Dateline NBC: "The Betrayal of Sandra Birchmore"

Aired: September 23, 2025
Host: Andrea Canning (with Lester Holt and interviewees)
Episode Summary by [Podcast Summarizer]

Overview

This episode of Dateline NBC delves into the tragic and complex case of Sandra Birchmore, a 23-year-old pregnant teacher’s assistant found dead in her apartment in February 2021. Initially ruled a suicide, Sandra’s death unraveled a much deeper story of sexual abuse, police misconduct, and possible murder. Through interviews with Sandra's family, law enforcement, journalists, and forensic experts, the episode exposes a web of betrayal by trusted authority figures and a protracted battle for truth and justice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Discovery of Sandra Birchmore's Death

• Sandra Birchmore is reported missing after not showing up for work following a snowstorm.
  • [03:26] – School staff begin to worry and initiate a wellbeing check.
• Police find her deceased in her apartment; appears to be a suicide by hanging.
  • [05:26] Lester Holt: "She has the strap of a duffel bag wrapped around her neck."
• Immediate skepticism from family and colleagues, who describe her as excited about her pregnancy and future.
  • [01:23] Angelique Perozzi: "Given how excited she was about becoming a mom. It didn't jive with us."
  • [06:18] Barbara Wright: "I just knew it. I knew she wouldn't do that. I just knew it."

2. Sandra's Background and Connection to Law Enforcement

• Sandra overcame a difficult childhood and was engaged with police Explorer programs.
  • [09:03] Sandra's mother, Denise, sought positive mentors for Sandra, leading to involvement with Stoughton Police Explorers.
• Many key players in Sandra’s life—including those later implicated—were introduced to her through this program when she was a teenager.
• After losing both her mother and grandmother, Sandra pursued a career helping others.

3. Unraveling the Mystery: The Married Boyfriend

• Just before her death, Sandra announces her pregnancy. Family learns her boyfriend is married, a police officer in Stoughton, and his wife is also pregnant.
  • [12:24] Justina/Antonetta: "She proceeded to tell us that the father of the baby was married."
• Name revealed as Matthew Farwell, a Stoughton detective and former mentor in the Explorer program.
  • [17:38] Justina/Antonetta: "Matthew Farwell."

4. Initial Investigation and Dismissal by Authorities

• Despite suspicious circumstances (broken necklace, no prior suicide signs), the medical examiner rules Sandra’s death a suicide.
  • [21:57] Angelique Perozzi: "If she didn't take her own life, her killer's out there, and her killer is possibly on the police force."
• Family frustrations mount over authorities’ persistence on this ruling, referencing Sandra's plans and excitement for the baby.
  • [18:34] Angelique Perozzi: "I couldn't find anyone in Sandra's life that thought she was suicidal."
• Attempts to get state police and the District Attorney to investigate further meet resistance.

5. Bombshell Internal Affairs Investigation

• Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara launches an internal investigation into Matthew Farwell.
• Findings reveal not only Farwell’s on-duty sexual relationship with Sandra but also implicate his twin brother William Farwell and another officer, Robert Devine.
  • [24:14] Chief McNamara: "We discovered that on multiple occasions, Matthew was on duty when he was having sex with Sandra."
  • [24:40] Evidence of sexual images/requests from William Farwell and Officer Devine.
• Most shocking was that Matthew Farwell began a sexual relationship with Sandra when she was 15; overwhelming evidence of grooming and statutory rape.
  • [25:47] Chief McNamara: "There was text messages between Matthew and Sandra discussing...a sexual relationship prior to being 16."
  • [26:06] "If Sandra was alive, there would be charges for statutory rape, aggravated statutory rape."

6. Public Exposure but Lack of Legal Action

• McNamara releases a redacted report condemning the three officers and advocating they never serve in law enforcement again, but no immediate charges result regarding Sandra’s death.
  • [27:33] Chief McNamara (public statement): “All three men... violated their oaths of office and should never have the privilege of serving any community as a police officer.”
• The public report raises awareness but not sufficient momentum for a criminal case.

