Five years after Sandra Birchmore was found dead in her Massachusetts apartment, a former police officer accused of killing her is facing a federal jury.
Prosecutors allege Matthew Farwell sexually exploited Birchmore beginning when she was a teenager connected to a police youth program, continued a long relationship with her and later strangled her while she was pregnant.
Her death was initially ruled a suicide. Federal prosecutors now allege the scene was staged. Farwell has pleaded not guilty, and his defense disputes the government’s account.
Because this is an active criminal trial, the distinction between allegation and established fact is essential. The larger institutional questions — supervision, warning signs and accountability — will likely remain even after the jury decides the criminal case.
What did institutions know, and how could the alleged relationship continue for years without effective intervention?
