Jurors at the federal trial of disgraced former police officer Matthew Farwell saw an ultrasound image of Sandra Birchmore’s unborn son Wednesday. Farwell is accused of killing Birchmore to prevent her from revealing their affair and her pregnancy.
The Boston jury was also shown photographs of Birchmore’s disheveled apartment in Canton, Massachusetts, where she was found dead on Feb. 4, 2021. Federal prosecutors allege that Farwell, then a 40-year-old married father of three, strangled her three days earlier and staged the scene to resemble a suicide.
In one photograph, a pregnancy ultrasound was attached to the kitchen refrigerator with a magnet at the apartment of the 23-year-old expectant mother.
Another image showed an upside-down box for a baby stroller lying on the apartment floor.
Federal prosecutors said Birchmore was at least eight months pregnant when she died.
Prosecutors allege Farwell killed Birchmore to stop her from telling his wife about their seven-year sexual relationship, which they say began when he abused Birchmore at age 15.
Both Birchmore and Farwell believed he was the father of her baby, but DNA testing later disproved that, according to prosecutors.
Farwell’s wife gave birth to his third child the day after Birchmore was killed, federal prosecutors said.
Testimony Tuesday established that Birchmore moved into the Canton apartment in December 2020, making it her first home of her own just weeks before her death.
Photographs showed the sparsely furnished apartment appearing dirty and cluttered, with water bottles, soda cans, cups, papers and other household items scattered across the floors, tables and countertops.
The images showed an unmade bed, a kitchen sink filled with soda cans and apparent stains covering portions of the carpet.
Cheryl Carlson, a former assistant principal at East Elementary School in Sharon, where Birchmore worked as an instructional assistant, testified Tuesday that she questioned the initial finding that Birchmore had died by suicide. Carlson then contacted investigators herself, according to an earlier report by the Globe.
“It didn’t make sense to me. Because she was so excited to have that baby,” Carlson said of the alleged suicide.
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“It didn’t fit with her character.”
Carlson also testified that Birchmore had confided in her about conflicts with the baby’s father but remained determined to have the child “no matter what.”
After learning she was pregnant in December 2020, Birchmore was so happy that she sent Farwell an image of the positive test, writing, “Congrats we are going to be parents,” prosecutors said.
Farwell allegedly replied: “You are truly the worst person on the face of Earth.”
Prosecutors claim Birchmore told Farwell she would inform his wife about the affair if he did not get her pregnant, and that he reluctantly agreed.
Farwell allegedly began grooming Birchmore when she was 13 and hoped to become a police officer while participating in a youth program he helped run. Prosecutors say he began abusing her two years later, when she was 15.
After allegedly killing Birchmore, Farwell staged the scene to make it appear that she had hanged herself, prosecutors said. They allege he placed a strap around her neck and suspended her seated body from a closet doorknob.
The jury Tuesday saw horrific images of her body when it was discovered three days later.
Farwell has pleaded not guilty to killing a witness or victim and to causing the death of an unborn child.
Farwell’s defense attorney claimed Birchmore took her own life, and told jurors about her history of mental health issues to support that claim.
Prosecutors, meanwhile, claimed Birchmore was over the moon to have the child and was taking her mental health seriously as she prepared for the baby, including going back on her antidepressants.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
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