Sports Network Podcast Credited With Leading to Arrest in High Profile Murder Case
A former Massachusetts police officer, Matthew Farwell, has been arrested for the alleged murder of Sandra Birchmore, a pregnant woman with whom he had a past relationship. Birchmore’s death, initially deemed a suicide in 2021, was investigated through a true crime podcast hosted by Kirk Minihane, which aired in 2022. The podcast is credited with challenging the original police narrative surrounding Birchmore’s death.
Farwell, who served on the Stoughton Police Department from 2012 to 2022, is accused of killing Birchmore, who was 23 at the time, to silence her about their inappropriate relationship, which allegedly began when she was 15. Prosecutors claim that Farwell killed Birchmore to prevent the revelation of allegations against him, as she had recently expressed intentions to speak about their history. His arrest took place at a shopping complex in Revere, Massachusetts, and he has been charged with killing a witness or victim. Friends of Birchmore have disputed the notion of suicide, reflecting on her aspirations to become a teacher and have a family.
An arrest Wednesday in which a former police officer was alleged to have killed a woman who was pregnant with his child was foreshadowed in a true crime podcast.
Kirk Minihane hosted a podcast called “The Case” on Barstool Sports. In the second season of the podcast, which aired in 2022, Minihane focused on the 2021 death of Sandra Birchmore, a pregnant woman whose death was initially labeled a suicide, according to Awful Announcing.
The site said Minihane’s podcast “undoubtedly helped debunk the initial police narrative alleging Birchmore committed suicide.”
The report also noted that in the first season of the podcast, an arrest was made on the same case that Minihane focused upon.
Although Minihane has said another season of his podcast is ready to go, that season has not aired.
On Wednesday, former Massachusetts police detective Matthew Farwell was accused of strangling Birchmore, according to NBC.
Farwell was arrested at a shopping complex in Revere. A video showing part of the arrest can be seen below.
New video of the arrest of Matthew Farwell. At a shopping plaza in Revere. Credit for the video to Kevin Anthony. #WBZ pic.twitter.com/W0LLjVvd6k
— Kristina Rex (@KristinaRex) August 28, 2024
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy said Wednesday that Farwell is accused of having a sexual relationship with Birchmore when she was 15 and enrolled in Stoughton Police Explorers Academy. Farwell, who worked for the Stoughton Police Department from 2012 to 2022, was an instructor in that program
Birchmore “survived years of grooming, statutory rape and then sexual violence, all at the hands of Matthew Farwell,” Levy said.
The prosecution is claiming that Farwell killed Birchmore, who was 23 at the time of her death, in her Canton, Massachusetts, apartment, claiming he could no longer keep a lid on allegations about his relationship with her.
“He allegedly silenced her permanently,” Levy said.
Farwell has been charged with one count of killing a witness or victim.
Court documents said that in October 2020, Birchmore and Farwell cut a deal: He would make her pregnant and she would stay silent about their relationship.
“Mr. Farwell was losing control in late 2020, early 2021, and the information that Sandra Birchmore possessed about his illegal conduct was in danger of slipping out. In fact, word started to get out about their relationship less than two weeks before she was found dead,” Levy said.
Documents allege that after a friend of Birchmore’s began to make noise about the relationship, Farwell is alleged to have pushed Birchmore and put her in a chokehold.
Birchmore was killed hours before Farwell’s wife delivered their third child.
A friend of Birchmore’s said the claim of suicide never rang true.
“Nope, there was no way she was going to kill herself. All our friends knew she wouldn’t do it,” Natalia Alves, a friend of Birchmore’s said, according to CBS. “She was a very good kid who wanted to be a teacher. She wanted to have a baby, have a little kid, have her own family.”
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