police officers,

of those serving the military, people in uniform, people with oaths and duties. to protect and serve. The admiration. led her to form relationships. with men. who were willing to take advantage of. her. I stand before you today as a civil. servant. who is heartbroken. >> [clears throat]. >> and incensed. by what has transpired.

and who pledges. to this. that this chapter. in the Stoughton Police Department. and the town of Stoughton. is over. It must never repeat. The revolving door. is closed. There are so many stories we tell that. involve corruption, cover-ups, or just. downright incompetence or negligence.

that it makes me lose complete faith. [music] in the system. A system that is. put in place to protect us. And doing. the show for as long as I have, I've. seen a lot more bad than good. The. problems are systemic and at times I've. even caught myself thinking like, what. is the point? Like we might as well just. give up because the problems are so big. and have been there for so long that. maybe I'm the delusional one and this is. just how the world is, evil. And the. evil is so like deeply rooted that we're.

never going to win or never going to. make a difference. But then, when I need it the most, I get. a glimpse [music] of the good ones. The. people who are fighting from the inside. to make things better and fair and just. People who believe in right and wrong. and know that no one is above the law. >> [music]. >> And those people give me hope all over. again to keep fighting myself. And I. felt all of those feelings when covering. today's story. Despair that an entire agency could look.

the other way when so much evidence was. at their fingertips suggesting [music] a. boy in blue might have killed a young. woman to protect his reputation. And then this fire to kick ass and take. names [music] and get behind those. people like Donna McNamara, the chief of. the Stoughton PD who you just heard at. the top. She didn't just sit back. [music] and let it be. She found her own. way to expose the truth and she lit a. spark that other good people out there. doing the right thing [music] fanned.

into a flame to get justice for Sandra. Birchmore. So let me tell [music] you how that. happened. February 4th, 2021, 23-year-old Sandra. Birchmore was found dead in her Canton, Massachusetts apartment. Police. discovered her body while responding to. a welfare check requested by someone at. the school where she worked because she. hadn't shown up in days.

Now, Sandra was found in a seated. position on the floor by her bedroom. closet with this [music] duffel bag. strap wrapped tightly around her neck. and fixed to the handle of the closet. door. The Massachusetts State Police. didn't note any signs of forced entry to. her apartment. The door was actually. locked and they had to get a key from. the property manager just to get [music]. in. And once they were inside, they. didn't see any signs of a struggle at. all in the bedroom or anywhere else in. the apartment. The walls didn't have any.

indentations or scuff marks and there. were no drag marks on the floor or. anything like that even though the. apartment was cluttered with baby items. still in boxes for the child that Sandra. was 8 to 10 [music] weeks pregnant with. Nothing seemed to be knocked over or. moved and surveillance footage from her. apartment complex's lobby shows Sandra. coming and going [music] alone on. Monday, February 1st, which is the last. day she appears on camera and the day. that officials believe she died. So, the. suicide determination came quickly. Even.

before the medical examiner's official. ruling, all the Canton PD reports. discussed this case as a suicide. And the Massachusetts State Police seem. to agree. Cuz I'm sure the more they learned about. Sandra, like it just began to confirm. their theory. >> [music]. >> because she grew up struggling. Dad. wasn't in the picture, mom had chronic. health challenges often times not being. able to work so they struggled to make. ends meet. And from a young age, Sandra. sort of took on the role of caretaker.

And then in 2016, when Sandra was just. 19 years old, her mom died of a stroke. and then just weeks later her. grandmother passed away, too. According to an unnamed source in a. Boston Globe article, after these. back-to-back tragedies, Sandra began. [music] expressing suicidal thoughts in. her journal entries. And she tried living with other family. members after this but she never really. had that stable home base. And there was an instance like 8 or 9. months before her death where Sandra got. in a fight with the family member that.

she was living with and stormed out. That person called 911 concerned that. Sandra might be at risk of hurting. herself. Now, at the time of her death, she was. about 2 and 1/2 months pregnant with. what investigators would quickly find. out was a married man's baby. So, it must have all just been too much. How sad. And when a pathologist from the. office of the chief medical examiner. agrees and rules this case as suicide, that's that. And there is a world where it would have.

ended right there. But not this one. Not this time. You see, even though Canton PD was the. agency originally called and. Massachusetts State Police eventually. took over, the Stoughton Police. Department opened an internal affairs. investigation the day after Sandra was. [music] found. >> And where in relation to all this is. Stoughton? It's just a town over from. Canton. But the reason they're in the. mix is because of who Sandra's baby. daddy allegedly was.

