Sandra Birchmore’s longtime therapist told jurors Friday that she saw “no indication of any suicidal ideation, passive or active plans whatsoever” when she met with Birchmore the day before prosecutors say Matthew Farwell killed her. A close friend testified that Birchmore was the happiest she had seen her in years and that Farwell grew angry when Birchmore told him what she wanted from him as a father. On cross-examination, the defense drew out an antidepressant, a vision of Birchmore’s dead mother, and a message about suicide Birchmore sent the friend months earlier.
Friday, October 23, 2026, was a half day of testimony in United States v. Farwell, reported by the Boston Herald, Boston 25 News, WCVB, 7News, ABC6 and the Boston Globe. 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 says Birchmore died by suicide in her Canton apartment after Farwell ended their relationship.
The therapist
Diala Alkhalil, a licensed mental health counselor, first treated Birchmore when she was 10 or 11 and saw her again starting in 2016, after Birchmore’s mother and grandmother died a month apart, Boston 25 reported. ABC6 reported that she treated Birchmore for almost a decade.
- The last session. Alkhalil saw Birchmore on January 31, 2021. Birchmore presented as her “bubbly, vibrant self,” she testified, according to the Herald. “She seemed like her old self in a sense,” she said. “She was not entirely wired with the anxiety.”
- A fear about the apartment. “She reported to me that she was worried about something happening to her in her apartment,” Alkhalil said, as reported by Boston 25.
- The missed appointment. Birchmore’s next session was set for 3 p.m. on February 4, 2021, the day her body was found. Alkhalil said Birchmore was “never late,” and she recounted “going pale” when Birchmore did not show, the Herald reported. Hours later, a voicemail from an unknown number told her Birchmore was dead. “I was shocked, in disbelief. I listened to that voicemail over and over again,” she said, according to Boston 25.
- Why she doubted suicide. ABC6 reported that Alkhalil described Birchmore’s habit of advocating for her own mental health, her love for her cats, and her pregnancy as protective factors. “She was a fighter,” Alkhalil said, as reported by the Globe. “She was very resilient.”
- The pregnancy. “She was over the moon at having this baby. There was a lot of future planning,” Alkhalil said, according to the Herald, which reported that Birchmore had bought Spanish books so she could teach the baby the language. 7News reported that Birchmore told her the father was a married police officer who did not want to help raise the child. “She knew she was going to be a single mom,” Alkhalil said.
- Farwell. The Herald reported that Alkhalil was immediately concerned when she learned about the sexual relationship and described it as “very transactional.”
- The State Police. Asked by Assistant U.S. Attorney Torrey Cummings whether State Police ever reached out to her, Alkhalil said no; she called them, the Herald reported. Chief U.S. District Judge Denise Casper sustained a defense objection when Cummings asked whether the information she wanted to share included “information about Matt,” according to the Herald.
Alkhalil left the courthouse in tears after testifying, Boston 25 reported.
The cross-examination of the therapist
Federal public defender Joanne Daley focused on two subjects the defense has raised throughout the trial: Birchmore’s medication and her mental state.
- Zoloft. WCVB reported that Alkhalil testified Birchmore, like many of her clients, was taking Zoloft. On cross-examination, Alkhalil agreed that suicidal thoughts may increase when patients begin taking antidepressants, 7News reported. Birchmore’s OB/GYN made a similar concession earlier in the trial.
- The “visit.” Birchmore told Alkhalil that her room would turn cold and her mother, who died in 2016, would appear at the end of her bed carrying a baby, according to the Herald and Boston 25. “She thought her mom was warning her that something bad was going to happen to the baby,” Alkhalil said, as reported by the Herald. Daley asked why Alkhalil had not called it a hallucination. “I didn’t describe it as a dream,” Alkhalil said, according to 7News. “I described it as more of a visit.” She said she did not endorse the experience but “was respectful of her belief,” Boston 25 and the Herald reported. On direct, she told prosecutors that Birchmore never hallucinated or saw or heard things that were not there, the Herald reported.
The friend
Lindsey Crean, a friend and former classmate of Birchmore’s, testified next. Her first name is spelled “Lindsey” by WCVB and the Globe and “Lindsay” by 7News and Boston 25.
- Babysitting. Crean said Birchmore babysat Farwell’s two children, WCVB reported.
- The pregnancy. “This was the happiest I’d seen her since before her mother and grandmother passed,” Crean said, as reported by Boston 25. She said Birchmore believed the baby was “an angel sent from her mother,” according to 7News and Boston 25.
- What Birchmore asked of Farwell. Crean said Birchmore told her Farwell was the father, and that he grew angry after she told him he did not have to be on the birth certificate or attend the birth, and asked only that he stop by on holidays. According to Crean, Farwell responded, “You are asking too much of me,” and worried his wife would find out about the affair, WCVB reported.
- How it started. Crean testified that Birchmore told her Farwell first tutored her in history at a library and later at his home. Birchmore later described sex with Farwell in his truck, including while he was on duty, and said he had “a fixation on choking,” WCVB reported. ABC6 reported similar testimony.
The cross-examination of the friend
- The twin brother. Defense lawyers asked Crean whether Birchmore had also been involved with Farwell’s twin brother, William Farwell. Crean said Birchmore told her she was involved with both brothers, WCVB reported.
- The message. Crean acknowledged that about nine months before Birchmore’s death, while Birchmore was fighting with her aunts, Birchmore messaged her on Facebook: “I kind of want to just KMS. My mental state has been going down and has gotten worse.” Crean agreed that KMS stands for “kill myself,” 7News reported.
Why this testimony matters
Farwell is charged under 18 U.S.C. § 1512(a)(1)(C), which applies to anyone who kills another person with intent to prevent communication to federal law enforcement of information about the commission or possible commission of a federal offense. The government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Farwell killed her and that he did so with that intent. The defense does not have to prove suicide. It needs jurors to have a reasonable doubt that Birchmore was killed at all.
That is why the two sides spent Friday on Birchmore’s state of mind. The government’s witnesses describe a woman planning for a baby. The defense points to Zoloft, a prior suicide attempt that the father of the child said on Thursday he knew about, and the KMS message, and argues that the absence of warning signs does not rule suicide out.
What comes next
The prosecution’s case is winding down, with only a handful of witnesses left, Boston 25 reported. Jurors are expected to hear from the medical examiner and from William Farwell. Boston 25 reported that, on the current timeline, closing arguments could come the first week of November.
Frequently asked questions
Who testified on day 9 of the Farwell trial?
Diala Alkhalil, Sandra Birchmore’s longtime mental health counselor, and Lindsey Crean, a friend and former classmate, testified on Friday, October 23, 2026, a half day.
What did Sandra Birchmore’s therapist say?
Diala Alkhalil testified that she saw Birchmore on January 31, 2021, the day before she died, and saw no sign of suicidal thoughts or plans. She said Birchmore was ecstatic about her pregnancy. On cross-examination she agreed suicidal thoughts can increase when patients start antidepressants, and the defense questioned her about Birchmore’s account of visits from her dead mother.
Is the Farwell trial almost over?
The prosecution is expected to rest after a handful of remaining witnesses, including the medical examiner and William Farwell. Boston 25 reported that closing arguments could come the first week of November 2026.
Sources: Boston Herald, Boston 25 News, WCVB, 7News (WHDH), ABC6 and the Boston Globe, October 23, 2026. Matthew Farwell has pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent. General information, not legal advice.