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Jury tells judge they are deadlocked on verdict in Matthew Farwell trial
Jurors said they cannot reach a unanimous verdict after hearing evidence that Farwell groomed Birchmore for years and hid their relationship, prosecutors said.
- On Monday, the jury in the federal murder trial of former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell reported a deadlock to U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper after nearly two days of deliberations. Jurors were ordered to return on Tuesday.
- Prosecutors allege Farwell killed Birchmore in February 2021 to prevent her from exposing their affair, which they claim began when she was 15. The defense contends Birchmore died by suicide, maintaining Farwell's innocence throughout the trial.
- Digital forensics experts testified Birchmore's phone recorded final activity three minutes before Farwell left her apartment. Dr. William Smock testified that a neck fracture was "one of the biggest red flags of a homicidal event."
- Supporters of Birchmore described themselves as "a little distraught" after hearing the deadlock report, with Birchmore's cousin Barbara Wright stating, "We're not giving up until we get justice." Legal analysts noted Judge Casper could issue an "Allen charge" to encourage consensus.
- If the jury remains deadlocked, prosecutors would decide whether to retry Farwell, potentially resulting in a mistrial. Birchmore's death was initially ruled a suicide but was updated to "undetermined" in 2024, shifting the evidentiary landscape.
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Deliberations resume after jury tells judge they are deadlocked on verdict in Matthew Farwell trial
Court resumes Tuesday after the jury in the murder trial of former Stoughton, Massachusetts, police officer Matthew Farwell told the judge Monday that they were deadlocked on a verdict in the case.
·Manchester, United States
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Jury says it’s deadlocked in Matthew Farwell’s trial in death of Sandra Birchmore - The Boston Globe
The judge dismissed the jurors just before 4:30 p.m. Monday and asked them to return to court Tuesday, after 10 and a half hours of deliberating the case so far.
·Boston, United States
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Total News Sources16
Leaning Left3Leaning Right1Center11Last UpdatedBias Distribution73% Center
Bias Distribution
- 73% of the sources are Center
73% Center
L 20%
C 73%
Factuality
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