Former officer’s arraignment on indictment in death of Sandra Birchmore’s unborn child pushed back

DEDHAM, Mass. — Former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell‘s arraignment on a federal indictment charging him in connection with the death of Sandra Birchmore’s unborn child has been delayed.

Farwell was arrested and indicted on a federal charge of killing a witness or victim in August 2024 in the 2021 death of 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore. A superseding indictment filed last month revealed that Farwell has additionally been charged with violation of the protection of an unborn child.

The disgraced officer was initially slated to appear in court to face the new charges on Nov. 13, but that’s been pushed back to the morning of Nov. 21 due to a “scheduling conflict,” according to an electronic notice.

Court documents obtained by Boston 25 News on Oct. 28, 2025, allege Farwell “caused the death of a child in utero” on or around Feb. 1, 2021, in Canton.

Prosecutors allege Farwell murdered Birchmore after she informed him he was the father of her unborn child. He was also a married father of three at the time.

Farwell was one of three Stoughton officers who had an inappropriate relationship with Birchmore when she was a young teen in the Stoughton Police Department’s Explorers Program, according to investigators. It’s alleged that Farwell had engaged in sexual intercourse with Birchmore before she was 16 years of age.

Birchmore’s death was originally ruled a suicide when she was found hanging in her Canton apartment in February 2021. But last year, police announced there was evidence Sandra was killed.

Farwell is accused of staging Birchmore’s death to make it look like she had hung herself.

Because of the federal charges, prosecutors could seek the death penalty against Farwell.

The judge presiding over the case recently scheduled the start of Farwell’s trial for Oct. 5, 2026.

Read the full superseding indictment:

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