Friend of woman allegedly killed by Massachusetts police officer:

Lauren Andrews says she was almost like a secondary parent to Sandra Birchmore, who was allegedly killed by then-police officer Matthew Farwell, and that Birchmore had a difficult upbringing.

Andrews said Birchmore shared with her that she was pregnant, and saw no signs Birchmore would hurt herself when she was at her house for the last time.

Farwell, who was a police officer in Stoughton, Massachusetts, is now on trial for killing Birchmore and her unborn baby. The 23-year-old was found dead in her apartment in neighboring Canton, located in the Boston suburbs, and is believed to have been pregnant with Farwell's child at the time, according to authorities.

Testimony in the case began on Tuesday, following opening statements on Friday.

Federal prosecutors said Farwell met Birchmore when she was 13 years old and a member of the police department's youth program. Investigators alleged he groomed Birchmore for years and began having sex with her when she was 15 and he was 27.

Andrews, the mother of one of Birchmore's best friends, remembers Birchmore as part of the family. When she first heard Birchmore died by suicide in her apartment, she simply couldn't believe it.

Andrews said she immediately suspected Farwell was behind the death. She said she told Canton police about her suspicions, but they didn't act.

After years of mounting public pressure, federal prosecutors charged Farwell with murder in 2024. A separate internal affairs investigation by the police department found Farwell had shared hundreds of text messages and explicit exchanges over the course of several years.

All three resigned from the force after the investigation was released in August 2022.

Farwell has pleaded not guilty to charges of killing a witness or victim and failure to protect an unborn child. If convicted, he faces life in prison.

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