Friend of woman allegedly killed by officer says suicide claim “a lie”

Lauren Andrews states she was nearly like a secondary moms and dad to Sandra Birchmore, who was presumably eliminated by then-police officer Matthew Farwell, which Birchmore had a tough training.

Andrews informed CBS News she spoke to Birchmore simply 2 weeks before her death in February 2021 and never ever thought the medical inspector’s preliminary conclusion that Birchmore passed away by suicide. The medical inspector later on altered the cause of death to “undetermined.”

Andrews stated Birchmore shown her that she was pregnant, and saw no indications Birchmore would injure herself when she was at her home for the last time.

“Absolutely not,” Andrews informed CBS News. “She was excited and thrilled about having a baby. She was gonna go to nursing school. She was ready to move on and she wanted that baby, she wanted a life for that baby.”

Farwell, who was a policeman in Stoughton, Massachusetts, is now on trial for eliminating Birchmore and her coming infant. The 23-year-old was discovered dead in her house in surrounding Canton, situated in the Boston residential areas, and is thought to have actually been pregnant with Farwell’s kid at the time, according to authorities.

“It was complete, 100% exploitation is what it was,” Andrews informed CBS News. “It was grooming.”

Statement in the event started on Tuesday, following opening declarations on Friday.

Federal district attorneys stated Farwell fulfilled Birchmore when she was 13 years of ages and a member of the authorities department’s youth program. Private investigators declared he groomed Birchmore for several years and started having sex with her when she was 15 and he was 27.

Andrews, the mom of among Birchmore’s friends, keeps in mind Birchmore as part of the household. When she initially heard Birchmore passed away by suicide in her house, she merely could not think it.

“We felt it was a lie,” Andrews stated. “We felt injustice had occurred.”

Andrews stated she right away believed Farwell lagged the death. She stated she informed Canton cops about her suspicions, however they didn’t act.

“We talked to the officer, and you know he just didn’t even act like he was taking it seriously,” she stated.

After years of installing public pressure, federal district attorneys charged Farwell with murder in 2024. A different internal affairs examination by the authorities department discovered Farwell had actually shared numerous text and specific exchanges throughout a number of years.

It likewise discovered a minimum of 2 other Stoughton law enforcement officer had improper relationships with Birchmore, consisting of Farwell’s twin sibling, William, who has actually not been criminally charged. William Farwell confessed to having a sexual relationship with Birchmore for 2 years while she was an adult when talked to throughout the internal cops examination.

All 3 resigned from the force after the examination was launched in August 2022.

Birchmore discovered she was pregnant in December 2020 and informed Farwell that he was the daddy, district attorneys stated. The following February, district attorneys declare, he strangled Birchmore and made it appear like a suicide. DNA screening later on verified Farwell was not the dad, however district attorneys declare he thought he might have been at the time. Farwell’s legal representatives state he never ever thought he was the daddy.

Farwell has actually pleaded innocent to charges of eliminating a witness or victim and failure to safeguard a coming kid. If founded guilty, he deals with life in jail.