Stoughton, MA Police Chief on Sandra Birchmore Investigation: Monday Update – NECN

A new forensic report into the death of a pregnant woman who authorities say had relationships with three Stoughton police officers – including one as a girl – has “deeply disturbed and alarmed” the department’s chief, the official said Monday.

This is the latest news on the death of Sandra Birchmore, who met the three officers as a teenager through the Stoughton Police Department’s Teen Explorer Program. Investigators say she committed suicide without any evidence of foul play.

Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara issued a statement to the Stoughton community on Monday about the new report, which was issued by a pathologist hired by Birchmore’s family as part of a civil lawsuit against the city.

NBC10 Boston has not reviewed the report, but The Boston Globe reported Monday that a former New York City medical examiner found in it that Birchmore’s death was a homicide, not a suicide. Without mentioning his findings, McNamara said the report deserves further thorough review.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.orgYou can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/Resources for additional support.

“I was deeply disturbed and troubled by what I read. While I am not a trained forensic pathologist and am not qualified to draw direct conclusions, the findings certainly warrant further investigation at the highest levels. As always, we will continue to support all efforts to ensure that truth and justice prevail,” McNamara wrote in her letter.

Read their full statement below.

A spokesman for the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office said Monday that several law enforcement agencies are still reviewing information related to the investigation, which is ongoing. A state police representative wrote in an email that it would be “inappropriate” to comment, citing the ongoing investigation and the family’s lawsuit.

Three former police officers are accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a woman who later became pregnant and died by suicide, according to the results of an internal investigation by the Stoughton Police Department. The Abington Police Department also confirmed it was aware of the alleged misconduct by one of its officers.

The three Stoughton officers accused of having inappropriate relationships with Birchmore, who was 23 at the time of her death, are Matthew Farwell, William Farwell and Robert Devine, McNamara said at a September 2022 news conference announcing the results of the department’s internal investigation. All resigned before being interviewed as part of the investigation.

She also said that a fourth person, who later worked for another police department, was also accused of having an inappropriate relationship with Birchmore.

Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673and Massachusetts provides this list of statewide resources for victims of sexual assault.

No charges have been filed against the officers named in the case. In a civil lawsuit filed by Birchmore’s estate, which also names the city and Stoughton police, they have denied the allegations against them, alleging “wrongful death, negligence, negligent supervision, negligent imprisonment, pain and suffering, and emotional distress” related to a years-long care plan.

The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office spokesman previously noted that all three officers named by McNamara were placed on what’s known as the Brady List, which identifies officers whose credibility has been questioned and who are deemed unsuitable to testify in court. In addition, Matthew Farwell, who is accused of having sexual contact with Birchmore when she was a minor, has had his police officer certification revoked under the state’s POST Commission’s rules.

Birchmore joined the Explorer program at age 13 and met instructor Matthew Farwell there. McNamara said evidence showed he began an inappropriate relationship with her when she was 15 and he was 27 – which would be considered rape of a minor under Massachusetts law.

Over the course of several years, hundreds of messages and explicit exchanges between the two were uncovered, the boss said at the time.

William Farwell, Matthew’s brother, is alleged to have not only had several inappropriate encounters with Birchmore, but also exchanged explicit messages and photos with her while on duty. He was also accused of “at least” attempting to introduce Birchmore to other men.

She said at the time that the problem in her department had been resolved, and reiterated on Monday that the agency would continue to cooperate with the investigation into Birchmore’s death: “Sandra did not receive the slightest bit of justice during her lifetime, and we will not slacken in our efforts to fulfill our duty to do justice, and she will not be forgotten after her death.”

Watch the full statement from Stoughton Police regarding three former police officers accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a young woman they met during her teenage years who later committed suicide while pregnant.

The case has shed light on allegations of abuse in the Explorers program, in which local police mentor youth in the community. Last month, the Marshall Project said it had found at least 193 other allegations of inappropriate police behavior related to the Explorers program over the past 50 years, including grooming and sexual abuse.

The Boy Scouts who developed the program told The Marshall Project at the time that they were concerned about the safety of youth and that if “a leader in one of our programs abused his or her position of trust,” “appropriate action” would be taken and they would be held accountable.

Read Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara’s full statement on the Sandra Birchmore case from June 24

The Stoughton Police Department released the following statement on its website on Monday, June 24, 2024:

To the Stoughton community,

As part of our ongoing investigation into the extremely disturbing events surrounding the life and death of Sandra Birchmore, we have retained legal counsel as Sandra’s family is suing the City of Stoughton.

Sandra’s family hired a pathologist who prepared a report as part of the preparation of the civil lawsuit. We have received and reviewed the report and are aware that the Boston Globe and other news media may have also received the report. My statement on the report is below. The Stoughton Police Department is committed to transparency in this matter and we will continue to provide updates as they become available.

As Chief of the Stoughton Police Department, I participated directly in this lengthy and aggressive internal investigation. In September 2022, I released a summary that revealed for the first time the horrific injustices, including grooming and sexual abuse inflicted on Sandra Birchmore by a rogue and corrupt former police officer, as well as other inappropriate sexual relationships by other former police officers. It has been my stated mission, guided both by my understanding of Stoughton Police Department policies and procedures and my own moral compass, that this process must be as transparent as possible and that we follow every lead and shed light on all aspects of this horrific chapter of our history, no matter what.

I must clarify that our police department does not have jurisdiction over the investigation into Sandra’s death, which occurred in another community. However, I want to reiterate that the Stoughton Police Department has assisted and continues to work with other law enforcement agencies. Sandra did not receive one shred of justice during her life, and we will not relent in our efforts to fulfill our duty to administer justice, and she will not be forgotten after her death.

As part of our ongoing cooperation with other agencies, I have uncovered relevant investigative information during the course of the Stoughton Police Department’s internal investigation and as part of our mandatory preparations for the lawsuit filed by Sandra’s family. We have and will continue to share all information with the appropriate agency(s).

However, as a police officer and investigator with decades of experience, it would be remiss of me not to mention that I have reviewed the findings of the outside doctor hired by Sandra’s family. What I have read has deeply disturbed and troubled me. While 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. As always, we will continue to support all efforts to ensure truth and justice prevail.

Every good and decent police officer should be aware of and angry about the injustices that were done to Sandra Birchmore. Sandra idolized police officers and what policing in America stood for and was therefore the victim of abuse.

The only mantra of good police officers must be: Never again and never, as long as I do this.