Disgraced ex-cop Matthew Farwell found guilty of killing pregnant Sandra Birchmore

A Boston jury found former police officer Matthew Farwell guilty of killing 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore and causing the death of her unborn child. Prosecutors said he killed her to prevent her from revealing their relationship and her allegations that he had sexually abused her as a teenager; the verdict followed a nearly four-week trial.

Farwell, 41, was convicted on two federal charges and faces up to life in prison, with sentencing set for 3 February. Prosecutors said Birchmore was pregnant and believed Farwell was the father, although DNA showed the fetus belonged to another man. The jury deliberated for about 14 hours, including a period when it reported being deadlocked. Birchmore’s 2021 death was initially ruled a suicide by state investigators; federal authorities later reopened the case and arrested Farwell.