Former Stoughton Police Officer Charged in Sandra Birchmore Case

Matthew Farwell scheduled to appear in federal court for motion to dismiss hearing

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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Former Stoughton Police Officer Matthew Farwell is set to return to federal court on Thursday for a hearing on his defense team's motion to dismiss the case against him for the killing of Sandra Birchmore and her unborn child. Farwell is accused of strangling Birchmore and staging her death to look like a suicide. He is also charged with initiating a relationship with Birchmore when she was 15 and he was 26 years old.

Why it matters

This high-profile case has garnered significant media attention and raises concerns about abuse of power by law enforcement, as well as the challenges of prosecuting cases involving intimate partner violence and the death of a pregnant woman.

The details

Farwell is scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston at 11:30 a.m. for the hearing on the motion to dismiss the case. His lawyers have been pushing to move the trial out of state due to the extensive publicity the case has received, but the judge has not yet ruled on that request. Farwell is charged with killing Birchmore, a 23-year-old woman who was three months pregnant at the time of her death in 2021, by strangling her and staging her death to look like a suicide.

  • Birchmore was found dead in her Canton apartment in 2021.
  • Farwell resigned from the Stoughton Police Department in 2022.
  • Farwell is scheduled to appear in federal court on Thursday, March 5, 2026 for a hearing on the motion to dismiss.
  • Farwell's trial is scheduled for October 2026.

The players

Matthew Farwell

A former Stoughton Police Officer charged with killing Sandra Birchmore and her unborn child, as well as initiating an inappropriate relationship with Birchmore when she was a minor.

Sandra Birchmore

A 23-year-old woman who was found dead in her Canton apartment in 2021. She was three months pregnant at the time of her death.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.