The father of Sandra Birchmore’s unborn child testified Thursday that Birchmore told him “it was not and could not be” his child and named Matthew Farwell as the father. He said she told him her sexual relationship with Farwell began when she was a minor and that he urged her to report it, but she refused. A State Police crime lab analyst testified that Farwell’s DNA was found on the strap around Birchmore’s neck. Three women who had affairs with Farwell years earlier told jurors he never wore a mask or disguise when he met them, testimony aimed at the defense’s explanation for the mask he wore the night Birchmore died.
Day 8 of testimony in United States v. Farwell, on October 22, 2026, was reported by the Boston Globe, NBC10 Boston, WCVB, CBS Boston, Boston 25 News and 7News. Farwell, a former Stoughton detective, is charged with killing Birchmore and her unborn child in February 2021 to keep her from exposing their sexual relationship, which prosecutors say began when she was 15. He has pleaded not guilty. His defense is that Birchmore took her own life after he ended the relationship.
The father of the unborn child
The witness, a 37-year-old former Army recruiter, testified under an immunity agreement. Before he took the stand, the judge told jurors his testimony cannot be used against him in a later criminal case, but that he could be prosecuted for perjury if he testified untruthfully, CBS Boston reported. He said his understanding is that the agreement covers adultery and an improper relationship between a recruiter and a recruit, both offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, according to CBS and WCVB. We are not naming him because he is not accused of a crime in this case.
- How they met. Birchmore contacted him on social media on December 4, 2019, when she was considering enlisting, and they began a sexual relationship within weeks, according to NBC10 and CBS. He was married. He described it as “on again, off again.” Boston 25 reported that he never became her recruiter.
- What she said about Farwell. “She revealed to me that relationship began when she was a minor,” he testified, as reported by the Globe. “I encouraged her to report what he had done, but she ultimately refused,” he said, according to WCVB.
- Why he did not come forward. “I was afraid. I was a married man. I was a recruiter and she was a recruit. I knew what it would do to my marriage, what it would do to my children, what it would do to my career,” he said, as reported by the Globe and CBS. “I also respected her request not to tell.”
- The pregnancy. He said he was “concerned that it could be my child,” the Globe reported, but Birchmore told him, “Nope, we weren’t in my fertile period,” according to NBC10 and Boston 25. She named “Matt” as the father. He said she never told him he might be the father.
- Her state of mind. “I had never seen her so upbeat,” he said, according to CBS. “So full of joy and happiness. She wouldn’t stop talking about it.” He said she never expressed suicidal thoughts to him, NBC10 reported.
- Learning the truth. He gave a DNA sample to the FBI in June 2025 and learned about a year ago that he was the father, according to NBC10 and Boston 25.
The Globe reported that he described the behavior Birchmore attributed to Farwell after the pregnancy news as “erratic and inconsistent.”
The cross-examination
Defense attorney Joanne Daley used text messages to test whether Birchmore might have known or suspected that he was the father:
- “Our secrets.” About a week before Birchmore died, after her doctor changed her due date, she asked him to call her, and phone records show they talked, the Globe reported. Afterward, she asked whether he would keep “our secrets.” He said he assumed she meant their affair. “Is she saying please don’t tell anyone about the relationship or don’t tell anyone you might be the father?” Daley asked, according to the Globe. He again denied that Birchmore ever told him he was the father, and said he could not recall the call.
- Mental health. The defense brought out that Birchmore was taking antidepressants, CBS and 7News reported. Boston 25 reported that he acknowledged knowing about her mental health history and a previous suicide attempt. 7News reported that the defense also asked whether he had told the FBI she expressed suicidal thoughts.
- A 2020 text. The defense showed a 2020 exchange in which Birchmore compared him with Farwell, writing of Farwell, “He’s scared of hurting me,” CBS reported.
Prosecutors contend that Birchmore and Farwell both believed the child was Farwell’s until her death. The defense says Farwell was confident he was not the father and told Birchmore so, the Globe reported.
The DNA on the strap
Betsey Duval, a forensic scientist at the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory, testified that she received DNA profiles from Birchmore, Farwell and the unborn child’s father, NBC10 reported. According to NBC10, WCVB and CBS:
- DNA results from the ligature found around Birchmore’s neck included Farwell’s DNA, along with Birchmore’s own.
