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Matthew Farwell, 38, of North Easton, MA, worked as a police officer in Stoughton, MA, from March 27, 2012 until approximately April 1, 2022, according to the district attorney’s office. Press release. He was arrested Wednesday morning in connection with Birchmore’s 2021 death at age 23.

The allegations against him, according to the prosecutor, are that Farwell strangled Birchmore to death in her condominium, then staged the scene to make it appear she had committed suicide. According to the press release, it is believed he did this to prevent police from discovering his legal sexual relationship with the victim.

In response to indictmentas shared by HuffPostBirchmore and Farwell reportedly met through her involvement with the local “Police Explorers” program, which she joined in March 2010 when she was 12. At the time, Farwell was a volunteer for the program, eventually joining the police department in 2012 and becoming a Police Explorers instructor.

When he was 26 and Birchmore was 15, Farwell is accused of talking to her online, according to the lawsuit, which alleges he would “groom her sexually under the guise of offering tutoring” at the Stoughton Public Library.

Prosecutors believe the connection turned sexual in 2013, but a text message cited in the indictment confirmed that he told Birchmore he would have liked to have had sex with her even earlier.

Once Birchmore reached legal age, authorities say Farwell began what prosecutors describe as a “controlling and often abusive relationship” with her. The prosecutor’s office further alleges that some of the sexual encounters occurred while Farwell was in custody, which could make them violations of a number of federal legal guidelines, including coercion, solicitation, deprivation of rights under color of law and wire fraud.

The couple reached a settlement in October 2020, according to court documents, with Farwell allegedly agreeing to have a child with Birchmore in exchange for her keeping quiet about their legal sexual encounters.

When she became pregnant, however, prosecutors say Farwell “responded badly,” becoming “physically violent” toward her. The prosecution reports that she described to associates being “pushed and shoved” by Farwell.

At one point, while she was pregnant, according to the indictment, “Farwell allegedly held Birchmore in a headlock and told her he wished she were dead.”

It was a good friend of Birchmore’s who ultimately contacted police in January 2021 about the alleged physical abuse, according to the prosecutor’s office. When Farwell was told the name by a department employee, prosecutors say he “angrily demanded that the employee never tell anyone about the information.”

He then allegedly texted Birchmore, according to the court filing, saying, “What else do I have to worry about right now? What other friend is going to do something tomorrow.” Prosecutors believe that’s when Farwell began plotting his death.

On Feb. 1, 2021, Birchmore was discovered dead in her condominium “in a sitting position with a leash around her neck and doorknob,” according to the court filing. The state health officer’s office ruled her death a suicide the following month, but her family wasn’t entirely happy.

They launched a Facebook web page about his death, which gained thousands of supporters, and followed up with a wrongful death lawsuit (available herecourtesy of HuffPost) in December 2022. In it, they accused Farwell and two additional officers of driving Birchmore to suicide.

Their perception, according to the swimsuit, was that all three men engaged in sexual acts with Birchmore while she was still a minor and part of the Police Explorers program.

All three men have either denied the claim or claimed they did not have enough information to verify or deny any involvement in his death. All three have voluntarily stepped down from their positions in the department. Neither of the other two men is facing charges in connection with the case.

As reported by The Boston Globe In June, a forensic pathologist employed by the victim’s family ruled that her death was murder. Farwell’s prosecution is applauded by the family, but they believe the work remains unfinished.

A message posted on “Justice for Sandra Birchmore” The website says, “This is not the end. It is just the beginning of giving Sandra and her unborn child the justice they deserve.”

Following Farwell’s arrest, Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara issued a affirmation that there had been an internal investigation underway since “the day after Sandra Birchmore was discovered dead in her Canton condominium.”

“Sandra’s alleged homicide is a horrific injustice,” McNamara said in his statement. “The allegations against the suspect, a former Stoughton police officer, amount to the worst act of not only professional misconduct, but certainly human indecency, that I have ever observed in a nearly three-decade career in law enforcement.”

She went on to say that her “life’s work” has been to “ensure justice is served” in this case, as “Sandra Birchmore did not get justice during her lifetime. It is crucial that justice is served in her death, and the actions of this moment seem to move our society one step closer to justice.”

In response to the US Attorney’s Office, “the charge of killing a witness or victim carries a mandatory sentence of death or life in prison.” It is not yet known whether Farwell has entered a guilty plea.

The National Sexual Assault Hotline — 800.656.HOPE (4673) — offers free, 24/7 assistance to anyone who needs it.