STOUGHTON, MA — The sixth day of testimony is complete in the federal trial of former Stoughton police detective Matthew Farwell.
Four people testified Tuesday: FBI Special Agent Heidi Kelsch, former Stoughton police dispatcher James Fitton, Birchmore's OB-GYN, Dr. Priyanka Venkataraman, and attorney Jessica Katz, according to multiple reports.
Farwell, 40, is charged with killing Birchmore and causing the death of her unborn child. Prosecutors allege he strangled the pregnant 23-year-old in her Canton apartment in 2021 to prevent her from disclosing their relationship, which they say began when she was 15. Farwell has pleaded not guilty and maintains Birchmore died by suicide.
Prosecutors say Farwell killed the 23-year-old to prevent her from disclosing that he had groomed and sexually abused her beginning when she was 15, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The first set of witnesses took the stand last Tuesday after a jury of 16 was finalized last week.
Farwell faces federal charges of killing a witness or victim and causing the death of a child in utero, according to a superseding indictment. Prosecutors claim Farwell strangled Birchmore in her apartment on Feb. 1, 2021, then staged the scene to appear as though she died by suicide.
Farwell's defense acknowledges that he had an affair with Birchmore but maintains that he did not kill her.
Fitton testified that Farwell became angry after learning that Birchmore's friend had called the Police Department to report their relationship. Venkataraman testified that Birchmore's pregnancy was progressing and that she showed no signs of becoming unstable before her death, according to The Boston Globe.
Kelsch, who completed her third day on the stand, was questioned about text messages and social media material collected during the FBI investigation. She testified that investigators could not determine whether Birchmore had viewed posts concerning suicide that appeared in her social media feed, according to WHDH.
The trial is expected to last about five weeks. Farwell would face life in federal prison if convicted.
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