- DNA from both Farwell and the father was found on Birchmore’s underwear, WCVB reported.
- On cross-examination, the defense pointed out that Duval interpreted the testing results but did not perform the testing herself, NBC10 reported.
Farwell has told investigators he went to Birchmore’s apartment the night of February 1, 2021, to end the relationship. DNA on an object shows contact at some point. It does not by itself show when the contact happened or how.
The other women
Three women testified that they had consensual affairs with Farwell between 2012 and 2016, while he was dating or married to his wife, according to the Globe and CBS. CBS reported that one met him through the Stoughton Police Explorers program and the affair was in 2012; the other two were in 2016. We are not naming them.
- The point of the testimony. The defense told jurors in its opening that Farwell wore a mask to Birchmore’s apartment the night she died to keep the affair from his wife. The women testified that he never wore a mask or disguise when they met, WCVB and Boston 25 reported, and the Globe reported that they said he never asked them to delete texts.
- The defense response. Boston 25 reported that the defense pointed out that all of those relationships were before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other witnesses, including two Stoughton detectives, have testified that Farwell was strongly opposed to masks. Our day 7 post covers that testimony.
Why this kind of evidence is limited. Under Fed. R. Evid. 404(b), evidence of other acts “is not admissible to prove a person’s character in order to show that on a particular occasion the person acted in accordance with the character.” It may be admitted for another purpose, such as motive, intent, plan or knowledge. As reported, prosecutors offered the women’s testimony to contrast how Farwell behaved in those affairs with how he behaved around Birchmore’s death, including the mask. That is a purpose other than character. WCVB reported that prosecutors fought to include it.
A friend from volleyball
A 29-year-old friend who played volleyball with Birchmore testified that Birchmore told her Farwell’s reaction to the pregnancy “was not good” and turned into a fight, NBC10 reported. She described other statements Birchmore attributed to Farwell during that fight, which we are not repeating because only one outlet has reported them. The friend said she messaged Birchmore on Snapchat at 9:37 p.m. on February 1, 2021, and never got a reply. Boston 25 reported that she called State Police and Canton police after Birchmore’s death. On cross-examination, she said she had told State Police she was skeptical of Birchmore’s claim that she was pregnant with twins, NBC10 reported.
What comes next
Court resumes Friday, October 23, for a half day of testimony, NBC10 reported. Boston 25 reported that a mental health counselor and a friend of Birchmore’s are expected to testify. The Globe reported that prosecutors said they could rest their case as early as Wednesday. Cameras are not allowed in the federal courtroom. Our trial tracker has the full timeline.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the father of Sandra Birchmore’s baby?
DNA testing showed the father was a man Birchmore had a relationship with in 2019 to 2021, then an Army recruiter, not Matthew Farwell. He testified on October 22, 2026, under an immunity agreement, that Birchmore told him the child was not his and named Farwell as the father.
Was Farwell’s DNA on the strap?
A State Police crime lab forensic scientist testified that DNA results from the ligature found around Birchmore’s neck included Farwell’s DNA, along with Birchmore’s. The defense noted that she interpreted the results but did not perform the testing.
Why did women who had affairs with Farwell testify?
The defense says Farwell wore a mask the night Birchmore died to hide the affair from his wife. Three women who had affairs with him from 2012 to 2016 testified that he never wore a mask or disguise with them. The defense pointed out that those relationships were before the pandemic.
Why did the father need immunity?
He said adultery and a sexual relationship between a recruiter and a recruit are offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The judge told jurors his testimony cannot be used against him in a later criminal case, but he can be prosecuted for perjury if he lies.
When will the prosecution rest in the Farwell trial?
The Boston Globe reported that prosecutors said they could rest as early as Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Court was set for a half day on Friday, October 23.
Sources: The Boston Globe, NBC10 Boston live coverage, WCVB, CBS Boston, Boston 25 News and 7News (WHDH), October 22, 2026. Fed. R. Evid. 404(b) read in full. Quotations are as reported by those outlets. We have not named private witnesses who are not public employees or the father of the unborn child. Matthew Farwell has pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent. General information, not legal advice.