Trial begins for ex-Massachusetts cop charged with killing a pregnant woman with whom he was involved

Key Points:

• The trial of former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell began, with prosecutors accusing him of killing Sandra Birchmore, who was found dead in 2021 in what was initially ruled a suicide but later changed to undetermined.
• Prosecutors allege Farwell exploited Birchmore in a secret sexual relationship starting when she was 15, and killed her after she became pregnant and threatened to expose him, while Farwell denies the charges and claims Birchmore took her own life in despair after he broke up with her.
• Birchmore’s family pushed for the case to be reopened, believing she was planning her future and excited about motherhood; DNA tests ruled Farwell out as the father, but prosecutors contend he believed the child was his.
• The prosecution presented evidence including thousands of messages documenting the relationship and surveillance video of Farwell visiting Birchmore the night she died, while the defense emphasized Birchmore’s mental health struggles and argued the evidence does not prove Farwell’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
• Farwell faces federal charges including killing a witness or victim and violating laws protecting unborn children, with potential life imprisonment if convicted; his trial is expected to last about a month in Boston.