Episode S5 · Ep 7 October 28, 2026 18 min 48s

Sandra Birchmore - Suicide or Cover-Up?

Sandra Birchmore was pregnant when she was found dead. Her death was originally ruled a suicide. Now, a former police officer is on trial, accused of killing her and staging the scene.

Prosecutors have alleged that Matthew Farwell wanted to stop her exposing their sexual relationship, which they claim began when he was 27 and she was 15.

His defense says she took her own life after their relationship ended. Farwell has pleaded not guilty to charges of killing a witness or victim and causing the death of a child in utero.

In this episode, Kayla is joined again by Rachel Bowman, to examine the investigation that challenged the original findings and the evidence emerging in court; from surveillance footage and private messages, to testimony from those closest to Sandra.

The Trial: USA is part of The Crime Desk. Subscribe today for ad-free listening, early access to new shows, exclusive bonus episodes and complete access to our true-crime podcast collection. Visit https://plus.thecrimedesk.com/the-trial-usa for more information.

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

Email us: [email protected]

WhatsApp us: +44 7796 657512 Start your message with Trial

Presenter: Kayla Brantley

Producer: Sam Morris

Editor: Buddy Peace

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Executive Producer: Jamie East

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Email us: [email protected]

WhatsApp us: +44 7796 657512 Start your message with Trial

Presenter: Kayla Brantley