THE SANDRA BIRCHMORE CASE
MURDER OR SUICIDE?
Sandra Birchmore was a kind, clever, and sometimes silly 23 year old woman. She had friends, a supportive family, and worked as a teacher's aid. Sandra was also thrilled to be newly pregnant. On Thursday February 4, 2021, she didn't show up for work. She also stopped communicating with friends and family. After three days of silence, the police did a well-being check.
The Canton Massachusetts Police entered Sandra's apartment and found her hanging from her bedroom closet door by a duffel bag strap tied around her neck. Sandra had been dead for nearly 3 days.
Sandra's death appeared to be a suicide yet there were some very strange observations about the crime scene that may have been missed by investigators. Her body was found in an odd position and her hyoid bone was broken.
Sandra's death appeared to be a suicide yet there were some very strange observations about the crime scene that may have been missed by investigators. Her body was found in an odd position and her hyoid bone was broken.
The Massachusetts State Police led the investigation, and leaned toward closing this case out as a suicide. Sandra's friends and family didn't buy it. There's no way she'd kill herself. The night she died, Sandra was preparing for her work week, texting friends about her schedule, ordering baby items, and she was in the middle of doing laundry.
There was no suicide note.
WHAT ELSE DID INVESTIGATORS OVERLOOK?
WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON TO SEE SANDRA ALIVE?
WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY?
When Sandra was 12, she was thrilled to be selected for the Stoughton Police Department's Explorer's Program. It's like a mini police academy where teens learn about all aspects of policing. They learn forensics, work with canines, experience how bomb robots work, etc. (Above Sandra is pictured far right with her group).
The program was run by Deputy Chief Robert Devine. Additionally, two Stoughton police officers, Matthew and William Farwell (twin brothers) were very involved. Matthew is pictured below on the right.
The Farwell brothers
Matthew Farwell began taking a special interest in preteen Sandra.
What exactly happened to Sandra Birchmore? How did participating in the Explorer's Program lead to her death? THE TRUTH WILL SHOCK YOU!
Matthew Farwell had sex with Sandra when she was 15 and he was 27, which is the crime of statutory rape in Massachusetts. He carried on the relationship throughout his marriage.
Matthew Farwell and his bride Michelle (pictured above) had two children and when she became pregnant with the third, Sandra felt left out and betrayed. So, Farwell agreed to have unprotected sex with her--it worked. Sandra became pregnant.
Farwell began to unravel over the news of Sandra's prgnancy. She wanted the baby to have his last name, for him to sign the birth certificate, and to spend holidays with them. The pressure was building...
Farwell is pictured on video surveillance (above) entering Sandra's apartment on the night she died. He was the last to see her alive.
