The Birchmore trial is putting a failed investigation on display.

Day three of testimony in the federal trial of Matthew Farwell, the former Stoughton police detective accused of killing 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore, is underway. A friend of Birchmore's took the stand Thursday to describe going to police after her death and urging them to look at Farwell. (Content warning: the case involves the sexual abuse of a child, and Birchmore's death.) Before that, jurors heard a Stoughton police sergeant describe changes in Farwell's behavior in the months leading up to February 2021, when Birchmore was found dead in her Canton apartment, 8 to 10 weeks pregnant.

The most uncomfortable thread running through the trial is how little the first investigation caught. State Police Trooper Matthew Dunne testified Wednesday that Farwell allegedly lied to investigators about his relationship with Birchmore in a parking-lot interview just after her death. Despite that, the state medical examiner ruled it a suicide, and the Norfolk district attorney declined to bring charges. The medical examiner has since changed the manner of death to undetermined. It took an FBI investigation to produce the indictment, which is why Farwell faces two federal charges: killing a witness or victim, and killing a child in utero.

The defense maintains Birchmore died by suicide after Farwell ended their relationship. Prosecutors must prove he killed her to keep her from reporting a crime. If convicted, he faces life in prison. Expect the testimony to keep circling one question: who knew what, and when, and why nobody acted on it.

Full story at Boston Globe →  |  Boston.com's live coverage →

State moves to yank licenses from a dozen RegalCare nursing homes. The Department of Public Health issued a notice of intent to revoke the licenses held by RegalCare CEO Eli Mirlis after a Boston Globe Spotlight investigation found he cut resident-care spending while moving money to his other businesses. Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein told the Public Health Council Mirlis is "not suitable nor adequately responsible" to run long-term care facilities here. The Globe's reporting also noted that regulators let him keep acquiring facilities as conditions declined, which is the part worth sitting with. WBUR →

New rules give the state a closer look at who runs nursing homes. More than two years after Gov. Maura Healey signed a long-term care oversight law, the Public Health Council approved regulations that add suitability reviews of owners, license transferees, and management companies. They go to Secretary of State William Galvin's office for promulgation, expected in early November. Timing is notable given the RegalCare news. WBUR →

Boston Public Schools wants a bell-to-bell ban on personal devices. Superintendent Mary Skipper's proposal goes well beyond phones, covering laptops, tablets, smartwatches, and smart glasses, all locked away for the full school day starting in fall 2027. School-issued laptops and devices required by IEPs would be exempt, and individual schools would pick their own storage methods. The School Committee votes in January. Boston is catching up to Brockton, Cambridge, Fall River, and Newton while a statewide ban stalls on Beacon Hill. Boston Globe →  |  Boston 25 →

The state is spending $1.75 million to teach kids healthy social media habits. Healey announced the grants at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School, funding classroom instruction, educator training, and family resources. It's a workaround of sorts: social media legislation remains stuck in closed-door negotiations, so the administration is doing what it can without the Legislature. CommonWealth Beacon →

Lieutenant governor candidates sparred over Trump. In the only LG debate, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and Republican Shawn Oliver, a New Bedford city councilor, mostly traced the same fault lines as the Healey-Minogue showdown. Driscoll blamed "headwinds" from Washington on affordability and immigration; Oliver argued the administration's refusal to work with the president has hurt the state. On cuts, Oliver pointed to waste and fraud rather than naming programs. WBUR →

Ex-Healey aide faces new federal charges. LaMar Cook, fired last October after a cocaine trafficking and firearm arrest, is now charged with SNAP and wire fraud for allegedly collecting more than $500 a month in benefits while claiming no income, all while out on bail. Prosecutors say he'd received a payout of his salary and vacation time when fired, and the state is separately suing to recover the vacation money paid in error. He was released on personal recognizance. WBUR →  |  Boston.com →

A BPS security official is charged with rape on the Vineyard. Edward J. Brown, 27, an assistant director of security at Boston Public Schools, pleaded not guilty to a rape charge stemming from an Aug. 15 incident at the State Police barracks in Oak Bluffs, where he was staying with a trooper friend. Prosecutors say a passing motorist found the woman naked in the road. Brown's attorney says he maintains his innocence. BPS has placed him on leave pending a termination hearing, and he's held on $10,000 cash bail. Boston Globe →  |  WBZ →

• Oct. 24: Last day to register to vote in the general election; WBUR's voting guide covers mail-in and early voting options.
• Nov. 17: Next hearing for Quincy construction executive Lee Kennedy, who pleaded not guilty to assaulting a 69-year-old anti-ICE demonstrator on Nantucket. Boston Globe →
• January: The Boston School Committee votes on the device ban. If you have opinions, there will be a comment window. Boston Globe →

Track all bills →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Zuhair Syed (Democratic) — City Councilor, Lowell — Filed: 10/9/2026

Ballot Question Committees

• Committee for Fair Campaign Finance — N/A, No office — Filed: 10/13/2026

OCPF →

Get The Mass Brief every morning

Massachusetts politics, development, and daily life — straight to your inbox.

Powered by South Shore News