Groomed For Murder

By: Melissia Gould

I know the assignment suggested we look at police interactions with other communities of color, however, I found this case to be fascinating! As a black person, it’s easy to feel like the police are always messing with us. Historically, we’ve witnessed the strained relationships amongst law enforcement and people of color along with the heinous crimes and punishments inflicted on those communities.

Police misconduct is nothing new for Black and Latinx communities, the general sense of mistrust from both sides makes what happened to Sandra Birchmore all the insane.

The case of Sandra Birchmore shines a light on a different type of police misconduct, this abuse of power didn’t start violently but through trust. Sandra, a bright eyed, 15-year-old participant in a youth program for kids interested in law enforcement careers met officer Matthew Farwell. He was 27 years old and began grooming Sandra. For several years Farwell had a sexual relationship with Sandra which led to her becoming pregnant at the age of 23.

Farwell was clearly a creep, and used his position of power, influence, and authority to engage in an elicit relationship with a minor. How often do police officers exercise this form of power play. Taking advantage of women to meet their own selfish and deprave needs.

Sandra was a regular, productive member of society. A teacher’s assistant and nursing student. She had no criminal history and was not engaged in any type of deviant behavior.

On February 4, 2021, Sandra’s coworkers alerted authorities that she had not shown up for work, shortly thereafter her body was discovered at her home, and it was concluded that she had been dead for several days. Initially, it was thought that Sandra had committed suicide, however, federal authorities later determined that Sandra’s death was a homicide. Matthew Farwell was indicted, alleging he had strangled Sandra to death and staged it as a suicide to cover up their relationship and her pregnancy.

Like so many others, Sandra was a victim of police misconduct. She just happened to a be a white girl. If the white women aren’t safe, nobody is! Bad policing can take on many forms, in this case the type of power abuse Sandra suffered is experienced by more women than we can put faces and names to.

Sandra died because a bad police officer thought he was bigger than the law and didn’t want to be accountable for his actions-senselessly ending this young woman’s life and that of their unborn child.

The grooming Sandra experienced as a child is just as detrimental as the criminalization people of color face in their interactions with police. These behaviors beget trauma and violence- and sometimes murder.