7. Media and Independent Investigations

• Journalists and podcasters help keep attention on the case, pushing for transparency.
• Key break: Security footage showing Matthew Farwell entering and leaving Sandra’s apartment around the time of her death, raising further suspicion.
  • [32:34] “Farwell took the elevator to Sandra's floor. Then, 29 minutes later, he came back down and exited the building.”
• Footage goes viral, but official action remains stalled.

8. Breakthrough: Forensic and Federal Involvement

• Sandra’s family hires Dr. Michael Baden, a renowned forensic pathologist, who concludes Sandra was strangled—a homicide, not suicide.
  • [37:37] “His findings made headlines... concluding what the family had long believed. Sandra's death was a homicide, not a suicide.”
• In 2024, the FBI reopens the case, reviews old and new evidence, including Chief McNamara’s records.

9. Federal Charges and Arrest

• On August 28, 2024, Matthew Farwell is arrested and charged with Sandra's murder by federal authorities, four years after her death.
  • [36:45] Angelique Perozzi: "They had just arrested him and they were bringing him in to be arraigned."
• Prosecutors allege Farwell murdered Sandra to prevent her from exposing his long-term sexual abuse and statutory rape.
  • [38:09] Lester Holt: "We allege that Sandra Birchmore survived years of grooming, statutory rape, and then sexual violence... Farwell used his knowledge and experience as a law enforcement officer to stage her death to look like a suicide."
• Notably, DNA tests reveal Farwell was not the father of Sandra’s baby.

10. Systemic Failures and Family Resilience

• Both the Massachusetts State Police and medical examiner's office stand by their original findings, despite new federal evidence.
• Sandra's family, especially her cousins and aunt Angelique Perozzi, remain determined for justice, filing a wrongful death suit and continuing public advocacy.
  • [44:10] Angelique Perozzi: "We tried our best and sorry it wasn't enough. Cause if it was, she would be here."

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the initial reaction to the suicide ruling:
  • Barbara Wright (06:18): “I just knew it. I knew she wouldn't do that. I just knew it.”
• On Farwell's relationship with Sandra:
  • Chief Donna McNamara (26:09): “[Farwell] controlled her. He was grooming her, and it was abuse at the worst level.”
• On damning evidence from the internal affairs probe:
  • Chief Donna McNamara (27:33): “All three men... violated their oaths of office and should never have the privilege of serving any community as a police officer.”
• On the FBI's indictment:
  • Lester Holt (38:09): “We allege that Sandra Birchmore survived years of grooming, statutory rape, and then sexual violence... and he used his knowledge and experience as a law enforcement officer to stage her death to look like a suicide.”
• On continuing the fight for Sandra:
  • Angelique Perozzi (44:10): “We tried our best and sorry it wasn't enough. Cause if it was, she would be here.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Discovery & Suspicion: 01:01–07:20
• Sandra’s Background: 08:07–11:12
• Family learns of married police officer affair: 11:23–13:16
• Internal Affairs and Police Misconduct Uncovered: 22:06–27:33
• Public Outcry and Media Involvement: 31:18–33:20
• Forensic Breakthrough & FBI Involvement: 34:04–38:09
• Farwell’s Arrest and Indictment: 36:34–42:01
• Family’s Reflections and Final Thoughts: 44:10–44:34

Overall Tone

The episode is urgent, somber, and relentless—marked by profound outrage at betrayal by trusted authorities and by the dogged determination of Sandra's family to seek justice. The narrative is unflinching in chronicling the failures of local investigators, the brave actions of a handful of individuals, and the tragic cost of institutional indifference.

For Listeners New to the Story

This episode reveals how one young woman’s death exposed a devastating pattern of abuse at the hands of police, a culture of cover-up, and the shocking lengths to which perpetrators went to escape justice. It is a searing indictment of systemic flaws and a moving tribute to a family's unyielding pursuit of the truth.