A federal judge is considering a change of venue for the trial of Matthew Farwell, the former Stoughton police officer accused of killing a woman he allegedly groomed as a child and her unborn son.

Judge Denise J. Casper said that she would need some time to “give it some further thought” at a hearing at John Joseph Moakley Courthouse on Tuesday.

Farwell’s defense team argued that extensive media coverage of Sandra Birchmore’s death prevents Farwell from receiving a fair trial in Massachusetts.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Farwell strangled Birchmore in 2021 after finding out that she was pregnant with what he believed his child, then staged her death to make it look like a suicide. The two met while Birchmore was a minor participating in a program for kids at Farwell’s police department. It was during this time that prosecutors said Farwell began in an appropriate relationship with Birchmore that continued into her adulthood.

Farwell’s attorney Kimberly Stevens described the coverage swirling around the case as “sensational and emotional material.”

The defense submitted 240-pages worth of exhibits, referred to in court documents as “voluminous pretrial publicity,” to support the change of venue request. The filing included dozens of articles from The Boston Herald and The Boston Globe.

But federal prosecutors disagreed, saying at the hearing the articles “do not affect the entire community in a way that creates a presumption of guilt.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley told the judge that voir dire — the process of selecting jurors — would ensure Farwell had a fair trial.

Anyone who has drawn conclusions on Farwell’s guilt from the news or social media “will not be permitted to be on this jury,” Riley said.

The prosecution also pointed out that in the even more highly scrutinized case of Boston Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s trial, the court did not decide to change the venue.

In their court filings, the assistant U.S. Attorneys also noted, “the government has scrupulously refrained from disclosing in public filings additional information that could be viewed as arguably inculpatory.”

When the hearing was finished, some supporters of Birchmore said they hoped the judge would keep the case in the Massachusetts District Court in Boston.

Peter Murphy, a retired Canton Police sergeant, said he believed that the change of venue wouldn’t do much for Farwell’s case. “What’s not going to get over to Providence?” he said.

Describing himself as “one of the few that has stood up” from law enforcement for Birchmore, Murphy said it was important to come to the hearing and show his support ahead of trial.

Related Articles

Matthew Farwell will not face death penalty for allegedly killing Sandra Birchmore and unborn baby: Feds

Matthew Farwell pleads not guilty in deaths of Sandra Birchmore, unborn baby

Boston Police Blotter: Sandra Birchmore-connected cop has police certification revoked

Birchmore’s cousin Barbara Wright also attended the hearing and said that no matter where the trial was held, she’d find a way to be there.

Coming up on the anniversary of Birchmore’s death, Wright said it’s been hard thinking about the life her cousin could be leading now with a young child had she not died.

Wright described her relationship with Birchmore as close but added, “there was a lot she didn’t tell me.”

“I just want the truth to come out,” she said.