Sandra Birchmore’s Injuries, Christa Pike 911 Calls, and Virginia Man Tried for Murder of Still Missing Wife, with Vinnie Polita

Yeah, so first up though, we're gonna get some updates in the Sandra Birchmore trial out of Massachusetts.

Wis- witness testimony began earlier this week, and I actually got to listen to you and Johnna talk about it with a great update.

But just to catch our listeners up, back in February of 2021, the 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore was found dead in her apartment in Canton, Massachusetts, and her death was ruled a suicide.

But then three years later, the FBI arrested former, and I'm probably gonna mispronounce this, Stoughton police detective, Matthew Farewell.

Prosecutors say that Matthew met Sandra back when she was a teenager in a police youth program, and he began sexually abusing her, essentially grooming her back when she was 15.

They say that when she got pregnant and told him that the baby was his, a friend then reported the affair to his police department, and then he strangled her, staged it to look as, like a suicide.

But in a very interesting twist, Phil, the DNA that was later found showed that Farewell was not actually the father of her child.

So the defense is saying that this was a tragic suicide after he ended the relationship, that she was just so distraught.

But this is a federal trial, and it opened in Boston just last week, and he's facing life in prison.

So Phil, where do you want to start with this one?

Man, there's so many places that we could start.

In fact, we could do a whole show, I think, just on this one trial.

Speaking of DNA, um, so actually the defendant's DNA was found, um, not only on the ligature that was used, um, in the strangulation death, uh, of the victim in the case.

Um, of course now the defense is saying it's a suicide.

But the defendant's DNA was found on that strap, which is the strap on a, an Army duffle bag.

But in addition, his DNA was found on the underwear she was wearing at the time of her death.

Um, I, you know, I, that's just one of the multitude of places that we could start with in this case.

Um, but I guess, um, in, in terms of the testimony, uh, I, this is turning out to be a DOJ prosecution not only of the defendant, Farewell, but also of, like, local law enforcement.

Um, this actually grew, Ashley, um, out of a, the Karen Read case.

Okay? So the Department of Justice is, um, is looking into local law enforcement and whether or not that may have been a botched, uh, intentional or otherwise investigation.

And so from the outward appearances, this might look like, you know, a murder trial, but it's not.

As I said, this grew out of the investigation into Karen Read.

So law enforcement, uh, you know, they're looking at potential federal crimes.

And so this case, uh, the state authorities elected not to prosecute it as a murder.

Um, they, uh, they said it was a, a suicide, which nobody at this point is really buying.

Yeah, so first up though, we're gonna get some updates in the Sandra Birchmore trial out of Massachusetts.

Wis- witness testimony began earlier this week, and I actually got to listen to you and Johnna talk about it with a great update.

But just to catch our listeners up, back in February of 2021, the 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore was found dead in her apartment in Canton, Massachusetts, and her death was ruled a suicide.

But then three years later, the FBI arrested former, and I'm probably gonna mispronounce this, Stoughton police detective, Matthew Farewell.

Prosecutors say that Matthew met Sandra back when she was a teenager in a police youth program, and he began sexually abusing her, essentially grooming her back when she was 15.

They say that when she got pregnant and told him that the baby was his, a friend then reported the affair to his police department, and then he strangled her, staged it to look as, like a suicide.

But in a very interesting twist, Phil, the DNA that was later found showed that Farewell was not actually the father of her child.

So the defense is saying that this was a tragic suicide after he ended the relationship, that she was just so distraught.

But this is a federal trial, and it opened in Boston just last week, and he's facing life in prison.

So Phil, where do you want to start with this one?

Man, there's so many places that we could start.

In fact, we could do a whole show, I think, just on this one trial.

Speaking of DNA, um, so actually the defendant's DNA was found, um, not only on the ligature that was used, um, in the strangulation death, uh, of the victim in the case.

Um, of course now the defense is saying it's a suicide.

But the defendant's DNA was found on that strap, which is the strap on a, an Army duffle bag.

But in addition, his DNA was found on the underwear she was wearing at the time of her death.

Um, I, you know, I, that's just one of the multitude of places that we could start with in this case.

Um, but I guess, um, in, in terms of the testimony, uh, I, this is turning out to be a DOJ prosecution not only of the defendant, Farewell, but also of, like, local law enforcement.

Um, this actually grew, Ashley, um, out of a, the Karen Read case.

Okay? So the Department of Justice is, um, is looking into local law enforcement and whether or not that may have been a botched, uh, intentional or otherwise investigation.

And so from the outward appearances, this might look like, you know, a murder trial, but it's not.

As I said, this grew out of the investigation into Karen Read.

So law enforcement, uh, you know, they're looking at potential federal crimes.

And so this case, uh, the state authorities elected not to prosecute it as a murder.

Um, they, uh, they said it was a, a suicide, which nobody at this point is really buying.