Closing arguments expected in trial of ex-cop accused of killing Sandra Birchmore

Matthew Farwell, a former Stoughton Police Department detective, is on trial for killing Sandra Birchmore, 23, in 2021.

Farwell's defense acknowledges he had an extramarital relationship with Birchmore but denies killing her.

The trial is being held in federal court in Boston because local prosecutors never filed criminal charges.

Local police and state investigators initially ruled Birchmore's death a suicide.

As a child: Birchmore participated in a youth program at the Stoughton Police Department. · Late 2020: Birchmore learned she was pregnant, leading to disputes over Farwell's role in the child's life. · Feb. 1, 2021, 9:40 p.m.: Birchmore's phone stopped moving, according to a digital forensics expert. · 2021: Birchmore was found dead in her apartment; her death was initially ruled a suicide. · 2023: The FBI began investigating Birchmore's death after urging from a former Stoughton deputy chief. · Present (trial): Closing arguments are expected Friday in Farwell's federal trial in Boston.

Whether Birchmore's death was a homicide or suicide remains disputed by competing medical experts.