Sandra Birchmore Case Files
Sandra M. Birchmore 1997 to 2021
Sandra Marie Birchmore was born on May 13, 1997, to Denise F. McKain Birchmore. Sandra Birchmore, originally from Stoughton and later living in Canton, was discovered deceased in her Windsor Woods apartment on February 4, 2021, after her employer requested a well-being check due to her absence from work for several days. The last person known to have seen Sandra alive was Matthew Farwell, who was captured on camera leaving Sandra’s apartment. At the time of her death, Sandra was pregnant. The original cause of death was determined to be suicide. The case later became the subject of federal murder and witness-killing charges against Matthew Farwell.
Sandra Birchmore Case Files
Sandra Birchmore Case Files
Timeline Sandra Birchmore
Sandra Birchmore Case File
Timeline Sandra Birchmore
Chronology, records, and investigative developments
May 13, 1997
- Sandra Marie Birchmore was born to Denise F. McKain Birchmore in Norwood, Massachusetts. She takes her mother’s last name and is raised by her single mother and grandmother, Grace Theresa Coughlin.
- 2001: Grandmother Grace dies. Her sister, Claire G. Coughlin Gaudet, helps raise Sandra. Grace Theresa Coughlin
- 2002: Chief Manuel Cachopa selects Robert Devine, who had been advising the Explorers Program since at least 1999, to take full leadership of the program.
- 2003: Robert Devine has fully integrated Matthew and William Farwell into the Explorers Program’s core activities. IA Report p6
- 2004: Matthew Farwell earns a high school equivalency diploma in Maine, enlists in the Army, and is trained as an explosives expert.
- 2005: Sandra Birchmore, at age 8, attends the Respect Program.
- 2006: Matthew Farwell deploys to Afghanistan for six months.
- June 23, 2006: Sandra participates in a 14-week Strengthening Program for high-risk families. Strengthening Program
- Matthew Farwell ends his military service, moves back to Massachusetts, and is hired by the Wellesley Police Department, where he serves until 2012.
- 2010: Sandra applies for the Stoughton Police Explorers Program at age 12 and is admitted in the spring.
- May 2011: Sandra becomes a member of the Explorers Program.
- September 2011: Matthew Farwell volunteers with the Police Explorers Program.
- Sandra and her family attend orientation and sign-ups for the 2012 Explorers Academy at the Stoughton Police Station.
- Matthew Farwell is hired by the Stoughton Police Department and later serves as an instructor for the Police Explorers.
- Matthew Farwell sends Sandra a Facebook friend request.
- Farwell rapes Sandra when she is 15.
- Farwell marries another woman but continues contact with Sandra.
- Sandra attends the 13th Stoughton Police Explorers Class. Source
- Denise Birchmore sends Robert Devine a letter thanking the Stoughton Police Department and Devine for running the Explorers Program.
- Sandra Birchmore is featured in a Stoughton Police Department tweet while attending the Police Explorers Program. Source
- Sandra graduated from Stoughton High School. Source
- Shortly after graduating from Stoughton High School, Sandra began basic training for the U.S. Army Reserve.
- Police Chief Paul Shastany places Devine on administrative leave while an internal affairs consultant looks into the matter.
- Sandra returns home and tells people she had been discharged from service due to asthma.
- Denise Birchmore suffered a stroke at age 52. She dies two weeks later. Obituary
- Sandra’s grandmother, Claire G. Coughlin Gaudet, dies one month after Sandra’s mother. Obituary
- William Farwell, Matthew Farwell’s twin brother, becomes a Stoughton police officer.
- Sandra takes the Massachusetts civil service exam and is placed on the eligibility list for the Stoughton police force.
- William Farwell queries the CJIS information on Sandra on two occasions.
- In the fall of 2019, Sandra met Joshua Heal while visiting a shelter to adopt a cat.
- Sandra loses her favorite aunt, Alice. Obituary
- William Farwell exchanges sexually graphic text messages with Sandra Birchmore on multiple occasions.
- Police are called to Sandra Birchmore’s home for a well-being check. She is taken to the hospital, evaluated, deemed not at risk for self-harm, and released a few hours later. IA Report
- An ambulance is called to Sandra’s home again. She is found unconscious and possibly experiencing anxiety, then transported to a hospital in Brockton.
- Sandra applies for housing and secures her own place.
- Sandra starts working at East Elementary School in Sharon and moves into an apartment with assistance from Matthew Farwell, according to a maintenance worker.
- Joshua Heal tells Sandra Birchmore that Matthew Farwell’s wife is pregnant with the couple’s third child. Sandra responds that she is going to tell Matthew Farwell’s wife that he had been having sex with her for nearly ten years.
- Sandra texts Farwell about having a baby, Farwell being there, and Farwell signing the birth certificate. Farwell responds, “ok that’s an in-person discussion.”
- Birchmore asks Farwell if he would be on duty when the two are scheduled to meet. Farwell responds, “Yes, I will be on the clock.”
