Friend, Stoughton Police Officials Testify In Ex-MA Cop’s Murder Trial: Reports

STOUGHTON, MA — The third day of testimony finished on Thursday in the federal trial of former Stoughton police detective Matthew Farwell.

Five witnesses testified Thursday as prosecutors continued presenting their case, including Birchmore’s friend Lesley Davis, two current Stoughton police officials, a former deputy chief and a digital forensic examiner.

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 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.

• More From Second Day Of Testimony: Trooper Questioned In Trial Of Ex-MA Cop Accused Of Killing Pregnant Woman

Third Day Of Testimony

Birchmore’s friend Lesley Davis testified that she spoke with Birchmore for about 25 minutes on the night prosecutors say she died. Birchmore did not discuss suicide and Davis said she would have remembered if she had, according to CBS Boston. Davis also testified that Birchmore previously said Farwell pushed her to the ground.

Stoughton Police Sgt. Robert Kuhn testified that Farwell appeared stressed, took more phone calls and drank more in the period before Birchmore’s death. Kuhn and Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara also testified that Farwell opposed COVID-19 masks. Prosecutors have shown surveillance video of Farwell wearing a mask as he entered Birchmore’s apartment building that night.

Digital forensic examiner Nicholas Guarino testified that a search of Farwell’s cellphone found no messages with Birchmore. Under cross-examination, Guarino said some redundant data had been deleted and files were lost when an external hard drive failed, but he denied intentionally withholding evidence, according to CBS Boston and The Boston Globe.

Brian Holmes, a former Stoughton deputy police chief who led the department’s internal investigation after Birchmore’s death, was the final witness Thursday. His cross-examination is expected to continue Friday, according to CBS Boston.

The trial is expected to last about five weeks. Farwell would face life in federal prison if convicted.

Editor’s note: This story was last updated Thursday at 5 p.m. with additional testimony from the third day of the trial.

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