Update, November 10, 2026. Reaction. “It is the outcome Sandra, her unborn child, and her family have deserved for more than five years,” Stoughton police acting Chief James O’Connor said in a statement, WCVB reported. “What happened to Sandra is a profound betrayal of the trust every police officer is sworn to uphold.” Outside the courthouse, a cousin of Birchmore’s said, “We finally got justice,” NBC10 Boston reported. Sentencing date. WCVB and Boston 25 reported that Farwell will be sentenced February 3, with Boston 25 reporting the judge said he and his lawyers can address the court that day. NBC10 described February 3, 2027 as a presentencing hearing, with the sentencing hearing to be scheduled later. A presentence report will be prepared.
Update, November 10, 2026. Farwell will be sentenced on February 3, WCVB reported.
Update, November 10, 2026. How the government won: never charged with murder, not the baby’s father, guilty anyway.
Update, November 10, 2026. After the verdict, Judge Casper thanked the jurors for their service as Birchmore’s family and friends were audibly emotional in the courtroom, Boston 25 reported. A sentencing date had not yet been reported. Separately, Birchmore’s estate has a civil lawsuit against the Town of Stoughton, Farwell and others that is set for a hearing after the federal trial ends, NBC10 Boston reported.
Guilty on both counts. A federal jury in Boston on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, convicted former Stoughton police detective Matthew Farwell of killing Sandra Birchmore and her unborn child, less than 24 hours after the same jury told the judge it was deadlocked.
The verdict was read shortly before 2 p.m. in the courtroom of Chief U.S. District Judge Denise Casper: “Count 1: GUILTY Count 2: GUILTY,” Boston 25 News reported from inside the courtroom. WCVB also reported that the jury found Farwell guilty in Birchmore’s death.
Birchmore, 23, was found dead in her Canton apartment in February 2021. Her death was first ruled a suicide. Federal prosecutors took over the case and charged Farwell, now 40, with killing her to keep her from reporting a sexual relationship that, prosecutors said, began when she was 15.
How the verdict came in
- The announcement. Just before 2 p.m., the U.S. Attorney’s Office said “the jury says they have reached a verdict in United States v. Matthew Farwell,” Boston 25 reported. Farwell, his lawyers and the prosecutors were in the courtroom.
- The judge. Casper told the gallery, “Thank you for being respectful throughout these proceedings. We must continue to have order in this courtroom throughout the announcement of this verdict,” according to Boston 25.
- Unanimous. The foreperson said the verdict was unanimous. Each juror, seats 1 through 12, was then asked individually and agreed with the verdict, Boston 25 reported.
From deadlock to verdict in less than a day
On Monday afternoon the jury of eight men and four women sent a note saying it was “in a deadlock that looks like it will not change any time soon,” WCVB reported. Casper said she did not think deliberations had been “so long,” and on Tuesday morning she told jurors to take the time they needed and sent them back, as we reported. No Allen charge, the special instruction judges sometimes give a deadlocked jury, was reported before the verdict.
Jurors had deliberated about 10½ hours before Tuesday, according to Boston 25, plus most of Tuesday morning.
What he was convicted of
| Count | Charge | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Killing a witness or victim to prevent communication with law enforcement, 18 U.S.C. § 1512(a)(1)(C) | Guilty |
| 2 | Causing the death of a child in utero during that offense, 18 U.S.C. § 1841 (Unborn Victims of Violence Act) | Guilty |
To convict on Count One, the jury had to find not only that Farwell killed Birchmore but that he did it to keep information about federal crimes from reaching law enforcement. We explained that element in what the jury had to decide.
What sentence he faces
We read the statutes at govinfo.gov and Cornell’s Legal Information Institute.
- Count One. Section 1512(a)(3)(A) says the punishment, “in the case of a killing,” is “the punishment provided in sections 1111 and 1112.” Under § 1111, “Whoever is guilty of murder in the first degree shall be punished by death or by imprisonment for life,” and second-degree murder carries “any term of years or for life.”
- No death penalty. The Justice Department filed notice in December 2025 that it would not seek death, as we reported earlier. That leaves life in prison as the sentence for first-degree murder. Whether the verdict rests on first- or second-degree murder depends on the jury’s findings, which had not been reported in detail Tuesday afternoon.
- Count Two. Section 1841 says the punishment for killing an unborn child “is the same as the punishment provided under Federal law for that conduct had that injury or death occurred to the unborn child’s mother,” and that “the death penalty shall not be imposed for an offense under this section.”
Judge Casper will impose the sentence at a later hearing. A sentencing date had not been reported as of Tuesday afternoon.
What happens next
- Acquittal motion. Under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 29(c)(1), the defense may move for a judgment of acquittal, or renew one, “within 14 days after a guilty verdict or after the court discharges the jury, whichever is later.” Casper denied Farwell’s motion for acquittal before closing arguments.
- New trial motion. Under Rule 33(b)(2), a motion for a new trial on grounds other than newly discovered evidence “must be filed within 14 days after the verdict or finding of guilty.”
- Appeal. After sentencing, a defendant’s notice of appeal “must be filed in the district court within 14 days” after judgment is entered, under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 4(b). An appeal would go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
- Prosecutors. WCVB reported the U.S. Attorney’s Office planned a news conference 30 minutes after the verdict, with members of Birchmore’s family expected to attend.
The case in brief
Prosecutors said Farwell met Birchmore when she was 15 and in the Stoughton Police Explorers program, and that video showed him entering her apartment building at 9:14 p.m. on February 1, 2021, and leaving at 9:43 p.m., three minutes after her phone recorded its final movement, WCVB reported. She was found three days later with a duffel bag strap around her neck. The defense argued Farwell went to the apartment to end the relationship and that Birchmore took her own life. Her death certificate was changed this year from “suicide” to “undetermined,” according to WCVB.
Our trial tracker has every day of testimony. We will update this story with the sentencing date, the prosecutors’ news conference and any post-trial motions.
Frequently asked questions
What was the Matthew Farwell verdict?
Guilty on both counts: killing Sandra Birchmore to prevent her from communicating with law enforcement, and causing the death of her unborn child. The jury announced the verdict November 10, 2026, Boston 25 News and WCVB reported.
Was the Farwell jury deadlocked?
On Monday, November 9, jurors said they were deadlocked. They resumed Tuesday and reached a unanimous verdict that afternoon.
What sentence will Matthew Farwell get?
Not yet decided. First-degree murder under federal law carries death or life in prison, and the government is not seeking death. The judge will sentence him at a later date.
Can Matthew Farwell appeal?
Yes. He can file post-trial motions within 14 days of the verdict and appeal to the First Circuit within 14 days after judgment is entered.
Who was the judge in the Farwell trial?
Chief U.S. District Judge Denise Casper of the District of Massachusetts.
Sources: Boston 25 News and WCVB, November 10, 2026; Boston 25 News, NBC10 Boston, Boston.com and WCVB, November 9, 2026. 18 U.S.C. §§ 1111, 1512 and 1841, read at govinfo.gov and Cornell’s Legal Information Institute; Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure 29 and 33 and Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 4, read at Cornell’s Legal Information Institute. General information, not legal advice.