- Sandra speaks with Robert Devine, using the alias Marty Riggs, through Facebook Messenger.
- Sandra speaks through Facebook Messenger with Robert Devine while he is on duty for the Stoughton Police Department. He asks Sandra to meet him at the Chateau restaurant.
- Birchmore texts Farwell to inform him that she is pregnant and includes a photo of a poster she made to celebrate the pregnancy. The two argue about the pregnancy by text.
- Farwell and Birchmore meet to talk in person. Afterwards, Birchmore sends Farwell a text indicating that there had been an altercation and that she felt scared.
- Sandra asks Matthew Farwell if their child could have his last name. Farwell tells her he will not discuss that by text message.
- Sandra meets with Matthew Farwell at her apartment to discuss the pregnancy. They argue, and Farwell pushes her, shoves her, and puts her in a choke hold, according to later accounts.
- Sandra calls Joshua Heal and says that after telling Matthew Farwell about the baby, Farwell said he wished she would die and wanted nothing to do with the baby.
- Sandra meets with William Farwell in the parking lot of her apartment building after midnight. IAB Report
- A friend calls the Stoughton Police Department about the sexual relationship between Birchmore and Farwell. Farwell learns about the call and sends angry texts to Sandra.
- Sandra has an ultrasound.
- Sandra and a friend go to Walmart to buy a baby stroller. Sandra is excited about the baby and asks her friend to be the child’s godmother.
- Birchmore tells another friend that Farwell came over the night before, asked for a secret key, and looked around the closet and bathroom in her apartment.
- Birchmore again gives Farwell the passcode, and Farwell verifies that it is the general one used for the entire building, not one assigned specifically to her.
- Birchmore asks Farwell if she can tell him some baby names she is considering. Farwell says he would rather discuss that in person.
- Sandra sees a therapist. She is screened for depression and suicidal ideation, and the therapist concludes there are no signs of depression or suicidal ideation.
- 12:19 PM: Birchmore sends Matthew Farwell text messages indicating that she will be released early from work at Sharon Public Schools.
- 12:45 PM: School releases early. Sandra comes home, orders baby items online, makes plans for her future, and asks Farwell for help with an impending snowstorm.
- 1:25 PM: She plans newborn baby photos, an official pregnancy announcement, a gender reveal, and schedules an OBGYN appointment for February 10, 2021.
- 1:31 PM: She books a newborn photography shoot.
- 5:00 PM: Surveillance video shows Sandra accepting a DoorDash order.
- 5:30 PM: Sandra is seen going outside briefly and returning with a snow brush.
- 7:57 PM: Sandra texts a friend to obtain baby clothes.
- 8:25 PM: Sandra performs a Google search for “Cubby Kids” furniture.
- 9:00 PM: Sandra speaks with a coworker.
- 9:03 PM: Sandra sends a Snapchat message to ask about a work schedule.
- 9:08 PM: Matthew Farwell texts Sandra asking if he can “come by for a second.”
- 9:13 PM: Sandra sends her final text to Matthew Farwell stating that the door is unlocked.
- 9:14 PM: Matthew Farwell is seen entering Sandra’s apartment building.
- 9:40 PM: Sandra’s Health Data app registers eight steps.
- 9:43 PM: Matthew Farwell is seen leaving Sandra’s apartment building.
- 9:25 AM: Michelle Farwell gives birth to a baby boy at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Matthew Farwell is present for the birth.
- 10:00 AM: School officials contact the School Resource Officer to check on Sandra Birchmore, who had missed work.
- 10:55 AM: Canton officers respond to 3307 Windsor Woods Way. Sandra’s vehicle is in the lot, covered in snow and unmoved since the February 1 snowfall.
- 11:46 AM: Officers find Sandra deceased in the bedroom with a black strap around her neck tied to the bedroom closet door. Sandra is pregnant. Report Updated Report
- 12:44 PM: The Medical Examiner’s Office accepts jurisdiction, and case number 2021-2032 is assigned.
- Canton PD receives an email from a witness with information regarding Sandra Birchmore’s death. The information is passed to MSP for action.
- Canton PD detectives conduct a follow-up investigation at Windsor Woods and interview witnesses who advise that Sandra was involved in an intimate relationship with a police officer, alleged to be the father of her unborn child.
- Canton PD and MSP coordinate a second review of video footage and identify Matthew Farwell arriving at Windsor Woods on February 1, 2021, and later departing.
- Detectives meet with Matthew Farwell at the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office, and Farwell consents to data retrieval from his phone. Later searches of his iCloud account reveal images investigators say confirm an interest in domestic and sexual violence, including strangulation.
- William Farwell is interviewed by the Massachusetts State Police as part of the Sandra Birchmore death investigation.
- The state medical examiner determines that Birchmore died by asphyxia by hanging and rules the manner of death suicide. Death Certificate
- A detective meets with Sergeant Fanning at the District Attorney’s Office and receives Sandra Birchmore’s MacBook Air.