You see, Chief Donna McNamara heard from. the Massachusetts State Police that one. of her officers, a man named Matthew. Farwell, may have been having an affair. with Sandra. [music]. And that would have violated department. policies because I mean, put him married. with kids aside, Matthew Farwell was an. officer who worked with their police. explorers program. And Sandra, in her youth, was an. explorer. And Brett, I know you know all. about the program cuz it came up in our. live show but for the newbies out there,

do you want to give them the lowdown? Yeah, this will be very surface level. but the explorers program is basically. like an extracurricular program run by. local law enforcement agencies and it's. open to anyone from the ages of [snorts]. like what, 6th grade to 20 years old. who are interested in joining law. enforcement one day. It's sort of like a. junior police academy. They wear little. uniforms, learn about investigations, do. ride-alongs, even apparently search for. evidence sometimes. [laughter]. Usually the program is led by actual.

officers from the local department so. the kids who sign up get really [music]. close to them which can be a really. great thing in some cases but. potentially really dangerous in others. >> You are correct. Okay, so I was about to. ask if the state police knew about this. but if they're the ones who told the. chief in Stoughton, then they had to. have. >> Yeah, they did. And they were looking. into it, too. Despite many files that. refer to Sandra's death as a suicide, it. does seem like they were still doing. some legwork, like checking boxes,

making sure they didn't miss anything. big like the affair with a married. officer. >> Right. And they even talked to him, collected. his and Sandra's phone data. And in. their interview with him, which takes. place on February 6th in a school. parking lot for some reason, Matthew admits that he was at Sandra's. apartment that night. I'm sorry, what? >> Yeah, so remember the surveillance video. that showed her apartment lobby, right? She's coming and going. >> coming and going by herself. >> Mhm. Well, it didn't just show her.

coming and going. And just a quick FYI, the footage was found to be 13 minutes. off so the times I'm going to be telling. you have been adjusted for accuracy but. basically, Sandra gets home early from. school because they had closed for a. snow day on the 1st. A few hours later, after 5:00 p.m., she's caught on camera. again picking up a food delivery. And. then at 5:31 p.m., she's seen one last. time stepping outside briefly to brush. the snow off her car and then heading. back upstairs. And that's it for Sandra. But they did.

look at the rest of the footage to see. if there was [music] anyone else. suspicious on it. And the maintenance. supervisor at the apartment building. tells officers that he recognizes. everybody who enters the lobby that. night except for one person. [music]. This tall, burly man wearing boots, jeans, a black jacket with a hood up, and what looks like a COVID mask which. almost entirely covers his face. Now, he entered the building at 9:14. p.m. and then left at 9:43.

And the police report notes that the man. wasn't wearing gloves and appeared to be. white. And that's Matthew. I mean, we know now that it was Matthew. because he is admitting it to police on. the 6th, but at the time it's a little. hard to tell what they knew because this. part of the police report is pretty. heavily redacted. All I know is that one. of the building worker says that they. had seen this guy with Sandra before, but they didn't know who he was. And the leasing manager starts giving. them at that point some information. about a police officer [music] that.

Sandra had been in a relationship with. and how there was something that he was. unhappy about that Sandra was nervous. about. But honestly, it truly is almost. impossible to make sense of this. person's account with all of the. redactions to the file. >> Right, you're kind of just like barely. able to kind of almost connect the dots. >> Right. So, they were probably suspicious, but. now they like know, now it was him, right? And his story seems to again. confirm their original hypothesis. because he says that he met Sandra in.

the Explorer program. She was 13 when. she joined, he was 24, but he says that. like nothing untoward happened. Matthew. says that he knew Sandra had a troubled. life and he felt bad for her, so he. would like keep tabs on her over the. years. But according to him, the. relationship didn't become sexual until. early 2020 when Sandra would have been. 21. And that only happened because he says. he got drunk one night and quote ended. up meeting up with her and having sex. And then he says that they had sex two. or three more times after that with the.

last time being in October of 2020. So, does he say that they were like. dating? Like, how did he classify the. relationship? Were they together? Well, so like I said, so he's married with two. kids at that time. So, at least on his. end this was very much not a public like. relationship situation. But he goes on. to say that in December of 2020, Sandra. told him that she was pregnant and that. he was the father. Now, in his. interview, Matthew says that that wasn't. possible and that the timeline didn't.

make any sense and just basically. adamantly denies that he was the father. of Sandra's unborn child. >> Okay, so then cut to the chase, Matthew. Why are you at her apartment the day she. died? Yeah, so he says that that night. he asked Sandra if he could come over. because he wanted to end things with her. once and for all. He says that he hadn't. seen her in about a week because he'd. been trying to distance himself, but. that was before he learned that Sandra. was now telling people that he was the. father of her child. So, he went over. that night and said that he told Sandra,

quote, she was crazy and that there was. no way he could be the father of her. baby based on her timeline and that he. was just done with her. He said that the two of them kind of got. into this pretty nasty argument, not. anything like yelling or physical, but. just like really tense. And before he left, he told her it was. really over and he was blocking her on. everything, which he did. And Matthew. says Sandra was definitely upset, but. that she didn't say anything about. wanting to hurt herself. And he told. police that she was very much alive and. standing in the kitchen when he [music].

