Sandra Birchmore’s alleged killer received’t present up for arraignment for slaying unborn child

The Stoughton cop accused of grooming Sandra Birchmore as a minor after which killing her when she was an grownup is not going to be current at his arraignment on a new cost of killing their unborn little one.

Matthew Farwell, 39, of North Easton, was initially indicted in federal court docket in Boston in August 2024 with killing a witness or sufferer within the dying of Birchmore, who he had maintained a sexual relationship with for seven years. On Feb. 1, 2021, she was discovered useless in an obvious suicide in her Canton residence at age 23. Federal investigators say Farwell simply staged the scene to appear like a suicide however had really slayed the lady after she shared that she was pregnant.

On the finish of final month, federal prosecutors took the dying of the unborn child — who Birchmore had strongly indicated she was excited to have, in keeping with court docket paperwork — into consideration and charged Farwell with a cost known as “Protection of unborn child,” which permits for a similar penalties as the primary cost for killing the kid in utero. Prosecutors say the kid’s gestational age was between eight and 10 weeks on the time of the killing.

Farwell is not going to be current for his arraignment on the brand new cost. His attorneys filed a waiver of look, which Justice of the Peace Choose M. Web page Kelley accepted. Farwell’s arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 21 at 11 a.m.

Whereas Massachusetts will not be a dying penalty state, federal regulation permits for the dying penalty, which prosecutors might take up on this case.

Birchmore was born in 1997, and in March 2010, on the age of 12, she utilized to take part within the Police Explorers Academy, a youth program that Farwell ran for the Stoughton Police Division. She stayed in this system for about 4 years.

Prosecutors allege that Farwell labored to groom Birchmore early on, pretending to befriend the lady 12 years his junior by doing check prep together with her on the library and friending her on Fb. He started a sexual relationship together with her when she was 15 and he was 27.

“Matthew Farwell’s gun and badge did not grant him authority to violate the Constitution and certainly didn’t entitle him to sexually exploit, abuse and rape a child before killing her and her unborn baby in an attempt to cover up his alleged crime,” Boston FBI Assistant Particular Agent in Cost Steve Kelleher mentioned throughout a press convention asserting the preliminary prices.