A prominent pathologist hired by the family of Sandra Birchmore, a pregnant Massachusetts woman, claims she did not commit suicide but was killed. Birchmore, 23, was found hanging in her Canton apartment in February 2021. Her death had been ruled a suicide by a state medical examiner.
Dr. Michael Baden, former chief medical examiner of New York City, disputes these findings. In a June 18 letter to a lawyer for Birchmore's estate, Baden stated, "Ms. Birchmore did not die of suicidal hanging... The cause of Ms. Birchmore's death is 'Strangulation' and the manner of death is 'Homicide.'" He pointed to injuries, including a fractured hyoid bone, which he noted is rare in suicidal hangings but common in homicides.
Birchmore had accused three Stoughton police officers of grooming and sexually abusing her as a teenager. Matthew Farwell, his brother William Farwell, and Robert Devine allegedly exploited her for a decade after she joined the department's Explorer youth program at 13.
Matthew Farwell is said to have started abusing Birchmore when she was 15. She had told friends he was the father of her baby, a claim he denies. All three officers resigned in 2022 and have denied the allegations. No criminal charges have been filed against them.
The case has sparked multiple investigations by the FBI and state and local authorities since the abuse allegations surfaced.
