Jury deadlocked in trial of ex-Massachusetts officer Matthew Farwell
The gist
The jury in the Matthew Farwell trial told the judge it is deadlocked on day two.
Farwell, a former Stoughton officer, is accused of killing pregnant Sandra Birchmore.
How it unfolded
- Feb 1, 2021Prosecutors say Farwell killed Birchmore in her Canton apartment and staged it to look like a suicide; a digital forensics expert testified her phone stopped moving at 9:40 p.m., three minutes before the lobby camera recorded Farwell leaving.
- Feb 4, 2021Birchmore's body was discovered during a welfare check after she didn't show up to work; she was found hanging in a seated position from a door handle by a duffle bag strap.
- Jun 18, 2024Dr. Michael Baden, a pathologist retained by Birchmore's family in their wrongful death lawsuit, issued a report concluding her death was a homicide staged to look like a suicide.
Key terms
- deadlocked
- A situation where a jury cannot reach the required verdict after long deliberation, usually leading to a mistrial.
- superseding indictment
- A formal accusation that a person has committed a crime, typically issued by a grand jury.
- groomed
- Building an emotional connection with a vulnerable person to lower their inhibitions for sexual abuse.
Source: Wikipedia