walked out. Now, they asked him to take. a polygraph and submit to a DNA test, presumably to verify his claim about the. baby not being his. But none of those things end up. happening because Matthew gets an. attorney who steps in. And this attorney, Patrick Hanley, actually writes a letter to an MSP. sergeant saying that these requests. don't make any sense for the. investigation of a witness, which is. what MSP had said [music] Matthew was. I. actually have a quote from Patrick. It. says,

"I advise my client to decline these. requests and the request for further. interview that accompanied them. I did. so because they are far outside the norm. for mere witnesses in an investigation. I was a prosecutor for 14 years and. participated in hundreds of interviews. with state police detectives like. yourself. I cannot recall one seeking a. polygraph interview. And I can only. recall seeking DNA of persons that the. investigators and I considered targets. Mr. Farwell has already provided highly. personal information. In my opinion, providing DNA is a step too far." End.

quote. The lawyer also underscores that Matthew. had nothing to do with Sandra's death, that he never encouraged her to harm. herself or believed that she might. And. according to him, Sandra's death by. suicide was a complete shock to Matthew. The thing Matthew does comply with is. turning over his phone, but he warns. that he deleted all the communications. with Sandra. Okay, that's fishy, right? Like, they see that that's at least sus, right? They don't say.

We just have a report that is very black. and white and I I even brought this one. So, it just says, "On February 9th, 2021, Matthew Farwell consented to a. data extraction of his personal iPhone. 11, which was then extracted by Trooper. Nick Garrino. On April 26th, 2021, I. received Matthew's work cell phone from. Stoughton Police Department. Through. Matthew's attorney, consent was given. for a data extraction, which was. performed by Trooper Nick Garrino. I. analyzed both of these phones and did.

not find any communication with Sandra. Birchmore. Matt has said in a previous. interview that he had deleted all. communications with Sandra. So, there's. no like, oh, we think this was weird or. not. >> well, didn't see anything. Right. So, Trooper Nick Garrino went through this, we know this, but another state police. sergeant had started combing through. Sandra's laptop that was collected from. her apartment. >> The other end of the communication. >> Right. And so, he finds in that. thousands of text messages between.

Sandra and Matthew [music] in the 12. months or so before her death. Now, the state police write that the. text messages make it clear that Matthew. and Sandra were in a sexual. relationship, but they concluded that. there was nothing threatening [music]. at all. So, they must just be assuming that he. deleted the messages to hide the affair. Nothing murdery here, so. case closed, right? Wrong. Cuz Stoughton PD was running. their internal affairs investigation. alongside this one.

>> [music]. >> And in reviewing over 32,000 messages. between Sandra and Matthew in the 14. months leading up to her death, they see. a far more disturbing picture of. Sandra's case. Some cases fade from headlines. Some. never made it there to begin with. I'm. Ashley Flowers and on my podcast [music]. The Deck, I tell you the stories of cold. cases featured on playing cards. distributed in prisons designed to spark.

new leads and bring long overdue justice. because these stories deserve to be. heard and the loved ones of these. victims still deserve answers. Are you. ready to be dealt in? Listen to The Deck. now wherever you get your podcasts. So, the chief of Stoughton PD, Donna. McNamara, opened that internal affairs. investigation into Matthew Farwell the. day after Sandra was found because she. had heard from MSP about Matthew. potentially having an illicit affair.

with Sandra violating department. policies. So, she put Matthew on paid. leave starting February 24th. And again, just to be 100% clear, her internal. investigation was only meant to look. into Matthew's misconduct, [music]. not Sandra's death. >> Right. Chief McNamara and MSP had an. understanding that MSP basically still. maintained the jurisdiction over any. criminal [music] activity, even like. anything that comes up in the internal. investigation. And if the chief found. any criminal culpability, she would. basically pass all of that off to MSP.

