Timeline

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Timeline

All information directly sourced from the Affidavit of Special Agent Chenee Castruita in Support of Government’s Motion for Detention unless noted otherwise.

May 1997 - Sandra Birchmore is born.

May 13 1997*

2008 - Matthew Farwell becomes a sworn member of the Wellesley Police Department.
March 2010 - Sandra Birchmore applies for the Police Explorers program. At the time, she was 12 years old.
March 27 2012 - Matthew Farwell is hired by the Stoughton Police Department.
October 28 2012 - 26-year-old Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a friend request on Facebook. She was 15 years old at the time.
April 10 2013 - 27-year-old Matthew Farwell begins inappropriate sexual relationship with Sandra who is 15 years old.

April 15 2013 - Boston Marathon Bombing.

May 2013 - Matthew Farwell gets married.
2016 - Sandra leaves the Police Explorers.
February 21 2019 - Sandra Birchmore and Matthew Farwell text about his taking of her virginity. She says “she was happy he ‘took it’” and Farwell agrees it was “a big thing to get to be the first.” In this conversation, Farwell acknowledges she was still in school at the time. He also talks about other sexual acts he engaged in with her.
March 7 2019 - Matthew Farwell tells Sandra Birchmore she owes him three “serious poundings”. She says it won’t be a fun month.

Investigators say Farwell used violent sex as a punishment for things like bad grades or turning off her location data.

March 11 2019 - Matthew Farwell asks Sandra Birchmore why her location is off.
March 11 2019 - Matthew Farwell reminded Sandra Birchmore to “clear all this out”, referring to deleting texts and evidence of their relationship.
March 19 2019 - Matthew Farwell texts Sandra Birchmore asking her to imagine what she would have done if he had gotten her pregnant. In this series of texts she implies she skipped her prom to sleep with him.
March 19 2019 - Matthew Farwell texts Sandra Birchmore about a rape fantasy and then tells her to “clear out this text.”
March 22 2019 - Matthew Farwell asks Sandra Birchmore to turn on her location.
April 22 2019 - Matthew Farwell accuses Sandra Birchmore of hiding something because her location is off.
June 5 2019 - Matthew Farwell tells Sandra Birchmore to delete their texts and Facebook messages.
June 15 2019 - Matthew Farwell and Sandra Birchmore discuss and plan a role play in which she would pretend to be 14 years old.
June 17 2019 - Matthew Farwell tells Sandra Birchmore that she should have told him she wanted to have sex when he helped her “test prep” at the library.
June 22 2019 - Matthew Farwell asks Sandra Birchmore why her location was off “the other day.”
July 5 2019 - Matthew Farwell says “I see your location is off again.”
January 29 2020 - Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a text message discussing grabbing or squeezing her the throat, pinning her down by the throat, or choking her during sexual activity.
February 10 2020 - Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a text message discussing grabbing or squeezing her the throat, pinning her down by the throat, or choking her during sexual activity.
February 11 2020 - Sandra Birchmore and Matthew Farwell text about the exact date that he took her virginity.
February 21 2020 - Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a text message discussing grabbing or squeezing her the throat, pinning her down by the throat, or choking her during sexual activity.
February 21 2020 - Matthew Farwell described pinning Sandra Birchmore down during sex and asks her to say “Matt stop I’m 13 I’m not ready for this omfg please stop.” Other fantasies include Sandra pretending Farwell was her older brother sneaking into her room while she was asleep.
February 21 2020 - Matthew Farwell tells Sandra Birchmore he wishes they hadn’t waited until 2013. He also tells her “you will listen and give me whatever I want.” Sandra says she decided in 2012 she was going to have sex with him.
March 9 2020 - Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a text message discussing grabbing or squeezing her the throat, pinning her down by the throat, or choking her during sexual activity.
March 23 2020 - Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a text message discussing grabbing or squeezing her the throat, pinning her down by the throat, or choking her during sexual activity.
March 30 2020 - Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a text message discussing grabbing or squeezing her the throat, pinning her down by the throat, or choking her during sexual activity.
April 2 2020 - Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a text message discussing grabbing or squeezing her the throat, pinning her down by the throat, or choking her during sexual activity.
April 5 2020 - Matthew Farwell admits to Sandra Birchmore that he knew he wanted to have sex with her, specifically to take her virginity, as soon as he “started helping [her] with school work.”
April 10 2020 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.

Farwell texts Sandra “I’m going to sneak away from work quick.”

