The chief of police in Stoughton claims that three officers had inappropriate relationships with a girl who committed suicide.
The former chief of police in Stoughton revealed Friday that three former officers had inappropriate relationships with a teenage girl who committed suicide years later.
On Friday, Chief Donna McNamarra of the Stoughton Police Department revealed “deeply troubling” findings from an 18-month internal affairs investigation, in which the officers Matthew Farwell, his twin brother William Farwell, and Robert Devine were found to have engaged in “serious misconduct.”
Sandra Birchmore, a 23-year-old member of the Stoughton Police Explorers program in 2010, was allegedly befriended and exploited by all of the officers, according to allegations made by McNamarra.
McNamarra claims that Birchmore, a 23-year-old woman who was found dead in her Canton apartment on February 4, 2021, had been failed by, abused by, and manipulated by the police.
“Ms. Birchmore was a vulnerable person whose unwavering appreciation for police officers… People with oaths and duties to protect and serve… had been a constant in her life since childhood.” A statement by McNamarra. Because of all the attention she received, she started dating men who used her.
Birchmore was open about her love for Matthew Farwell right up until the day she passed away. McNamarra, the day after Birchmore’s death, gave the task of investigating possible misconduct by her department’s personnel to Deputy Chief Brian Holmes.
After investigating her life and death, investigators found “a deeply disturbing pattern of behavior toward her,” as McNamarra put it.
McNamarra claims that the Farwell brothers and Devine broke numerous rules by lying and not giving their full attention to their work.
McNamarra stated that the investigation revealed that 27-year-old Matthew Farwell had met Birchmore while she was participating in the explorers’ program and had begun a relationship with her that included numerous digital messages and explicit exchanges over the course of several years.
William Farwell is accused of having several inappropriate sexual encounters with Birchmore while on the job, as well as exchanging explicit messages and photographs with her.
According to McNamarra, William Farwell repeatedly tried to introduce Birchmore to other men, including former Deputy Chief Devine, who had been demoted to patrol officer for abusing power, and a “individual who is a police officer in another jurisdiction.”
McNamarra claims that many years ago, when Devine was employed as a detail officer at an afterschool program, Devine inappropriately touched another student. After that, he took charge of the Explorers program, which educated young people about the police force.
McNamarra said that the Farwell brothers met Birchmore because they were both program participants as youths under Devine and then instructors themselves. That initiative is no longer active.
READ ALSO;Sandra Birchmore Died By Suicide, 3 Stoughton police officers had inappropriate relationships With Her
Matthew Farwell broke up with Birchmore on February 1, 2021, after a “nasty, nasty argument,” according to the findings of the investigation.
McNamarra argued that the Farwell brothers and Devine should never again be allowed to serve as police officers because they had broken their oaths of office. “They violated the policies of the Stoughton Police Department through a sustained and deliberate combination of lies, deceit, and treachery.”
Abington’s police chief confirms his department is investigating one of its officers involved in the misconduct with Birchmore after receiving information from Stoughton, which led to the resignations of the Farwell brothers and Devine.
McNamarra further stated that she would be petitioning the state’s newly formed Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission to revoke the certifications of the Farwell brothers and Devine. As for her emotions, she said she is “heartbroken” and “incensed” about what has happened.
The results, which were detailed in a 60-page report, were shared with the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office.
The district attorney’s office released a statement reading, “State Police detectives and the medical examiner found no evidence of foul play in the death of Ms. Birchmore…
To date, the investigation has not produced sufficient evidence to file criminal charges for statutory rape against any individual.
The chief of police in Stoughton has decided to decertify the three officers who left the force. We visited every officer’s house in the department, but no one would speak with us about the internal investigation. Boston 25 visited each officer’s home and found that none of them were willing to talk about the internal affairs report.
Investigative results posted on Scribd by the Fox Boston team after interviewing current and former Stoughton police officers
This is a developing story Please revisit this page for updates.
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