So, like, sure, fine, whatever. That's. the deal. >> not looking for it, but if she sees it, she'll hand it over. >> Yeah, I'm not going to take it. So, her team starts looking at the phone. data and the laptop that was previously. analyzed by state police Trooper Nick. Garrino. [music] And these messages, which appear in federal and court. documents, don't only suggest that. Sandra and Matthew's sexual relationship. began way before he originally said, but. also that Matthew had disturbing sexual. fantasies involving [music] violence.

against women, choking, incest, pedophilia, necrophilia, and rape. And I want everyone to hear some of. these messages so you guys can get an. idea of the tone of the communication. between Sandra and Matthew. So, I'm. going to have a voice actor reading them. because they are really disturbing, so. like fair warning to everyone listening. >> [music]. >> And also, I don't want to look you in. the eyes while I say feel him inside me. But I think this shows the full extent. of Matthew's behavior. So, in a couple.

of exchanges, Matthew [music] and Sandra. talk about the beginning of their sexual. relationship. What was the first day you said, "OMG, I. want this guy to be my first. I want to. feel him inside me.". Yeah, so 2012 I finally decided that I. was going to try and find a way to you. and just wasn't sure how. I had butterflies so bad the day you. took my virginity. Me, too. It was such a big day. It was. April 10th, 2013. Best day of my life.

Me, too. So, the sexual relationship actually. began 7 years before Matthew told police. that it began. Yes, and he actually even. says that he wishes they'd done it. sooner. I wish it had been a year sooner after. helping you study at the library. I. didn't even make you wait a year after. that. I absolutely would have you in 12. In 12? 2012. And in 2012, Sandra would have been.

like, what? >> like 14 or 15. And he knows that this. would have been bad for anyone else to. find out, so he asked her to get rid of. their messages. Clear that pod out, baby. I did. Good. girl. Again, I know how disturbing these are, but I really think it's important for. our listeners to understand the power. that Matthew knew he had over Sandra, mentally and physically, by the way, because Sandra was 4'10", Matthew was. 6'4". So, in one exchange, he says,

"lol, if I pushed, I absolutely could. have you without condoms from day one.". "I was kind of scared to say no in the. beginning, not knowing how you'd take. it. So, yeah, you would have gotten no. condoms.". Other messages from Matthew revealed. even more disturbing desires. "Maybe I'll choke you a little. I'll. grab your throat and say, 'You won't say. a word to anyone.'. Will you say, 'Matt, stop. I'm 13. I'm. not ready for this. Oh, I'm FG, please.

stop.'". According to sources cited in the Boston. Globe, in the year leading up to her. death, there are at least 20 times that. Matthew texted Sandra about grabbing her. throat, squeezing her throat, or choking. her during sex. In another exchange, Sandra asked, "Do you want me to just take what you. do, or try and say no? I know being told. no is your favorite." "Say no.". Now, of course, all of these messages.

are from [music] 2019 onward. So, we. have no way of knowing what Sandra and. Matthew's communication was like before. that. But, in December of 2020, things. took a notable turn. That's when Sandra texted Matthew about. her pregnancy. That's when she sent him. a photo of a colorful poster that she'd. made with the word "Congrats, we're. going to be parents.". >> [music]. >> And this is how he responded. "I literally have nothing to say right. now. How could you express that in text. when I said I don't appreciate it?" "I'm.

mad you're acting how you are over a. choice we both made." "I'm mad you act. like you gave anyone a choice. You are. truly the worst person on the face of. the earth.". Matthew also asked how far along Sandra. was. "Regardless of how far, we're keeping. it. But, 3 and 1/2 weeks, which means I. conceived this month.". "Okay. Well, we need to talk, then." "No. [ __ ] that's obvious.". And on December 29th, 2020, they did.

talk. This conversation was in person, so we have no way of knowing exactly how. it went. But, [music] afterwards, Sandra. texts Matthew this. "It made me really uncomfortable and. stressed out and scared when you were. next to me, because I thought you were. going to hit me after you said what you. said and took things out of my hand. That's why I was crying." "I know you. wouldn't, but it still scared me.". So, clearly, he's not happy about the. pregnancy. >> I mean, yeah. It's a lot harder to hide.

from your wife than just an affair. Well, and [music] at an especially bad. time, because I didn't mention this yet, but when Matthew left Sandra's apartment. that night, February 1st, guess where he. went? The delivery room, because his wife was. in labor with their third baby. So, yeah, he's about to have a new baby. with his wife, and Sandra is telling him. she's pregnant, too. Now, maybe he would. have found some way to keep this under. wraps, [music] but on January 20th,

Matthew found out that Sandra had been. telling people about their affair. Apparently, he had been under the. impression that [music] it was like. their little secret, but it was far from. it in Sandra's circles. And apparently, leading up to her death, this friend, who we're going to call Jill, tried to. use that to her advantage. Jill said. that her and Sandra got into an argument. about some money that Sandra owed her, and Jill told Sandra that if she didn't. start to pay up, she was going to go. file a police report, which she did on.

