Three years after it was believed Sandra Birchmore took her own life, a former Stoughton, Massachusetts, police detective was arrested for her murder.
Former Stoughton Police Det. Matthew Farwell, 38, is accused of killing her in her own Canton home while she was pregnant.
It was a three-year long investigation, starting with an internal investigation with Stoughton police, and then the FBI investigation.
And, as cell phone video shows, it culminated in this SWAT team arrest Wednesday morning of Farwell, of North Easton.
Investigators allege Farwell had an ongoing illegal sexual relationship with Birchmore, beginning when she was just 15 years old.
The two met when Birchmore was in a youth explorers' program that Farwell was running.
Prosecutors now allege the married detective fatally strangled Birchmore in her Canton apartment in 2021, amid claims that he was the father of her unborn child.
Investigators said they now believe that Farwell staged the 23-year-old's death to look like a suicide.
"Matthew Farwell's gun and badge did not grant him authority to violate the constitution. And it certainly didn't entitle him to sexually exploit, abuse and rape a child, before killing her and her unborn baby in an attempt to cover up his alleged crimes," said Stephen Kelleher, FBI assistant special Agent in charge.
"He used his knowledge and experience as a law enforcement officer to stage her death to look like a suicide. He allegedly attempted to cover his tracks to literally try and get away with murder and he almost did," said Joshua Levy, acting U.S. attorney.
Farwell is charged with one count of killing a witness or victim. He faces a minimum of life in prison if convicted.
