After a federal jury found former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell guilty of killing Sandra Birchmore and her unborn child, family and supporters of Birchmore took time outside the courthouse to call out state law enforcement for what they say was a lack of effort in investigating her death.
Birchmore’s family cheered for the jury’s verdict while questioning the failures of law enforcement in the case. Birchmore’s death in February 2021 was initally ruled a suicide by the state medical examiner, but following pressure from Birchmore’s family, federal prosecutors stepped in and took a closer look. They eventually brought charges against Farwell in August 2024, three years after Birchmore’s death.
“We want to thank the men and women of the jury for their service. We want to thank the FBI for picking up the Stoughton IA report and rigorously instigating Sandra’s death, when the Massachusetts State Police would not,” said Antonetta Pirozzi, Birchmore’s cousin. “We want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for rigorously prosecuting her killer when the Norfolk County District Attorney Mike Morrissey and the Norfolk County Prosecutor Lynn Beland would not.”
The Farwell trial came after the high-profile Karen Read murder case, which was investigated by the Massachusetts State Police and the Canton Police Department. In the Read case, lead investigator State Trooper Michael Proctor was fired after racist and misogynistic texts he sent surfaced. Read’s defense was centered on accusations of a police cover-up. She was acquitted of murder in her second trial in June 2025.
On Tuesday, the Massachusetts State Police agreed to pay Read $100,000 to settle a lawsuit against the agency, in which she accused it of having a culture of bias and corruption.
“I have one question to ask, when I look around here and the Karen Read case, and specifically this one. Where are the law enforcement officers, the good cops, where are they? Ask yourselves that question,” former Canton Police Sgt. Peter Murphy said outside court Tuesday.
The Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office released a statement in response to the guilty verdicts, writing, “Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey is aware of the guilty verdicts returned this afternoon in the federal prosecution of Matthew Farwell. Above all, he hopes the verdict brings closure to the family and friends of Sandra Birchmore.
The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office (NDAO) recognizes the criticism it has received for its handling of this case. However, its ability to prosecute was constrained by the finding of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) that the manner of death was suicide. The NDAO referred the case to the Attorney General’s Office for further review, and at all times worked collaboratively with the federal prosecution, including funding the development of additional evidence. Beginning as early as October of 2022, in an effort to be transparent, the NDAO made public its case file and investigative materials in its possession.
We respect the jury’s verdict and will have no further comments.”