January 20th, just weeks before Sandra's. death. When Stoughton PD told Jill that. this was a civil matter, Jill got upset, and in her anger, she, over the phone, basically said, well, like, you can tell. whatever police officer, detective, that. Sandra's in a sexual relationship with, that he can tell her to pay back the. money. And. how did the officer on the phone respond. to that? They went straight to Matthew, and they're like, um, "What's this. about?" And according to investigative. files, Matthew got really rattled and.

told that person, {quote} not to speak. about this to anyone, and to never talk. about it again. {end quote}. And whoever he told that to must have. kept their code of silence, since we. know the internal affairs investigation. did not start then. >> Right. But, that day, after Matthew was. approached about the affair, he texted. Sandra. "Dude, your [ __ ] friend called my. job, Sandra. WTF? You also told me that. no one knew about us, yet she claimed we.

are fucking." "It's literally nothing.". "It's not nothing. She called my job. That's insane. Like, you have no idea. how bad what she did is. I literally can't believe this is even. real life. Like, what else do I have to. worry about now? Which other friend will. do something tomorrow?". And what's so weird is after this. interaction, Matthew just, out of. nowhere, completely changes his tune. [music] and starts to speak really. positively to Sandra about their whole.

situation. And Sandra actually texted. her friend about it. "So, the father came by last night. It. was like a complete 360 change." "180?". "Yeah, lol." "Good or bad?" "Good, but. unexpected. [music] So, it kind of threw. me off and made me a little. uncomfortable, but that's cuz of how. things were going. But, it was like a. complete 180 from where we were at.". On this same night, along with having a.

heart-to-heart, Matthew also asked. Sandra for a key to her apartment and. [music] the code to her building's. entrance. But, even with him seemingly doing. everything right, like saying the. perfect things, there were moments where Sandra felt. uneasy, like something wasn't quite. right. The day of that 180-degree change. conversation, on January 24th, Sandra. texted a friend about something weird. "Last night, he opened my closet door. for something, and then he went in my.

bathroom looking at my bathroom. And. then, I have a dolly in my living room. that he asked why I had it. It was just. really odd. He started looking around. I. don't know. It was really weird.". Then, on January 29th, Sandra reminded. Matthew what the code to enter her. apartment complex was, and Matthew asked. her to confirm that it was a general. code for the entire building, not just. like a personal code for Sandra. And. that basically brings us to February.

1st. >> that Sandra died. >> Yes. Matthew texted Sandra at around. 9:00 p.m. asking if he could come by for. a second. She responded that she would. leave her door open for him. And that was the last known message that. Sandra would ever send. I I guess I'm. confused right now. Like, MSP had these. messages from Sandra's laptop, right? Like, are they just. ignoring them? It's really bizarre. So, listen, hang. on.

I'm just going to read you exactly what. they say about the laptop messages in. the report. >> [music]. >> Keep in mind, again, lot of redactions. here. But, it says this. "Over the next several weeks, I analyzed. data from Sandra's laptop. In. particular, I was investigating any. criminal conduct related to Sandra's. death, and something redacted here. Sandra's laptop gave me access to. approximately 12 months of iMessages, social media content, and other. documents/databases.

Matt and Sandra had texted thousands of. times over the year, as well as. communication with many other friends. and family of Sandra. It was clear, based on texts with Matt, that he and Sandra had a sexual. relationship, as he told us in his. previous interview. Then, there's this big redacted chunk, followed by this. All of these conversations were flagged. in the forensics report of her laptop. Sandra communicated often with friends. and family. It appeared Sandra had. sexual relationships with other men in. the months leading up to her death.

There were no threats of harm by any of. these individuals, including Matt. {end. quote}. That's it? That's literally the last. sentence on the last page of the MSP. report that we received. No threats of. harm. So, no criminal culpability. >> [snorts]. >> But, clearly, there is a crime here, right? Well, put possible murder aside. >> Okay. >> Chief McNamara can't look into that, right? Because that's not her. jurisdiction. >> Mhm.

But, yeah, the sexual abuse of an. Explorer within the department she now. is chief of, move out the way. Like, she. is charging full steam ahead. Cuz here's. the thing, along with now being sure. that Matthew abused a minor in the. program, other witnesses come forward. and say that Sandra told them he wasn't. the only one. According to people who knew Sandra, and. I want to preface this by saying much of.

this information is unconfirmed, but. they say that Matthew Farwell wasn't the. only Stoughton Police Department. employee who Sandra had a sexual. relationship with. She also had one with. William Farwell, [music] Matthew's twin. brother. What? When? How? And did. did the brothers know about each other's. relationships with Sandra? >> So, William is also an officer with the. Stoughton Police Department. They also. met through the Explorers program,

because he was a guest instructor. So, when they talked to him, he admits it, but like, bad case of déjà vu, he says. that he had, {quote} been with Sandra. sexually maybe two to three times, and. [music] the last of which was sometime. in December of 2020. But that was when. she was also seeing Matthew. Apparently. So. clearly there is something bigger. happening here. So Chief McNamara's. agency hires multiple PIs and outside. consultants and over the course of.

