Show Notes
Sandra Birchmore was pregnant when she was found dead. Her death was originally ruled a suicide. Now, a former police officer is on trial, accused of killing her and staging the scene. Prosecutors have alleged that Matthew Farwell wanted to stop her exposing their sexual relationship, which they claim began when he was 27 and she was 15. His defense says she took her own life after their relationship ended. Farwell has pleaded not guilty to charges of killing a witness or victim and causing the death of a child in utero. In this episode, Kayla is joined again by Rachel Bowman, to examine the investigation that challenged the original findings and the evidence emerging in court; from surveillance footage and private messages, to testimony from those closest to Sandra. The Trial: USA is part of The Crime Desk. Subscribe today for ad-free listening, early access to new shows, exclusive bonus episodes and complete access to our true-crime podcast collection. Visit https://plus.thecrimedesk.com/the-trial-usa for more information. Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world. Follow us on TikTok: @TheCrimeDesk Email us: [email protected] WhatsApp us: +44 7796 657512 Start your message with Trial Presenter: Kayla Brantley Producer: Sam Morris Editor: Buddy Peace Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham Executive Producer: Jamie East A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Follow us on TikTok: @DailyMailCrime Email us: [email protected] WhatsApp us: +44 7796 657512 Start your message with Trial
Presenter: Kayla Brantley Producer: Shayna Jacobs Editor: Sam Morris Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham Executive Producer: Jamie East
Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from The Trial: USA
Alex Murdaugh’s latest pre-trial hearing became a battle over what evidence is allowed in court- and could shape the future of his trial. He was convicted of murdering his wife Maggie and youngest son Paul in 2023, but that conviction was overturned after it was found a court clerk had tampered with the jury. Now both the prosecution and defence are fighting over which pieces of evidence will be put in front of a jury, including new DNA testing and ballistics evidence from other shootings, as new theories emerge as to what may have happened the night Maggie and Paul died. In this episode Kayla is joined once again by crime desk reporter Rachel Sharp, to look back at Alex Murdaugh’s legal journey so far, break down the new revelations from the latest hearing, and explain why Judge Debra McCaslin has warned these proceedings will not become a “circus”. Alex Murdaugh’s new trial will take place in April next year. He denies murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul. The Trial: USA is part of The Crime Desk. Subscribe today for ad-free listening, early access to new shows, exclusive bonus episodes and complete access to our true-crime podcast collection. Visit https://plus.thecrimedesk.com/the-trial-usa for more information. Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world. Follow us on TikTok: @TheCrimeDesk Email us: [email protected] WhatsApp us: +44 7796 657512 Start your message with Trial Presenter: Kayla Brantley Producer: Sam Morris Editor: Buddy Peace Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham Executive Producer: Jamie East A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Follow us on TikTok: @DailyMailCrime Email us: [email protected] WhatsApp us: +44 7796 657512 Start your message with Trial
Caleb Flynn thought he could murder his wife, stage a break-in and convince police an intruder was responsible.
Seven fraternity members have been accused of sexually assaulting a female student at Cornell University in 2024. But despite the alleged incident being reported nearly two years ago, no criminal charges were brought forward. Now, New York’s attorney general has taken over the Cornell fraternity sexual assault investigation, placing the university’s response and the original decision not to prosecute under renewed scrutiny. In this episode Kayla is joined by senior investigative reporter Dana Kennedy to examine Jane Doe’s civil lawsuit, which put the allegations under the spotlight. They review the alleged Snapchat messages at the centre of the controversy, and the dispute over what evidence reached prosecutors. They also explain the different disciplinary outcomes for the accused, known as the “Cornell 7”, the public denials from three men’s lawyers, and how New York’s intoxication law could shape the next stage of the case. The Trial: USA is part of The Crime Desk. Subscribe today for ad-free listening, early access to new shows, exclusive bonus episodes and complete access to our true-crime podcast collection. Visit https://plus.thecrimedesk.com/the-trial-usa for more information. Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world. Follow us on TikTok: @TheCrimeDesk Email us: [email protected] WhatsApp us: +44 7796 657512 Start your message with Trial Presenter: Kayla Brantley Producer: Sam Morris Editor: Buddy Peace Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham Executive Producer: Jamie East A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Follow us on TikTok: @DailyMailCrime Email us: [email protected] WhatsApp us: +44 7796 657512 Start your message with Trial
Eleven jurors favoured finding Lindsay Clancy not criminally responsible for killing her three children, but one juror believed she was guilty. Unable to reach a unanimous verdict, that deadlock caused a mistrial. Now, during hearings which could pave the way for a potential future retrial, her lawyer has made a startling argument: he claimed that prosecutors never proved she killed her children at all. In this episode Rachel and Luke unpack the dramatic battles unfolding in the courtroom during Lindsay Clancy’s latest court hearings, and explain exactly what this means for the case going forward. With Lindsay Clancy’s lawyers seeking to block a second trial and investigate the holdout juror, could the judge bring the case to an end, or will another jury be asked to decide her fate? The Trial: USA is part of The Crime Desk. Subscribe today for ad-free listening, early access to new shows, exclusive bonus episodes and complete access to our true-crime podcast collection. Visit https://plus.thecrimedesk.com/the-trial-usa for more information. Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world. Follow us on TikTok: @TheCrimeDesk Email us: [email protected] WhatsApp us: +44 7796 657512 Start your message with Trial Presenters: Luke Kenton and Rachel Sharp Producer: Sam Morris Editor: Buddy Peace Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham Executive Producer: Jamie East Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Follow us on TikTok: @DailyMailCrime Email us: [email protected] WhatsApp us: +44 7796 657512 Start your message with Trial
Former American Idol contestant and pastor Caleb Flynn is on trial in Ohio, accused of murdering his wife, Ashley, inside their family home in Tipp City while their two daughters slept nearby. Prosecutors allege Flynn staged the scene to look like a break-in following a long-running affair, while his defence argues investigators developed tunnel vision and lacked the evidence needed to prove he fired the fatal shots. Caleb Flynn denies the allegations and has pleaded not guilty. In this episode Luke Kenton is joined by Natasha Anderson, who has been watching the trial unfold in Miami County Court. The Trial: USA is part of The Crime Desk. Subscribe today for ad-free listening, early access to new shows, exclusive bonus episodes and complete access to our true-crime podcast collection. Visit https://plus.thecrimedesk.com/the-trial-usa for more information. Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world. Follow us on TikTok: @TheCrimeDesk Email us: [email protected] WhatsApp us: +44 7796 657512 Start your message with Trial Presenter: Luke Kenton Producer: Sam Morris Editor: Buddy Peace Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham Executive Producer: Jamie East A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Follow us on TikTok: @DailyMailCrime Email us: [email protected] WhatsApp us: +44 7796 657512 Start your message with Trial