Norfolk County’s incoming district attorney, Djuna Perkins, says she plans to use a grand jury to examine the Stoughton Police Explorers program after Matthew Farwell’s federal conviction in Sandra Birchmore’s death. Speaking to WHDH on November 11, Perkins said she would follow the evidence and consider charges if the evidence supports them. Her comments describe work she intends to do. They do not announce a new indictment or a finding that another person committed a crime.

Why It Matters

Farwell’s verdict answered the criminal charges brought against him. The wider questions about the police youth program and the original handling of Sandra’s death still deserve careful review. Keeping those questions separate protects the meaning of the verdict and the fairness of any future investigation.

What Perkins said she would examine

Perkins told WHDH that she would review the testimony from Farwell’s trial. She identified possible lines of inquiry, including whether anyone obstructed an investigation, failed to report child abuse or helped another person commit a crime. These were possibilities she said investigators could examine, not charges she had filed. She also cautioned that understanding what happened would take time.

A separate review of the district attorney’s office

In an earlier interview with Boston 25, Perkins said she planned an audit of the office she will inherit. She said she wanted to understand how the Birchmore investigation had gone wrong and intended to make the audit’s findings public. Outgoing District Attorney Michael Morrissey has pointed to the original medical examiner’s suicide finding as a limit on the office’s ability to prosecute. Perkins disagreed with that explanation. Those statements reflect different assessments of the original investigation, not the outcome of an audit already completed.

What the federal jury decided

On November 10, a federal trial jury convicted Farwell of killing a witness or victim and causing the death of an unborn child. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the case showed that Farwell sexually exploited Sandra beginning when she was 15 and later killed her to prevent her from exposing his conduct. Prosecutors said he staged her death to look like a suicide. This was a conviction following a trial, distinct from the proposed grand jury investigation Perkins described.

Sandra’s life remains central

Sandra was 23 when she died in February 2021. The federal case concerns both her death and the death of her unborn child. A review of institutional decisions should help explain what happened to her, while keeping her from becoming only a reference point in a dispute between public officials.

What Happens Next

The Justice Department’s November 10 announcement lists Farwell’s sentencing for February 3, 2027. That is a scheduled proceeding, not a sentence already imposed. Separately, Perkins’ promised inquiry would need to develop its own evidence. Any future announcement, charge or court filing should be identified by its own date and described on its own terms. A pledge to investigate should not be reported as proof against unnamed officers or other people.