nearly 19 months they go down every. rabbit hole you can think of. And guess what? It didn't even end. there. Implicated in the internal. affairs investigation was another man. named Robert Devine who was a former. deputy chief of the Stoughton Police. Department and the officer in charge of. the Explorers program. Robert is actually the man that brought. Matthew and his twin brother into the. program as guest instructors. In. interviews Robert first claims to have.

no knowledge of the Farwell brothers. relationships with Sandra, but then he. later clarifies that Sandra did bring it. up to him as a consenting adult and. Robert didn't believe her. According to. Robert, while he and Sandra were never. formally in touch, she would often seek. him out while he was on duty offering. coffee, hanging around to talk, and. showing what he described as an. obsession with police officers. He said. this happened about once a week. So, you. know, she's just obsessed with them. What What could they have done? What.

could they possibly do, Ashley? >> I It's a gross implication to me that. like she was the problem. All because. she wanted to be a police officer. Because she really did love that. program. I mean, Sandra joined the. Explorers program in 2010 when she was. 13 years old and apparently she was. drawn to police officers from a very. young age. They represented everything. she wanted. Safety, stability, the. things that she didn't have growing up. Family members have said that Sandra.

deeply respected police, even idolized. them. >> [music]. >> According to reporting from Boston. Magazine, she joined the Explorers. program not only to fulfill her dreams. of becoming an officer herself, but also. to find the mentorship and direction. that she craved. But instead she was. preyed upon. Chief McNamara's. investigation found that Sandra and. Robert had been formally in touch and. communicating by Facebook Messenger from. 2020 up until her death. According to. the report, Robert explains this by. quote, "Outrageously making claims about.

accounts being hacked." End quote. >> In McNamara's investigation, multiple. witnesses interviewed also described a. pattern of inappropriate conduct within. the Explorer program, including hugging, kissing, even encounters in a closet. involving Robert and the Farwell. brothers, as well as comments like, "Come back and see me after you turn. 18." One witness recalls Sandra talking. about the stress officers were under and. the way that they looked for outlets. In. the end, McNamara recommends that.

Robert, William, and Matthew all have. their police certifications revoked and. be entered into the national. decertification index. And there is at. least one other officer from another. department found to be complicit as. well. I mean, so what now? The men just. get like a slap on the wrist? Well, they. actually all resigned before any sort of. action can even be taken. Of course. And. in September 2022, Chief McNamara holds.

a press conference about her. investigation where she publicly. addresses. >> [music]. >> the entire situation for the first time. What I'm about to brief you on. is something deeply troubling. to me. as a human being. and as a police chief. On February 4th. 2021. 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore. was found deceased in her apartment.

in Canton. I'm not. here today to talk about the subsequent. investigation into Miss Birchmore's. death. Her death was investigated by the. Norfolk District Attorney's Office. What I am here to talk about today. is her life. and how she was failed by. manipulated by. and used by people. of authority. that she admired and trusted.

right up until her final days. Miss Birchmore was a vulnerable person. who had one constant in her life. since childhood. Her unwavering admiration. of police officers. of those serving the military. people in uniform. people with oaths and duties. to protect and serve.

The admiration. led her to form relationships. with men. who were willing to take advantage of. her. The Farwell brothers and Devine. violated their oaths of office. and should never have the privilege. of serving any community as a police. officer. Through a sustained. and deliberate common combination of.

lies. deceit. and treachery. they violated the policies and the core. values of the Stoughton Police. Department. Not to mention. human decency. I stand before you today as a civil. servant. who is heartbroken. >> [clears throat]. >> and incensed. by what has transpired. and who pledges. to this.

that this chapter. in the Stoughton Police Department. and the town of Stoughton. is over. It must never repeat. The revolving door. is closed. Chief McNamara turns all her. findings over to the Norfolk DA's. office. I assume for prosecution based. on her agency's findings of what would. be statutory rape. >> Mhm. But they declined to press any charges.

