Former Massachusetts Police Detective Matthew Farwell Is Married With Three Children
Former police detective Matthew Farwell has been accused of grooming and killing 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore, who was pregnant at the time of her death.
Published Aug. 28 2024, 4:45 p.m. ET
Content warning: This article mentions murder and allegations of grooming.
On Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024, former Stoughton, Mass. police detective Matthew Farwell was arrested in connection with the death of 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore. He is accused of grooming her as a teenager and killing her while she was pregnant.
As more details about this tragic case emerge, many are wondering if Matthew Farwell is married. Keep scrolling for all the known details about his personal life.
So, is Matthew Farwell married?
Matthew Farwell is married to Michelle Farwell, though the exact date of their marriage is unknown. The couple shares three children, including their youngest son, born on Feb. 2, 2021, at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Mass., shortly after 9 a.m., as reported by the true-crime podcast Serialously.
Twelve hours before this birth, the now ex-detective was seen visiting Sandra Birchmore two hours away at her Canton Woods Apartments in Stoughton. He was spotted entering her apartment at 9:14 p.m. EST and leaving about 30 minutes later.
Cut back 12 hours later, while Matthew was with his newborn son, Birchmore — who was reportedly three months pregnant with Farwell's child — was dead in her home.
Matthew Farwell has been accused of killing Sandra Birchmore.
According to a grand jury indictment filed on Aug. 27, Farwell groomed Birchmore and "engaged in sexual intercourse and other sex acts" with her before she turned 16.
For context, Birchmore joined the "Stoughton Police Explorers Academy" in 2012, where Farwell was a volunteer instructor. Federal prosecutors allege that Farwell, then 27, used his position to "groom, sexually exploit and ultimately sexually abuse Birchmore when she was 15 years old and continued to have sex with her when she became an adult."
In December 2020, upon discovering she was pregnant, Birchmore informed Farwell that he was the father of her baby. A friend of Birchmore's reported the abuse to the Stoughton Police Department around Jan. 20, 2021.
An employee at the department notified Farwell about the report, and Birchmore was found dead on Feb. 4, 2021. Acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua Levy announced that Farwell allegedly killed Birchmore to silence her and tried to cover up the crime.
Report online or in-person sexual abuse of a child or teen by calling the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 or visiting childhelp.org. Learn more about the warning signs of child abuse at RAINN.org.
