3 Massachusetts cops fired for 'inappropriate relationship' with girl who died by suicide years later
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STOUGHTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara said on Friday, September 23, an 18-month internal affairs investigation found three former police officers had “inappropriate relationships” with a young woman who once was enrolled in the Stoughton Police Explorers program in 2010. Sandra Birchmore, 23, of Canton, took her own life last year while pregnant with her first child. She told friends the father of the child was Officer Matthew G Farwell, 36, about whom she had been speaking of her relationship until her death.
According to Boston 25News, McNamara, while detailing the probe's findings at a news conference said Farwell’s twin brother, William Farwell, and their former supervisor, Officer Robert C Devine, all allegedly violated department rules and regulations through their conduct with Birchmore. All had resigned from the department before the outcome of the investigation. Birchmore was failed by, abused, and manipulated by the officers, according to McNamarra.
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“Ms. Birchmore was a vulnerable person who had one constant in her life since childhood, with an unwavering appreciation of police officers — people with oaths and duties to protect and serve.” McNamarra said. “The admiration led her to form relationships with men who were willing to take advantage of her.” Deputy Chief Brian Holmes was ordered to lead an investigation by McNamara to determine if any misconduct was committed by members of her department, just a day after the death of Birchmore.
“The subsequent inquiries into her life and death revealed a deeply disturbing pattern of behavior toward her,” McNamarra said. She lashed out at Farwell brothers, as well as Devine for being untruthful and failing in attention and devotion to duty. According to McNamara, evidence from the internal probe demonstrates Matthew Farwell allegedly began “an inappropriate relationship” with Birchmore when she was 15 and he was 27. Investigators allegedly found many digital messages containing “explicit exchanges” between the two over several years, McNamara said. William Farewell is also accused of having a number of inappropriate physical encounters with Birchmore and exchanging explicit messages and photographs with her while on duty.
“The evidence suggests that William Farwell also, at the very least, attempted to introduce Miss Birchmore to other men,” she said. Devine who had been demoted to patrol officer for abusing power, also allegedly had inappropriate relations with Birchmore, McNamara said. He also worked as a detail officer at an after-school program years earlier and had inappropriate contact with another student. He then began overseeing the explorers program, which taught aspects of policing to youth participants. The Farwell brothers participated in the program when they were younger. That program has since been disbanded.
After a “nasty, nasty argument”, Matthew Farwell ended his relationship with Birchmore on February 1, 2021, according to the investigators. She was found dead days later.
“All three men, the Farwell brothers and Devine, violated their oaths of office and should never have the privilege of serving any community as a police officer,” McNamarra said. “Through a sustained and deliberate combination of lies, deceit and treachery, they violated the policies of the Stoughton Police Department.” McNamarra said that she plans to ask the state’s new Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission to decertify the Farwell brothers and Devine. She also added that she is “heartbroken” and “incensed” by what has transpired.
A detailed 60-page report finding was informed to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office. In a statement, the district attorney’s office said, “State Police detectives and the medical examiner found no evidence of foul play in the death of Ms. Birchmore ...The investigation to date has not developed a prosecutable statutory rape case against any individual.”