May 1 2020 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
May 20 2020 - Sandra Birchmore tells a friend she lost her virginity five days before the Boston Marathon Bombing.
May 20 2020 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
May 2020 - Sandra Birchmore is temporarily hospitalized for her mental health due to thoughts of self harm. She was released after a few hours.
May 11 2020 - Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a text message discussing grabbing or squeezing her the throat, pinning her down by the throat, or choking her during sexual activity.
May 14 2020 - Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a text message discussing grabbing or squeezing her the throat, pinning her down by the throat, or choking her during sexual activity.
May 15 2020 - Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a text message discussing grabbing or squeezing her the throat, pinning her down by the throat, or choking her during sexual activity.
June 4 2020 - Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a text message discussing grabbing or squeezing her the throat, pinning her down by the throat, or choking her during sexual activity.
June 7 2020 - Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a text message discussing grabbing or squeezing her the throat, pinning her down by the throat, or choking her during sexual activity.
June 13 2020 - Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a text message discussing grabbing or squeezing her the throat, pinning her down by the throat, or choking her during sexual activity.
June 19 2020 - Matthew Farwell teases Sandra Birchmore in a text, telling her he wouldn’t have had to use a condom with her if he “pushed”. She agrees, saying she was “kinda scared to say no in the beginning”.
June 27 2020 - Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a text message discussing grabbing or squeezing her the throat, pinning her down by the throat, or choking her during sexual activity.
July 1 2020 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
July 2020 - Matthew Farwell tells Sandra Birchmore she can turn her location back off. He says he doesn’t like it because “big brother is always watching.”
August 5 2020 - Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a text message discussing grabbing or squeezing her the throat, pinning her down by the throat, or choking her during sexual activity.
August 12 2020 - William Farwell writes a letter of recommendation on behalf of Sandra Birchmore and sends it to the UMass Boston Nursing program.*
August 14 2020 - Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a text message discussing grabbing or squeezing her the throat, pinning her down by the throat, or choking her during sexual activity.
September 22 2020 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
September 24 2020 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
September 25 2020 - Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a text message discussing grabbing or squeezing her the throat, pinning her down by the throat, or choking her during sexual activity.
September 28 2020 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
October 5 2020 - Sandra Birchmore learns from a friends that Matthew Farwell’s wife is pregnant with their third child.
October 5 2020 - Sandra Birchmore texts with friends about the sexual relationship, saying it had been “almost 10 years” and admitting that Farwell had sex with her “before [she] was 16.”
October 5 2020 - Sandra Birchmore drafts a text message to Matthew Farwell’s wife, informing her that he had been cheating on him since before they were married. She sent this text to a friend, not to his wife.
October 5 2020 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
October 5 2020 - Sandra Birchmore begins to demand unprotected sex with Matthew Farwell until she got pregnant, otherwise she would blow the whistle on their relationship. Having sex with her under the age of 16 was statutory rape and it was also a crime to meet with her while he was on duty, especially for sex.
October 6 2020 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
October 12 2020 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
October 12 2020 - Matthew Farwell tells Sandra Birchmore the agreement was to try one time. She disagrees.
October 13 2020 - They again disagree about their original agreement.
October 14 2020 - Matthew Farwell declines a key to Sandra Birchmore’s apartment.
October 14 2020 - Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a text message discussing grabbing or squeezing her the throat, pinning her down by the throat, or choking her during sexual activity. He says he was going to “cover her mouth” and “choke you a little”. He also says “I’ll grab your throat and you won’t say a word to anyone.”
October 15 2020 - Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a text message discussing grabbing or squeezing her the throat, pinning her down by the throat, or choking her during sexual activity.
October 18 2020 - Matthew Farwell refers to himself as “daddy.” He says he is going to “tell her to keep [her] fucking mouth shut do you understand me.”
October 19 2020 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
October 23 2020 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
October 25 2020 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
November 3 2020 - Sandra Birchmore asks Matthew Farwell if they can try to conceive again. Farwell tells her “that’s an in person discussion.”
November 5 2020 - Sandra Birchmore asks Matthew Farwell if he has thought about whether they can try again. He again tells her “that’s an in person discussion.”
November 6 2020 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
November 8 2020 - Matthew Farwell says his perfect fantasy would be “full r word”. She says she would be willing to do this roleplay but he says “doesn’t matter I’ll do whatever I want anyways.”
November 13 2020 - Matthew Farwell sends Sandra Birchmore a text message discussing grabbing or squeezing her the throat, pinning her down by the throat, or choking her during sexual activity. He says he wants her to feel like “omg this is really happening and I can’t stop it.”
November 18 2020 - Sandra Birchmore and Matthew Farwell discuss having sex in the future.
November 18 2020 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
November 24 2020 - Sandra Birchmore asks Matthew Farwell if he will be working when they were going to meet up. He replies “yes I will be on the clock.”
November 24 2020 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
November 28 2020 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
December 1 2020 - Sandra Birchmore moves to Canton, Massachusetts.

