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Never Charged With Murder, Not the Baby’s Father, Guilty Anyway: How Prosecutors Convicted Matthew Farwell
Matthew Farwell was never charged with murder, and DNA showed he was not the father of Sandra Birchmore’s baby. The jury convicted him anyway. Here is how.
Latest News
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GUILTY: Matthew Farwell Convicted of Killing Sandra Birchmore and Her Unborn Child, a Day After the Jury Said It Was Deadlocked
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Once Sentenced to Life Without Parole, Lincoln-Sudbury Killer John Odgren Asks the Parole Board for Release
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Karen Read Gets $100,000 From State Police, the Most State Law Allows. Here’s Why It Can’t Be More
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Farwell Judge Holds Off on the ‘Dynamite Charge,’ Sends Deadlocked Jury Back to Work
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Farwell Judge Signals No Quick Mistrial: ‘I Don’t Think It’s Been So Long.’ What Casper Is Likely to Do Tuesday
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The “Dynamite Charge”: The Instruction That Could Break the Farwell Deadlock
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Lindsay Clancy Loses Double Jeopardy Bid: Judge Clears Way for Retrial, Rejects Holdout Juror Inquiry and Gag Order
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Farwell Jury Says Its Deadlock “Will Not Change Any Time Soon.” Is a Mistrial Next?
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Everett Soccer Game Shooting: Man Held for Dangerousness Hearing. What the Gun Charges Carry
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Nearly 200,000 Lost SNAP in Massachusetts: The New Work Rules, Who Is Exempt, and How to Appeal
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Jordon Hudson Sues Winthrop Airbnb Owners Over Shirtless Belichick Ring Video: The Privacy and 93A Claims
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Farwell Jury Deliberations Resume Monday: What to Expect, Hung Jury vs. Mistrial, and Federal vs. State Jury Duty
Court Decisions Explained
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SJC Voids Children’s Gym Liability Waiver Under Health Club Statute: Cross v. BeFree Enterprises (SJC-13933, November 10, 2026)
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SJC to Evicted Tenant: Use the Regular Appeal Process: Moton v. Fall River Housing Authority (SJC-13998, November 9, 2026)
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SJC Affirms Bar on Serial Interlocutory Review: Latham v. Aramark (SJC-13990, Nov. 5, 2026)
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City Cannot Sue to Challenge Public Records Supervisor’s Orders Before Enforcement: Malden v. Supervisor of Public Records (AC 25-P-235, November 3, 2026)
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SJC Affirms Denial of Extraordinary Relief in Foreclosure Challenge: Gambee v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (SJC-13964, October 29, 2026)
About this siteMassachusetts Legal Resources covers Massachusetts courts, criminal cases, new laws and ballot questions, and explains the law behind each story in plain English. About us and our standards.
Massachusetts Legal Guides
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Massachusetts Health Care Proxy: Witnesses, No Notary, and Why a Living Will Is Not Enough
The proxy is the document that works. The living will is not binding in Massachusetts, and neither one will stop an ambulance…
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Massachusetts Power of Attorney: No Witnesses, No Notary, and What That Really Means
Massachusetts has no statutory form and never adopted the Uniform Act. What actually makes a power durable, why springing powers fail in…
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Massachusetts Restraining Orders: 209A vs 258E, and the New Coercive Control Law
Two kinds of protective order, and choosing wrong costs weeks. Both are free. And the definition of abuse gained a fourth prong…
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Massachusetts Earned Sick Time: Who Gets Paid, How Much, and When
Whether your sick time is paid comes down to one number, and the way employers count to eleven is broader than most…
More Court Decisions Explained
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Overwhelming Evidence Defeats Breathalyzer-Tainted OUI Plea Withdrawal: Commonwealth v. Pierre (AC 25-P-1415, October 29, 2026)
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SJC Closes Door on Repeat Custody Appeals: Margis v. Margis (SJC-13993, October 26, 2026)
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Late Service on Amended Complaint Does Not Cure Failure to Serve Original: Pierre v. Theodat (AC 25-P-1298, October 23, 2026)
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Service Failures Sink Triple Appeal: Pidge v. The Governor (SJC-13894, 13902 & 13905, Oct. 22, 2026)
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Appeals Court Upholds First Coercive Control Order Under Expanded Abuse Definition: Kehlani K. v. Tripp T. (AC 25-P-960, October 22, 2026)
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SJC Upholds Firearms Age Restriction, Drawing on Historical Militia Traditions: Commonwealth v. Thomson (SJC-13856, October 20, 2026)
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SJC to Litigants: Use the Ordinary Appeal Process (Tarasuik v. DeSimone, SJC-13957, October 20, 2026)
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SJC Shuts Door on G.L. c. 211, § 3 Petition When Direct Appeal Available: Tarasuik v. 162 Washington LLC (SJC-13981, October 20, 2026)
More News and Trial Coverage
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50 Scientists Ask MIT to Reopen David Sabatini’s Tenure Review After the $6 Million Verdict. What Comes Next
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Westfield Data Center Developer Sues in Land Court Over Denied Permit Extension: The ‘Good Cause’ Fight Explained
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Massachusetts Has Two New District Court Judges: Governor’s Council Confirms Michael Callanan and Kristen Tyson
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Swansea Car Dealer Who Sold Cars Without Titles Gets 4 to 6 Years: What Massachusetts Title Law Requires
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Massachusetts Abortion Law Is Now in Effect: Healey’s Emergency Declaration Blocks the Referendum Pause. What Happens in 2028
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Former Cape Cod Rowing Coach Charged With Child Rape Dating to 2007: Why There Is No Time Limit
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Farwell Jury Begins Deliberating: Prosecutors Say He Went to Birchmore’s Apartment ‘to Save Himself,’ Defense Points to Suicide Ruling
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New Bedford Man Gets Life Without Parole in Aaron Britto Killing: Why His Age, 21, Made It Mandatory
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New Norfolk DA Djuna Perkins Plans Karen Read Audit, Proctor Case Review and Possible Birchmore Grand Jury
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Fall River Police Release Bodycam of Fatal Shooting of Nigel Vaughn: Why Investigators Found It Justified
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Tewksbury 18-Year-Old Charged With Threatening to Kill Trump: What the Federal Threat Law Requires
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Westborough Police Chief Found With Vodka in His Cruiser: Why He Was Cited, Not Charged With OUI
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3M’s $7.35 Billion PFAS Firefighting Foam Settlement: Who It Covers and How It Works
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Foxborough 16-Year-Old Charged With Murder in Dorchester Double Shooting: Why the Case Is in Adult Court
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Appeals Court Revives Global Premier Soccer Malpractice Suit Against Burns & Levinson
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Springfield Councilor Proposes Flock Camera Ban as New Bedford Mayor Offers Rules Instead
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Kseniia Petrova Frog Embryo Charges Dismissed: Why Prosecutors Dropped the Case
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Farwell Closing Arguments Friday: How It Works and What the Jury Must Decide