Jury Returns Guilty Verdicts

A federal jury in Boston found former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell guilty on both counts on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, in the death of Sandra Birchmore and her unborn child. The two federal counts were killing a witness or victim and causing the death of an unborn child. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts confirmed the verdict in a statement issued that day.

The result followed a trial that lasted nearly a month. Jurors had told Chief U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper on Monday, November 9, that they were deadlocked. They returned the following day, continued their work, and reached a unanimous verdict. The morning deadlock report and the afternoon conviction are different developments on the same date. Our earlier report described only what was known before the verdict.

Why It Matters

Sandra Birchmore was 23 and expecting a baby when she died in February 2021. Her death was first treated as a suicide by state authorities. Her loved ones disputed that conclusion. Federal investigators later reexamined the evidence, and Farwell was charged in 2024. Tuesday’s convictions are a major change in the public legal record: the jury has now decided that the government proved the two charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case also raised serious questions about abuse of authority, a young person’s vulnerability, and whether early investigators examined her death thoroughly enough. The verdict establishes Farwell’s guilt on these federal counts. It does not itself decide every possible question about the conduct of other officials, and it is not a verdict against anyone else.

Go Deeper: The Case Jurors Heard

Federal prosecutors said Farwell met Birchmore through a youth police program and began sexually exploiting her while she was a teenager. Their case was that he killed her on February 1, 2021, because he feared she would reveal that history and that he had met her for sex while working as a police officer. Prosecutors presented messages, witnesses, forensic testimony, and evidence concerning the scene at her apartment. The government said Farwell made the death appear to be a suicide.

Farwell denied killing Birchmore. His defense challenged the government’s medical explanation and argued that she had taken her own life. Reporting from the courtroom described competing expert views about her injuries. The jury heard those positions before returning its verdict.

The Two Federal Counts

The first charge concerns killing a witness or victim to prevent information about a possible federal crime from reaching investigators. The second charge involves causing the death of a child in the womb. The verdict was a decision on both charges. It was not a separate trial of the police department, a ruling on every allegation made publicly, or a finding that every detail offered by either side was proven.

The Justice Department says the convictions carry mandatory life-or-death penalties under the relevant federal statutes, with a life sentence required on the unborn-child count. Prosecutors previously chose not to seek the death penalty. A judge has not yet imposed the sentence; reporting about the potential punishment should not be mistaken for an issued sentencing order.

What Happens Next?

The Justice Department listed February 3, 2027 as Farwell’s next sentencing date. NBC10 Boston described that date as a presentencing hearing, with formal sentencing to be set separately. We are identifying that difference rather than assuming both descriptions mean the same court proceeding. The court’s future notice will control. The conviction may also be challenged through the available appeals process.

We will follow the court docket for a final sentencing notice, any post-trial motions, and any appeal. Separate questions about other people or institutions require their own verified records. Those questions should not be presented as additional criminal findings from this jury.