Sandra's Story

Sandra Birchmore had great admiration and trust for the police. So, at just 13 years old, she signed up for the Stoughton Massachusetts Police Explorers Program. Not long after joining, the three police officers who led the program, Robert Devine and twin brothers William and Matthew Farwell, began grooming her.

One of these officers - Matthew Farwell - started statutory raping Sandra when she was 15 years old. Later, officers William Farwell and Robert Devine also began having sexual relations with her.

At 23, Sandra became pregnant with Matthew's baby. Matthew was already a father of two, and his wife was expecting another child. He made it clear to Sandra that he was unhappy about her pregnancy. Sandra told friends, family, and co-workers about her pregnancy and that Matthew was the father of her unborn child. She was excited to become a mom but told others that Matthew wanted her to "take care of it, or I will." She also said that if anything happened to her, the investigators should look at Matthew.

Sandra's Story Part I

Sandra's Story Part II

In early February 2021, after not showing up at work for a few days, her employer requested a wellness check. On February 4, responding Canton police officers found Sandra's body sitting on the floor with a ligature around her neck that was tied to a closet door handle. Although the medical examiner deemed her HIGHLY-SUSPICIOUS death a "suicide," many ask, did she really kill herself?

When reviewing the apartment lobby video footage, investigators looked at February 1, 2021, which was the last day Sandra communicated with anyone. They saw Matthew entering the elevator to Sandra’s apartment. He left about 30 minutes later and was the last person to see Sandra Birchmore alive. When questioned, he stated that the two of them argued, they broke up, and he left.

On June 24, 2024, pathologist Michael Baden reviewed the original autopsy report and disagreed with the MA medical examiner. Baden said the evidence indicated a homicide, not a suicide. Sandra's hyoid bone was broken; something that rarely, if ever, happens in a suicide. The MA Attorney General's office and the FBI are currently investigating the case.