www.nbcnews.com
Case title: USA v. Farwell | Date Filed: 08/27/2024 |
| Assigned to: Judge Denise J. Casper Referred to: Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley |
| Defendant (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Matthew Farwell
|
www.websleuths.com
www.nbcboston.com
Thank you! Thank you!From the press conference by the Department of Justice, the Feds have shared their investigation results with the State of MA, and whether or not the State will take action to reverse SB's manner of death from suicide to homicide, is unknown. IMO, we should look to the State for first degree murder and/or any applicable State Homicide Law protecting viable, unborn fetuses. (Scott Peterson was charged by the State of CA, not the Feds).
However, specific to the federal Investigation of SB's murder by a Police Officer (i.e., under color of law), and subsequent Indictment by a Federal Grand Jury on 8/27/24, MF is being charged under the Federal Statute 18 U.S. Code § 1512 - Tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant-- not to be confused with 18 U.S. Code § 1111 - Murder.
(Please reference the 4 page Indictment linked upthread).
That said, relative to State law protecting viable fetuses, reportedly, the ME determined SB was eight to 10 weeks pregnant when she was killed. It's unclear to OP if MA deems a 10 week fetus "viable" for the purpose of homicide charges if 24 weeks is used in MA for abortion.
MA statute provides that someone who kills an unborn baby capable of living outside of the mother's body can be charged with homicide since that child is considered a person under state law...
"Killing is not murder unless a human being has been killed. A viable fetus is a human being under the law of homicide. A fetus is viable when there is a reasonable likelihood of the fetus's sustained survival outside the womb, with or without artificial support." Commonwealth v. Ronchi
18 U.S. Code § 1512 - Tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant
www.law.cornell.edu
Just for clarity, your third paragraph re the KR case is your opinion only I think. IMO. The case as stands resulted in a mistrial. I personally wouldn't just write off potential similarities in the way both cases were investigated. That's just moo of course but we will see what washes up down the road. Not the right place to go into details re JOK here but discussion is active on his thread. MooThe only obvious link for today is the fact that both investigations close in the office of Norfolk DA.
SB was killed in February of 2021 and her death was determined a suicide. Now her police BF is accused of murder.
In the "blizzard blackout case", an impaired driver, Karen Read, accidentally ran over her BF, Boston cop John O'Keefe, while unloading him in front of a Canton LEO's house. With the festivities incide, the incident didn't register with anyone till dawn.
MOO, the cases are visibly unconnected, but the precedent of SB's case explains public mistrust we saw in KR's trial.
Here is what angers me:
How a Massachusetts Cop Allegedly Groomed and Killed Sandra Birchmore
Matthew Farwell met her in a police Explorer program. Prosecutors say he abused her for years before she became pregnant and he killed her.www.themarshallproject.org
"prosecutors paint Farwell as a controlling predator who was fixated on playing out violent rape fantasies with Birchmore, ever since she was a young teenager in the Explorer program."
Yeah I meant the KR thread, there's no JOK thread.
www.nbcnews.com
I'm going with she's still with him.
I'm going with "corruption".Two deaths in one Massachusetts town cast doubt on the relationship between police and prosecutors
The Massachusetts model of state police working alongside prosecutors on high-profile crimes, instead of an independent investigative agency, is compromising cases, experts said.
9/2/24
“Understatement of the century but Massachusetts has a serious problem with murder investigations involving police suspects, witnesses, and leads,” criminal justice journalist Susan Zalkind posted on X on Wednesday. “Poor Sandra Birchmore. Beyond depraved.”
[..]
Federal investigators have been involved in both cases, but officials have not announced any links between the two. However, at the heart of both: allegations of botched investigations and law enforcement misconduct.
'Incompetence or corruption?'
“Given these two cases, I would say it’s not just in Norfolk County, but certainly throughout Massachusetts. The question that arises is, is it incompetence or corruption, or both?” said Tom Nolan, a former Boston police lieutenant and criminal justice professor.
In Massachusetts, detectives with the state police are assigned to district attorneys’ offices, which can lead to the bungling of cases, Nolan said.
An alternative, he said, is the model used in other states, including Florida and Georgia, where there is an independent investigative agency to oversee the cases, rather than relying on an agency that enforces laws on highways.