Other documents list this move as approximately November 14th 2020.

December 11 2020 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
December 28 2020 - Sandra Birchmore texts Matthew Farwell a text message with a photo of a handmade poster. It says “Congrats 💙 we are goin’ to be parents! 2021”. She is 3.5 weeks along.

Farwell responds “I literally have nothing to say right now how could you express that in text when I said I don’t appreciate it.”
Sandra tells Farwell she is keeping the baby and that he needs to be there for her during labor.
Farwell responds “you are truly the worst person on the face of the earth…”

December 29 2020 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.

December 29 2020 - Sandra Birchmore tells Matthew Farwell she had been afraid he was going to hit her.

December 30 2020 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
January 2021 - Sandra Birchmore tells a friend that Matthew Farwell told her “he wished [she] would just die and he wants nothing to do with the baby.” She also discloses that Farwell had put her in a headlock and grabbed her phone.
January 3 2021 - Sandra Birchmore asks if the baby can have his last name. He wants to discuss it in person.
January 4 2021 - Sandra Birchmore tells Matthew Farwell she has a doctor’s appointment the next day. She was wondering whether he would want to know about what happened at the appointment. He did not answer her.
January 5 2021 - Sandra Birchmore asks Matthew Farwell to come over so they can discuss pregnancy related matters but he does not reply.
January 6 2021 - Sandra Birchmore starts talking about what their life with a child will look like. He wants to discuss it in person and tells her “it’s so much more than you have ever asked for.” She replies “and still less than any other girl would ask for.”
January 8 2021 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
January 10 2021 - Sandra Birchmore texts a friend about a recent argument with Matthew Farwell, where he took her cell phone and wouldn’t give it back. He also stole her computer and shoved her with his body.
January 16 2021 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
January 20 2021 - One of Sandra Birchmore’s friends calls the Stoughton Police Department and reports the sexual relationship between Sandra and Matthew Farwell.

Farwell texts Sandra multiple times, very upset.
Farwell also tells the employee who took the call “not to speak about this to anyone and to never talk about it again.”

January 22 2021 (approximate) - Sandra Birchmore tells a friend that the day prior, she showed Matthew Farwell a sonogram and he got upset. He said “that’s not my child. I don’t want anything really to do with you.” He also pushed her and she fell. Sandra’s therapist recalls a report that Farwell “shoved” her during an argument over the pregnancy.
January 23 2021 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
January 24 2021 - Sandra Birchmore gives Matthew Farwell the passcode to her apartment building’s front door. She makes a copy of her key at Walmart at 11:10 AM that day.
January 24 2021 - Sandra Birchmore texted multiple friends about Matthew Farwell. She tells the friends he asked for a key to her apartment. He also looked in her closet and bathroom. She also says they had a heart to heart and he brought her ginger ale.
January 28 2021 - Matthew Farwell tells Sandra Birchmore he will give her “hugs” when he sees her that night.
January 29 2021 - Sandra Birchmore gives Matthew Farwell the passcode to her apartment building’s front door for a second time. He asks her if it was a personal passcode or one for the entire building. She confirms it was the same passcode everyone else used.
January 29 2021 - Sandra Birchmore and Matthew Farwell talk about having sex in the future.
January 29 2021 - Matthew Farwell leaves work to meet Sandra Birchmore while on duty.
January 30 2021 - Sandra Birchmore asks Matthew Farwell if she can tell him her baby name ideas but he wants to discuss it in person.
January 31 2021 - Sandra Birchmore attends therapy. She was screened for depression or signs of suicidal ideation but indicated none.
February 1 2021 - At 1:25 PM, Sandra Birchmore communicates with a photographer about booking a newborn photography shoot.
February 1 2021 - At 2:19 PM Sandra Birchmore texts Matthew Farwell informing him she would be off work early. She would be done at 12:35 PM. Farwell says he wouldn’t be in the area.
February 1 2021 - Sandra Birchmore informs Matthew Farwell she wants to have the baby shower in late March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She also told him that once they knew the gender he should buy clothes for the baby.
February 1 2021 - At 5:01 PM, Sandra Birchmore accepts a Door Dash order.