I I'm sorry. What in the. good old boys club is happening here? Well, in a 2022 statement, a. spokesperson for the DA says that. statutory rape would be difficult to. prove given that Sandra, the main. witness, was dead. O- Okay, but. she's dead because he might have killed. her. Like this This can't be the. loophole. Yeah, Sandra's family is.

furious over this. I haven't even spoken. much about them yet, but they were. fighting for her every step of the way. I mean, from the second that her aunt. was notified on day one about Sandra's. quote unquote suicide, she knew. something was up. I mean, not only did. she know that Sandra was actually in a. really happy place before her death, but. also when her and other relatives went. to Sandra's apartment after her death, the place gave all the signs of someone. who did not take their life. When they. started going through her things, everything that they saw made it seem.

like Sandra's passing was extremely. abrupt. There was still wet clothes in. the washing machine and unopened. packages, plus more deliveries on the. way. She even had cats that she had left. unattended when police finally found. her, which made zero sense because she. had actually already started making. plans to have somebody look after those. same cats while she gave birth, which. would have been like seven months later. But one of the most telling things I. think is what her family finds in the. bedroom. They found Sandra's necklace, this.

keepsake from her grandmother. It was. this thin gold chain with like a pink. flamingo charm and it was laying on the. floor. The chain had snapped in the. middle and then there was this clump of. hair tangled in it. >> to me that feels like a a sign of a. struggle. Did police not see it? Well, apparently the necklace was broken. and like hanging off of her neck when. they found her, which is documented with. photographs, but it wasn't collected. So, I guess officers didn't think it was.

relevant. So, when it fell to the floor. as they're I assume like moving her. body, they either didn't notice it or. like didn't care and collect it. >> the family show them? Oh yeah, they. handed over the necklace to police right. away, but that apparently didn't change. anything for them. So, the family. members took it upon themselves to. galvanize the community on social media. getting people who knew Sandra to come. forward and share stories. So many. stories that pointed to the Explorer. program and stories that helped build. out McNamara's internal investigation.

So now to hear that nothing was going to. come of it, like that was infuriating. So, in December of 2022, Sandra's family. tries a different approach. They file a. wrongful death suit in Norfolk County. Superior Court accusing Matthew, William, and Robert of grooming and. sexually abusing Sandra from a young age. and implicating them in her death. The. family alleges wrongful death, negligent. supervision, negligent retention, pain. and suffering, and emotional distress.

among other things. And they. specifically mention an ongoing scheme. of grooming and misconduct which they. say led to Sandra's death. So, that. litigation is still ongoing and a. judgment date is set for May of 2026. >> So, Sandra's family members are really. the only ones actually looking into her. death as. anything other than a suicide. >> So, this is what I was saying. Where you. get this like moment where you're like. the system is not working. Everything's.

broken. But there are good eggs within it. So, we've got Chief McNamara who has this. investigation exposing her officers for. their abhorrent behavior. And then. maybe because of her, maybe because of. something else like another big case. involving Canton PD and MSP that happens. in 2022. >> John O'Keefe. Yeah, maybe because of all. the pressure and the spotlight combined,

at some point other good people step in. and say, "Nah-uh, not on our watch." And. that's the FBI. Now, it's not really. clear how the FBI investigation timeline. unfolded. They haven't been very public. about that. >> known to be very public. >> [laughter]. >> about anything. But on August 28th, 2024, Special Agent. Shanique Castrida releases a 45-page. affidavit with all of her findings. And. it details exactly what they think.

happened and why. Agent Castrida confirms what we already. know about Matthew grooming Sandra when. she was a child and lays out Matthew's. motive for murder in clear terms. She. writes that in October of 2020, when. Sandra heard about Matthew's wife's. pregnancy, she went to him with an. ultimatum. She wouldn't expose their. years-long sexual relationship, including the fact that it began when. she was underage and that they'd been. meeting while Matthew was on duty if he.

agreed to try and get her pregnant. Their texts even show Sandra sending. Matthew her ovulation schedule. And the. two of them planning sexual encounters. around it. But when Sandra got pregnant, she started telling people about it. And. that wasn't part of the deal. The. affidavit actually puts forward that on. January 20th, when that friend Jill. called Stoughton PD and spilled the. beans about Matthew and Sandra, causing. that officer to question Matthew, that. is the very moment that Matthew hatched. a plan to kill her.

And all those heart-to-hearts after that. Agent Castrida says were, quote, "His. attempt to appease Birchmore until he. could kill her." End quote. And they. have physical proof, they say. The FBI. analyzed the data from the health app on. Sandra's iPhone. Her last movements were. recorded at 9:40 p.m. That is 3 minutes. before Matthew was seen leaving her. building. So, it's likely this data.

shows exactly when Sandra died and. Matthew was still inside the apartment. And when he left, he could have used the. key that [music] he had to lock up. behind him. >> Right. And Agent Castrida backs this up. by tapping expert forensic physician Dr. William Smock. He specializes in. asphyxiation cases and testified in the. Derek Chauvin trial about George Floyd's. murder. According to the affidavit, Smock's findings directly contradict. what state police concluded. He pointed.

