Birchmore Family Cites State Prosecutors After Federal Guilty Verdict
Relatives of Sandra Birchmore argue that local officials failed to act for six years before a federal jury convicted former detective Matthew Farwell.
By Natalia Costa ·
Sandra Birchmore’s relatives say the federal jury’s verdict against former Stoughton police detective Matthew Farwell confirms his guilt but leaves open questions about local state officials. A jury found Farwell guilty of killing Birchmore and her unborn son. The family contends that state prosecutors should have handled the case earlier, preventing a six-year wait for a conviction.
Prosecutors alleged that Farwell began grooming Birchmore when she was a teenager. They further claimed he went to her apartment the day before his wife gave birth to their third child. According to the prosecution, he killed her to silence her and staged the death to appear as a suicide.
Angelique Pirozzi, Birchmore’s cousin, thanked federal attorneys for their efforts. She noted that Norfolk County District Attorney Mike Morrissey and Norfolk County prosecutor Lynn Beland did not pursue the case. “We want to thank the U.S. attorneys for rigorously prosecuting her killer when the Norfolk County district attorney, Mike Morrissey, and the Norfolk County prosecutor, Lynn Beland, would not,” Pirozzi said.
U.S. Attorney Leah Foley described the behavior as diabolical. She stated that Birchmore’s death was initially ruled a suicide. “Sandra’s death was initially ruled a suicide, and Farwell went on with his life, believing he quite literally had gotten away with murder,” Foley said. The FBI revisited the case three years after the initial ruling.
Barbara Wright, another cousin, criticized the state’s handling of the investigation. “It is a travesty of justice. It shouldn’t have come to this, the state should have done it,” Wright said. The family members emphasized the lost potential of Birchmore and her son. Pirozzi noted that Birchmore would have sent her son to kindergarten next year had he not been killed.
Wright said the convicted detective will live with his actions every day. “He’s going to spend every day of his life thinking about what he did,” Wright said. The family’s focus remains on the life Birchmore and her child never had. They view the current verdict as a necessary step but not the final resolution of the case.
Farwell faces sentencing in early February. This date falls almost exactly six years after Birchmore’s death. The sentencing hearing will determine the length of his imprisonment. The family plans to attend the hearing to monitor the process.