- Detectives interview Joshua Heal regarding the Sandra Birchmore investigation. After approximately 30 minutes of questioning, he requests a break to consult legal counsel.
- Matthew Farwell resigns from the Stoughton Police Department. He had been on paid administrative leave since February 24, 2021. Records
- The Town of Stoughton places William Farwell and Robert Devine on administrative leave. Town Manager Release
- Detectives discover a Facebook Messenger thread on Sandra’s laptop involving a user later identified as Devine, who used the alias Marty Riggs.
- William Farwell submits his resignation from the Stoughton Police Department.
- Robert Devine officially retires from the Stoughton Police Department.
- Chief Donna McNamara confirms in an internal email that Matthew Farwell, William Farwell, and Robert Devine will not be returning to the department. Email
- The Abington Police Department places Joshua Heal on administrative leave amid allegations of misconduct. He resigns before an internal interview. Press Release
- The estate of Sandra Birchmore files a wrongful death lawsuit against Matthew Farwell and other former officers, as well as the Town of Stoughton.
- Matthew Farwell is decertified by the POST Commission.
- Forensic expert Dr. Michael Baden, hired by the estate, rules Sandra’s death a homicide by strangulation, contradicting the prior suicide finding. Matthew Farwell Indictment
- Matthew Farwell is indicted on federal murder and witness-killing charges. Source
- William Farwell enters a voluntary decertification agreement. Agreement
- The POST Commission holds proceedings to determine whether Robert Devine’s law enforcement certification should be permanently revoked.
- A superseding indictment is filed in the federal case against Matthew Farwell. Open
Investigation Timeline
Investigation into Sandra Birchmore’s Death
Investigation Timeline
Sandra Birchmore, Matthew Farwell, William Farwell, Robert Devine, and Joshua Heal
February 1, 2021
- Farwell texted Birchmore to inform her that he was on his way to her apartment. Despite being known for resisting COVID-19 mask mandates, he entered her apartment wearing a face mask.
- Surveillance footage captured Farwell leaving the apartment building shortly after the critical window.
- The apartment was cluttered and unkempt.
- Two cats were present in the apartment.
- The bedroom door was closed. When opened, a desk lamp and colored Christmas lights were found turned on.
- The bed was unmade, with only a sheet over the mattress and the box spring exposed.
- Sandra’s eyeglasses were found on the bed.
- A U.S. Army ACU-pattern duffel bag was among the scattered items in the room.
- Sandra was found seated on the floor with a scarf or strap tightly wrapped around her neck and secured to the bedroom closet door handle.
- Reports vary, with some referring to it as a scarf and others as a strap.
- Officer Ensley Cotard noted a large pool of dried blood around her mouth.
- 9:13 PM: Sandra’s phone was locked after sending the final text to Matthew Farwell stating that the door was unlocked.
- 9:18 PM: A screenshot of a black screen was recorded.
- 9:40 PM: Eight steps registered by the phone’s motion sensors. This activity occurred while Matthew Farwell was still inside the apartment.
- After 9:40 PM: The phone recorded no additional activity until it was recovered by first responders on February 4, 2021.
- Matthew Farwell is interviewed by the Massachusetts State Police as part of the Sandra Birchmore death investigation. He states that he had known Sandra for about ten years and met her when she was in the Explorers Program.
- William Farwell is interviewed by the Massachusetts State Police. He states that he first met Sandra about ten years earlier when she was in the Explorers Program and he was a guest instructor.
- Detectives collect an iPhone 11 from Farwell. Later, investigators recovered Farwell’s iCloud account, which contained images cited in federal filings as confirming an interest in domestic and sexual violence, including strangulation.
- Dr. Michael Baden concludes that Sandra Birchmore’s death was a homicide by strangulation, contradicting the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s suicide finding.
- Federal authorities indict former Stoughton police detective Matthew Farwell in connection with Sandra Birchmore’s death.
Police Explorers Program
Police Explorers Program
2011 Police Explorers Stoughton
The Stoughton Police Department ran the Explorer program for about 15 years, but could only locate a single one-year agreement with Learning for Life, the Scouting affiliate that oversees the national Explorer program. Robert C. Devine led the Stoughton Police Explorers Program beginning in 2003. Devine invited former Explorers Matthew Farwell and William Farwell to serve as guest instructors. By 2011, the program was attracting 25 to 30 kids annually. Read More
Sandra Birchmore Gallery
Records
Records
Records
2014-12-03 Devine IA Investigation Files 2020-12-01 Canton Police Report, Birchmore 2021-02-17 MSP Reports 2021-02-08 IAB Internal Affairs Investigation 2021-03-08 Matthew Farwell Attorney Letter 2021-03-04 Death Certificate 2022-09-13 Email from Chief Donna McNamara 2022-10-25 Aug to Sep 2022 Manager Report 2022-11-02 Canton Police Supplemental Report 2022-10-12 Investigation File 2022-12-29 Lawsuit October 28, 2025 Superseding Indictment