Opening Statements Underway In Trial Of Ex-MA Cop Accused Of Killing Pregnant Woman

STOUGHTON, MA — The federal trial of former Stoughton police detective Matthew Farwell moved from jury selection to opening statements on Friday.

A jury was finalized in the murder trial after three days of jury selection, with opening statements beginning Friday morning, according to multiple reports. Court proceedings are expected to pause after opening statements, with witness testimony set to begin Tuesday.

The jury is made up of 10 men and six women, according to Boston25 News.

Farwell Faces 2 Federal Charges

Farwell, 40, has pleaded not guilty to charges of killing a witness or victim and causing the death of a child in utero.

Federal prosecutors accused Farwell of strangling 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore in her Canton apartment in February 2021 and staging her death to look like a suicide. He is accused of killing Birchmore to prevent her from reporting that he had sexually abused her beginning when she was 15.

Birchmore was eight to 10 weeks pregnant when she died, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The trial is expected to last about five weeks. Court will not be in session Monday because of Indigenous Peoples Day.

This story was updated at 10:53 a.m. on Friday, and will be updated with new information as the trial gets underway.

See Also:

• Respiratory Illnesses On The Rise: See What's Circulating In Massachusetts