out that the fracture in Sandra's hyoid. bone, which is at the top of the neck, didn't line up with the position that. she was found in. Smock explained that. when someone is found seated, it is. considered an incomplete hanging, meaning that only part of the body's. weight is actually pulling on the neck. And in his deep dive through forensic. research, he could not find a single. documented case of a woman fracturing. her hyoid bone in that kind of scenario. Instead, those fractures overwhelmingly. show up in cases of manual strangulation.

or when the full weight of the body is. suspended. So, he concludes with, quote, "A reasonable degree of medical and. scientific certainty that the cause of. Ms. Birchmore's death is asphyxia and. that the manner of her death is. homicide." End quote. And something else. really interesting that Agent Castrida. writes is that after Matthew consented. to handing his personal cell phone over. to state police, he used his work phone. to search and then immediately delete.

searches for. >> Right, right. >> whether deleted iMessages can be. recovered and whether someone can revoke. consent in Massachusetts. [music]. And it's on the last page of this. document that Agent Castrida writes. this. Quote, "The information set forth. above supports the government's motion. to detain Matthew Farwell pending trial. in [music] this case.". And that is how on the very date Agent. Castrida files her report, Matthew.

Farwell is arrested. So, how did the FBI. get jurisdiction of the case in order to. make the arrest? Like, do they just like. Trump state agencies by default? >> No, the FBI makes an ingenious move to. charge Matthew with one count of killing. a witness or [music] victim, which is a. federal crime charge that often appears. in connection with other federal. charges, like sometimes in mob cases or. crime rings that span like multiple. states. >> But in this case, it allowed the FBI to.

step in without involving MSP. >> Exactly. And this charge also happens to. be punishable by death. [music] So, that. same day, Matthew pleads not guilty at. an arraignment. And as of this. recording, Matthew has been indicted by. a federal grand jury and his trial is. currently scheduled to begin on October. 5th, 2026. Until then, he's being held without bail. at a detention facility in Rhode Island. And our reporter, Nicole Kegan, actually. reached out to his attorney for comment,

but as of this recording, we have not. heard anything back. There is news still. breaking in this case, though. The. strangest thing to me was broken by the. Boston Globe earlier this year. They. wrote that people familiar with the. investigation who spoke on the condition. of anonymity said that DNA testing. showed Matthew was not the biological. father of Sandra's unborn baby. Okay, first of all, who are these. sources? I like need to know. >> but I have no idea.

>> And secondly, the motive still makes. sense for me, though, cuz if Matthew. thought he was the father, which it. really seems like he did from the text. messages, like that's. your motive. And also, he refused to. give his DNA at first, right? >> Well, also, he had a twin brother who. admitted to sleeping with Sandra at the. same time. And like my own PSA, I no. longer trust adult twins who work at the. same place if that place gives them. access to children. I know that sounds. specific, but I just listened to the.

newest season of Dig and like oh hell. no, there is a pattern here. But there. is also another pattern that I found, one with the Explorers program. Sandra's story is one that did get a. decent amount of attention [music] and. had been kind of like living in the back. of my brain since 2022-ish when I first. heard about it. And in digging into. that, this local article from here in. Indianapolis popped up and grabbed my. attention. It was from April 14th, 2022.

It said, "IMPD officer tied to teen. suicide ordered to write weekly journal. in rare sentence.". And that's kind of like Crime Junkie. clickbait. And when I began reading, I had this. weird déjà vu. Deleted text messages, the police Explorers [music]. program. So, I began to wonder, maybe. William and Matthew and Robert weren't a. couple of bad apples in the system. What. if the program is designed in a way that.

actually attracts predators and puts. children at risk? Like, parents are. sending their kids off to work with the. police because like you couldn't be. safer, right? Wrong. The more I looked, the more I found. And our reporter, Nina. and I, have spent months, the better. part of a year, uncovering systematic. issues with the Explorers program. And. next week, we are going to be releasing. an entire episode with every twisted.

detail we found. [music]. So, for those of you who don't want to. wait, you can actually listen to that. episode right now in our fan club app. I. think everyone needs to know about it. But it is truly required listening for. anyone considering the program or for. any parent who has a kid in it. Like. this is something that we can't just. look away from and like hope stuff that. stops happening. We have to shine a. light directly on it. So, tell everyone. you know, next week's episode of Crime. Junkie is required listening for.

everyone so you know what is there and. how you can keep your kids and your. friends safe. You can find all of our. source material for this episode on our. website crimejunkie.com. And don't forget, if you want to listen. to more episodes like this, all of our. episodes completely ad-free and next. week's episode early, be sure to join. our fan club. You'll get early access to. new episodes every week and bonus. [music] content every month. And you can. follow us on Instagram. @crimejunkiepodcast. >> We'll be back next week with a brand new. episode.