What Does a Murder Staged as a Suicide Look Like?

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This week marks a turn for Sandra Birchmore's family. On February 4, 2021, the day when the twenty-three-year-old was found dead in her apartment. She was sitting on the floor in a reclined position with a duffle bag strap tied around her neck and connected to her closet doorknob. Her phone lay just inches from her body. She had been dead for three days and was three months pregnant. By early May, the investigation was complete; the manner of death ruled a suicide.

Fortunately, in January 2021, a friend of Birchmore contacted the Stoughton Police Department to report Detective Mathew Farwell's ongoing sexual exploitation of Sandra Birchmore; it allegedly started when she was fifteen, making it a crime in Massachusetts. The two had met when she was a twelve-year-old member of the police explorer's club, and he was a police officer volunteer; three years later, he took her virginity.

On August 28, 2024, thirty-eight-year-old now-ex-police detective, husband, and father Matthew Farwell was federally indicted in Sandra's death, accused of strangling her and then staging her murder as a suicide. It took three and a half years, an internal affairs investigation, a civil suit, and federal assistance, but justice may be finally coming.

Clues to a Staged Suicide

Every seasoned homicide detective will tell you that every unexpected death should be investigated as a homicide until proven otherwise. The 99.9 percent who are honest will also tell you this is rarely possible. So, when faced with what initially appears to be a suicide, here are a few questions that are most likely to help investigators hone in on a crime scene that has been staged:

1. Is there a viable alternative explanation?

Which is more likely: the suicide of a twenty-three-year-old in the early stages of a planned pregnancy with aspirations of being a teacher or the murder of a twenty-three-year-old whose secrets could potentially destroy the career and family of a selfish and controlling abuser? Farwell's wife was getting ready to deliver their third child. Not only would his law enforcement career be over if it came to light that he had used his police authority to take advantage of a trusting teen, he could face criminal charges for statutory rape.

2. Was the deceased making plans?

• Birchmore wanted this baby. She had planned this pregnancy with Farwell's initial consent. But she had made it clear to friends and family that, Farwell's involvement or not, she would be mothering this child. She had an OBGYN appointment scheduled for February 10, 2021.
• Birchmore had been making calls to schedule a newborn photo shoot. She had recently been texting friends about obtaining baby clothes. At 8:25 PM on February 1, just hours before her estimated time of death, Birchmore performed a Google search for "Cubby Kids" furniture.
• Birchmore had dreams of becoming a teacher and had taken steps toward meeting that career goal.

3. Was the victim in a violent relationship?

Multiple witnesses reported that Farwell had become physically aggressive with Birchmore in the weeks leading up to her death, particularly when discussing her pregnancy. One friend noted that Birchmore had described Farwell putting her in a headlock and grabbing her phone; another described an incident during which Farwell allegedly pushed Birchmore to the ground after she showed him a sonogram. Her therapist also reported that Birchmore had talked about being shoved by Farwell.

4. What do friends and family say?

Yes, some families indeed have a hard time accepting a loved one's suicide. No, it's not true that most survivors of suicide loss cling to the belief that their family member has been murdered. When the family of an alleged suicide says their loved one would never commit suicide and has a definite suspect in mind, it's worth taking a second look.

• None of Birchmore's friends or family members interviewed believed she was suicidal. Her therapist had a session with Birchmore on January 31, 2021 - the day before her death. During this session, Person 7 screened for depression and suicidal ideation and found no signs of either. Multiple witnesses described Birchmore as excited about her pregnancy and plans.

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5. Are there inconsistencies between the initial hypothesis/explanation and the physical evidence?

• When family members entered Birchmore's apartment after her death, they found laundry in progress - wet clothes in the washing machine and dry clothes in the dryer. People who die by suicide do not pause to do so in the middle of routine household chores.
• Investigators found Birchmore's necklace nearby, broken with a large clump of hair caught in the chain. This finding raises the possibility of a struggle.
• Her phone, typically described as her "third hand" by friends, showed no activity after 9:13 PM on February 1, despite being found near her body.
• Dr. William Smock, an expert consulted in the case, noted several inconsistencies with suicide by hanging: The fracture of Birchmore's hyoid bone, which is uncommon in seated hanging; a pattern imprint on Birchmore's chest consistent with blunt force trauma; and abrasions on Birchmore's nose, which is consistent with suffocation attempts

6. Are people behaving out of character?

• In the week before Birchmore's death, Farwell had asked her for a key to her apartment, a change from his previous stance that keeping a key was a bad idea. He also began examining the closets and spaces of her living quarters, behaving unusually enough for Sandra to mention it to a friend.
• Birchmore commented to more than one friend that Farwell had suddenly become nicer to her a week before she died.
• Surveillance footage showed Farwell entering Birchmore's building on February 1 at 9:14 PM wearing a face mask, despite witnesses stating he typically resisted wearing face masks during the pandemic.

The Bottom Line

Sandra Birchmore's death was staged as a simple suicide. In reality, it was much more complex than the initial ruling suggested. The evidence pointing to homicide after Sandra's death underscores the importance of thorough investigation in cases of suspicious deaths, particularly where there's a history of domestic violence or sexual exploitation.

Investigative bias, an incomplete initial assessment, lack of specialized training, resource constraints, or special courtesy can all contribute to a premature conclusion. For law enforcement, this case highlights the critical need to look beyond surface appearances and consider the full context of a victim's life, relationships, and recent behaviors when investigating a potential suicide.