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Dateline covered the shocking case of Sandra Birchmore, a case that continues to leave us searching for justice, responsibility, and how to handle sensitive investigations. It was February 2021 when 23-year-old pregnant woman Birchmore was found dead in her Canton, Massachusetts, apartment with a strap tied around her neck. Her death was deemed a suicide by the Massachusetts medical examiner, but was strongly disputed by her family.
The case was brought out in the national press again when, in March 2024, the federal prosecutors charged Stoughton retiree Matthew Farwell with murdering Birchmore to silence her and with creating a suicide scene of the crime. Farwell had pleaded not guilty, and as of September 2025, both the criminal trial and the civil wrongful-death suit remained pending.
Dateline's reporting has been a prayed-for answer in highlighting the most important facts, family observations, and the stalemate struggle between federal and state discoveries.
Who was Sandra Birchmore?
Sandra Birchmore was highly dedicated to her community. In the early stages of adolescence, she was a member of the Stoughton Police Explorers program, a teen organization that exposes teens to law enforcement as a career. It was while being a member of the program that she met Matthew Farwell and his twin brother, both of whom were police officers.
Friends and relatives described Birchmore as happy, friendly, and bright. She was a teacher's aide at the time of her death and was taking nursing classes. Most importantly, she was pregnant and had apparently looked forward to motherhood with great enthusiasm.
Dateline reports that friends said her plans were so promising as to assure that her official declaration of suicide did not indicate her mental status.
The 2021 death and the first suicide ruling
Birchmore was discovered in February 2021 in her Canton apartment with a strap drawn tight across her neck attached to the doorknob of a closet. The death was ruled asphyxiation by the authorities and the cause of death as suicide. This is the ruling that still stands on her official certificate of death.
But the Birchmore family acted quickly. They claimed that evidence such as damaged personal belongings, her discussions with her friends, and her wish to be a mom contradicted the concept of suicide. The family believed that the investigation had been cut short and didn't examine important evidence, Dateline reports.
Federal indictment of Matthew Farwell
The case turned dramatic in March 2024, when federal prosecutors charged Matthew Farwell. The indictment claimed he murdered Birchmore so she couldn't testify against him for crimes during their relationship. He was charged with specifically murdering a witness or victim, a federal crime.
Court filings showed security cameras caught Farwell entering and exiting Birchmore's apartment complex the night she was killed. Prosecutors claimed this, coupled with their affair, put him at the crime scene. Farwell entered a not-guilty plea, saying their affair was consensual and started after Birchmore turned 18.
Dateline pointed out the difference between the state's conclusion of suicide and the federal prosecution on a charge of homicide, illustrating how the same facts might be interpreted in two different ways depending on the paradigm of investigation.
Forensic reviews and expert opinions
At the heart of the case is the conflict of medical opinions. The Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has not altered its belief that death by suicide occurred. But the Birchmore family retained the services of forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden to render an independent opinion.
Baden determined that Baden's injuries were more similar to strangulation homicide than self-inflicted asphyxia. His conclusion was seen on the news and Dateline, but it is nevertheless an expert opinion rather than a state finding. This difference highlights one of the actual conflicts in the case: the incompatibility of forensic explanations for the same evidence.
DNA results and debate over motive
In June 2025, court documents indicated that DNA testing was completed, which found Farwell was not the father of Birchmore's unborn baby. Prosecutors utilized it in their theory of motive and indicated Birchmore's pregnancy and willingness to share details about their relationship could have enticed Farwell.
Dateline detailed how the DNA evidence made the previous reports more complex. While the breakthrough did not so much unravel questions surrounding her death, it gave the prosecution's theory and the family's inquiries on the true sequence of events around the tragedy a new level.
Police associations and oversight issues
Birchmore's relationship with the Stoughton Police Explorers program also made her close friends with some of the officers. There were later claims that she had improper relationships not just with Matthew Farwell but also with his twin brother and at least one other as well.
This discovery led to more widespread concerns regarding oversight within the Stoughton Police Department. Internal inquiry resulted in disciplining, resignations, and public condemnation of how the department managed interactions with younger players.
Dateline's segment described how the case of Birchmore revealed systemic failures that went far beyond the happenings of one evening.
The civil wrongful death lawsuit
Aside from the criminal accusation, Matthew Farwell's brother, a fellow officer, and the Town of Stoughton were also sued by Birchmore's family for wrongful death. The complaint alleges negligence and misconduct on her part, resulting in her death.
As of September 2025, the case continues pending, as well as the federal prosecution. Dateline witnessed how the parallel paths of the criminal and civil cases mirror the resolve of the family to pursue accountability via different routes.
Dateline's role in raising public awareness
Dateline devoted an entire episode to the Sandra Birchmore case in May of 2024, giving national attention to what was initially a pretty local case. The episode featured interviews with the Birchmore family, expert testimony by Dr. Baden, and evidence like surveillance tapes.
Through having the events portrayed chronologically in a timeline, Dateline managed to demystify the way the case has been controversial. It also explained the distinction between state-level suicide designation and federal homicide indictment. The elaborate explanation enabled members of the audience to grasp the nuances without advancing any specific conclusion.
Current status of the case
Up to late September 2025, Matthew Farwell's trial is still incomplete. He continues to have a plea of not guilty. The Massachusetts medical examiner still has not recanted their conclusion on the cause of Birchmore's death, which is still officially recorded as suicide.
At the same time, federal prosecutors are also asking for homicide indictments, and the wrongful death lawsuit remains pending. The simultaneous ongoing criminal and civil cases leave the case still hanging in the public mind without any final legal resolution made.
Therefore, the Sandra Birchmore case is the site of convergence for personal tragedy, legal complexity, and issues of institutional control. Officially, Massachusetts authorities cite that she committed suicide. Federal prosecutors cite that she was murdered by a police officer who attempted to silence her.
Dateline's reporting has given complete coverage of the case, and readers and audiences alike have had an account of contentious forensic evidence, surveillance data, lobbying by family members, and departmental problems with the Stoughton Police Department.
Trending
Now the case is before the courts, but Dateline's reporting gives that Birchmore's tale, and the questions surrounding her death, are out there to be seen and asked.
Also read: Dateline: The Betrayal of Sanda Birchmore - Everything we know about the latest true crime episode
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