Sandra Birchmore and Alex Murdaugh: How Close Were the Cops to the Crime?
The Murder Of Sandra BirchmoreSummary
The Sandra Birchmore case has taken a significant turn as former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell faces federal charges for her murder, overturning the previous narrative that labeled her death as a suicide. The prosecution alleges that Farwell groomed Birchmore from a young age and, after she became pregnant and threatened to expose him, he silenced her. The evidence against Farwell includes his DNA found on the strap used to asphyxiate Birchmore, raising critical questions about his defense strategy.
Legal experts discuss the challenges Farwell's defense team faces, particularly in light of the physical evidence linking him to the crime. They note that the defense may attempt to argue that the DNA presence does not imply malicious intent, but rather a history of consensual encounters. However, the prosecution's timeline, which shows Farwell entering Birchmore's apartment shortly before her phone went dead, complicates his defense. The case also highlights potential misconduct within the Stoughton Police Department, as testimonies reveal a lack of thorough investigation and possible cover-ups by fellow officers.
As the trial unfolds, the implications of the evidence and the actions of law enforcement are under scrutiny. The community's response to the case reflects a growing distrust in the police, especially as more details emerge about the alleged corruption and mishandling of evidence. The case is expected to continue drawing attention as it reveals deeper issues within the local law enforcement system and the handling of sexual abuse allegations.
Show Notes
Eric Faddis joins me for a full episode on Sandra Birchmore, with a segment on Alex Murdaugh's latest hearing. On Sandra's case, Eric weighs the five biggest hurdles for Matthew Farwell's defense, including the DNA prosecutors say was on the strap and the lobby video of Farwell in a mask. We go through the testimony from Trooper Matthew Dunne, examiner Nicholas Guarino, and former deputy chief Brian Holmes. And we dig into Chief Donna McNamara's lawsuit, which says Town Manager Thomas Calter wanted a 2024 Birchmore report destroyed. Calter denies that. On Murdaugh, a judge let the defense test unknown DNA from Maggie's fingernails and phone, and the defense is asking about a police officer friend at the scene. Eric tells me how much the police connection matters in each. Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292 Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod?sub_confirmation=1 Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice. #SandraBirchmore #AlexMurdaugh #SandraBirchmoreCase #MatthewFarwell #MaggieMurdaugh #EricFaddis #FarwellTrial #MurdaughRetrial #CoverUp #TrueCrimeCommunity
More from The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore
Chief Donna McNamara released the 2022 report that named Matthew Farwell, William Farwell, and Robert Devine, and recommended the state pull their certifications. In July, she says, Town Hall moved to push her out. Eric Faddis joins me to walk through her lawsuit. McNamara says Town Manager Thomas Calter retaliated against her for cooperating with the FBI and ordered her to destroy a second Birchmore report from 2024. Calter denies both. Residents packed Select Board meetings in her support, and the board put both McNamara and Calter on paid leave while an outside firm investigates. Calter has said that second report focuses on a single moment that came 12 days before Sandra died. Eric tells me who that report could touch. Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292 Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod?sub_confirmation=1 Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice. #SandraBirchmore #MatthewFarwell #SandraBirchmoreCase #EricFaddis #FarwellTrial #StoughtonPolice #JusticeForSandra #TrueCrime #CoverUp #TrueCrimeCommunity
Four women have now described what it was like to be with Matthew Farwell, and only one of them got the mask. Sarah Sproul, Samantha McCue and Stoughton officer Sheanna Zbinski testified on October 22 that he never disguised himself and never told them to delete a text. Sandra Birchmore got both. Judge Casper let the jury hear from them for one reason: the defense had claimed the mask was ordinary affair behavior. Jason Pickard, the father of Sandra's baby, testified under immunity that he urged her to report Farwell and never reported it himself. "I was afraid. I was a married man." Sandra's friend Sarah Odams testified about the fight that followed Sandra's threat to tell Farwell's wife. She also testified about her Snapchat reply to Sandra at 9:37 PM on February 1, 2021, sent inside the minutes prosecutors say Farwell was in the building. Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292 Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod?sub_confirmation=1 Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice. #SandraBirchmore #MatthewFarwell #SandraBirchmoreCase #FarwellTrial #StoughtonPolice #BirchmoreTrial #FederalMurderTrial #JusticeForSandra #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers
Sandra Birchmore's friend called Stoughton police on January 20, 2021, to report Matthew Farwell. A dispatcher testified he walked that call to Farwell's office and was told to forget it. Twelve days later Sandra was dead. Eric Faddis joins me to go through the five biggest signs of a cover-up that came out under oath at Farwell's federal trial. Trooper Matthew Dunne testified he learned Farwell had lied about when the relationship started. Examiner Nicholas Guarino testified he deleted data he considered redundant. And the Stoughton brass testified the first time they saw their own detective on that lobby video was online. Eric tells me whether anyone beyond Farwell should be facing questions from a grand jury. Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292 Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod?sub_confirmation=1 Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice. #SandraBirchmore #MatthewFarwell #SandraBirchmoreCase #EricFaddis #FarwellTrial #StoughtonPolice #JusticeForSandra #TrueCrime #CoverUp #TrueCrimeCommunity
Sandra Birchmore told friends about her baby, planned a baby shower, and paid her nursing school tuition in the days before she was found dead in her Canton apartment, according to prosecutors. Eric Faddis joins me to weigh what that means against Matthew Farwell's suicide defense. Prosecutors say the DNA on the strap belongs to Farwell. They say the lobby camera shows him arriving masked on February 1, 2021, and leaving after her phone stopped moving. They say someone inside Stoughton police told him about a friend's January 20 call reporting the relationship. The defense says the state's own investigators called it suicide in 2021 and the jury should too. Eric tells me which of the government's five strongest facts is the one Farwell's lawyers lose sleep over. Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292 Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod?sub_confirmation=1 Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice. #SandraBirchmore #MatthewFarwell #SandraBirchmoreCase #EricFaddis #FarwellTrial #StoughtonPolice #JusticeForSandra #TrueCrime #CoverUp #TrueCrimeCommunity
What these officers did to Sandra Birchmore’s mind — and why the coverup is allegedly still happening — is the focus of a comprehensive four-part interview with psychotherapist Shavaun Scott. Scott, author of Nightbird, examines the case from every angle: how officers allegedly used a youth program and Sandra’s childhood losses to replace every source of trust in her life, how Matthew Farwell allegedly maintained a double life until the night Sandra died, how Robert Devine’s mentorship of the Farwell brothers may have created a pipeline, and how the department is allegedly retaliating against the chief who tried to expose it. The interview covers details the legal case alone cannot illuminate — what the unsent text reveals, what the mask tells a clinician, what Devine’s attack on Sandra’s credibility after her death says about the group, and what McNamara’s removal means for the women in law enforcement watching this unfold. Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292 Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod?sub_confirmation=1 Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice. #SandraBirchmore #StoughtonPolice #HiddenKillers #MatthewFarwell #RobertDevine #DonnaMcNamara #ShavaunScott #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #JusticeForSandra