Stoughton Police Chief ‘deeply disturbed’ by new information on Sandra Birchmore’s death

STOUGHTON – An independent pathologist’s report into the death of Sandra Birchmore has left Stoughton’s police chief “deeply disturbed and alarmed,” she said in a statement.

A 2022 internal investigation Stoughton police discovered that three of their officers had inappropriate sexual relationships with Birchmore. The officers allegedly met her through the Stoughton Police Explorers program when she was just 13 years old. All three, William Farwell, Matthew Farwell and former Stoughton Deputy Police Chief Richard Devine, have left the department.

Birchmore, 23, was found dead in her Canton apartment in 2021. She was also pregnant. At the time, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled her death a suicide and there was no evidence of foul play.

Pathologist says strangulation was the cause of death

On Monday, a pathologist hired by Birchmore’s family as part of a civil lawsuit against Stoughton police, the city and the three officers released a report that said Birchmore’s cause of death was strangulation and the manner of death was homicide, according to the Boston Globe.

In her statement, Police Chief Donna McNamara said: “Although I am not a trained forensic pathologist and am not qualified to draw direct conclusions, the findings certainly warrant further review at the highest level.”

A spokesperson for the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office also issued a statement saying, “This is an active and open investigation and multiple law enforcement agencies continue to review all information as it becomes available.”

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner declined to comment publicly at this time.

Natalia Alves, a friend of the family and Sandra Birchmore, told WBZ she hopes the case will develop further.

“I don’t think she would commit suicide if she wanted a baby. Absolutely not,” Alves said. “I wanted something to happen so the perpetrator would go to jail.”

WBZ has contacted the attorneys of all three accused officers. Attorneys for William Farwell and Robert Devine declined to comment. Attorney for Matthew Farwell could not be reached.