Note: DVR timestamp is approximately 13 minutes fast. (Unknown if this time is adjusted)

February 1 2021 - At 5:31 PM Sandra Birchmore goes outside with a snow brush. She returns 2 minutes later.
February 1 2021 - At 7:57 PM, Sandra Birchmore texts a friend about picking up baby clothes.
February 1 2021 - At 8:25 PM, Sandra Birchmore Googles “Cubby Kids” furniture.
February 1 2021 - At 9:08 PM, Matthew Farwell asks Sandra Birchmore if he could “come by for a second.”
February 1 2021 - At 9:10 PM, Sandra Birchmore tells Matthew Farwell the door will be unlocked for him. This is the last outgoing message Sandra ever sent.
February 1 2021 - At 9:12 PM, Sandra Birchmore’s phone locks.
February 1 2021 - At 9:14 PM Matthew Farwell visits Sandra Birchmore’s apartment. He is wearing a medical face mask and a hoodie with the hood up.

Farwell was known to be against wearing masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

February 1 2021 - At 9:18 PM, Sandra Birchmore’s phone takes a screenshot of a black screen.
February 1 2021 - At 9:40 PM, the last movement recorded by Sandra Birchmore’s iPhone occurs. It is eight steps.
February 1 2021 - At 9:43 PM, Matthew Farwell leaves Sandra Birchmore’s apartment building.

Investigators believe Farwell chose February 1 due to an upcoming blizzard and the impending birth of his child.

February 3 2021 - Sandra Birchmore’s phone turns off when the battery runs out.
February 4 2021 - Sandra Birchmore does not show up to work.
February 4 2021 - Officers from the Canton Police Department performing a welfare check (10:55 AM) find Sandra’s body in her apartment.

Her body was in a seated position on the floor. A duffle bag strap was tied around her neck and connected to the doorknob of the closet Matthew Farwell had been looking in a week earlier.
A load of laundry was in the dryer and a wet load was still in the washing machine.
Her necklace was later found on the floor by her family. The chain was broken and there was “a clump” of hair in the chain. In evidence photos, the necklace had been hanging from the left side of her neck.

February 4 2021 - Sandra Birchmore had a scheduled therapy appointment.
February 5 2021 - Stoughton Police Department launches an Internal Affairs investigation into the situation.*
February 6 2021 - Massachusetts State Police detectives interview Matthew Farwell. He lies several times.

He claims their relationship began in 2020 and that they had only had sex two or three times in 2020.
He also claims the last time they had sex was October 2020 making it impossible he was the father of the baby.
He claims he had not seen Sandra in the week before her death and that he was trying to distance himself from her.

February 9 2021 - Matthew Farwell uses his Stoughton Police-issued cell phone to Google “can delete message be recovered hy cellebrite” and “can you revoke consent in massachusetts”. He also deletes both searches.
February 10 2021 - Sandra Birchmore had a scheduled OBGYN appointment.
February 24 2021 - Matthew Farwell is placed on administrative leave.*
May 2021 - Sandra’s death is ruled a suicide.
Summer 2021 - Matthew Farwell is overheard at a social gathering participating in a joke about Sandra Birchmore being “hung on the door.”
April 1 2022 - Matthew Farwell resigns.
August 16 2022 - Robert Devine resigns.*
August 29 2022 - Internal Affairs investigation report is prepared.*
August 27 2024 - Matthew Farwell is indicted.
August 28 2024 - Matthew Farwell is arrested.

* - Birthdate: Joint Motion for Court Order to Inspect and Copy the Records of the Office fo the Chief Medical Examiner

* - Internal Affairs Investigation: Town of Stoughton’s Memorandum of Law in Support of its Motion to Dismiss Defendant Joshua Heal’s Crossclaims * - Internal Affairs Report: Plaintiff’s Amended Opposition to Defendant Robert Devine’s Motion to Dismiss

* Letter of Recommendation: Plaintiff’s Memorandum in Opposition to Defendant William Farwell’s Motion to Dismiss Counts I, II, VL, VII, VIII, IX, and X

* Administrative leave, Robert Devine’s resignation: Internal Affairs Report

Corrections:

November 8 2020 entry was erroneously listed as March 7 2019.

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