1 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:06,359 Speaker 1: Before we begin, please note this episode includes talk of suicide. 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: Please take care while listening. Last year I made a 3 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 1: podcast about a young woman named Sandy Beale. In February 4 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:20,239 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy seven, when she was just eighteen years old, 5 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: she was found dead in her car from a gunshot wound, 6 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:26,759 Speaker 1: her life cut tragically short. I've been reporting on the 7 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: deaths of women for a while now, and something I've 8 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:32,880 Speaker 1: come to realize is when you investigate how or why 9 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:36,879 Speaker 1: someone died, you're really investigating how they lived. And what 10 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: I learned about Sandy, she had been living under enormous 11 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:45,239 Speaker 1: stress and had needed to navigate through some incredibly difficult situations. 12 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 1: Sandy's family never bought the police's story that she took 13 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 1: her own life. Instead, they suspected her much older boyfriend, 14 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: who happened to be a Maryland State trooper and married. 15 00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: As I looked into Sandy's death and life, I learned 16 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: that she had likely been involved with multiple police officers, 17 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:07,320 Speaker 1: many of whom were connected to the Explorer Program, a 18 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: youth police education and training program that Sandy attended as 19 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:14,320 Speaker 1: a teen. To me, this was a clear sign of 20 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:19,319 Speaker 1: a deeply toxic and most likely predatory environment. Sandy died 21 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:22,399 Speaker 1: forty five years ago, and my investigation took me deep 22 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: into the police culture of the nineteen seventies. So it 23 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:28,399 Speaker 1: was pretty alarming when I learned of a much more 24 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: recent case that appeared eerily similar, so similar in fact, 25 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: that the victims even have the same first name, Sandra. 26 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: Sandra Birchmore grew up in Massachusetts and joined the Stoton 27 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 1: Police Explorer program when she was thirteen years old. A 28 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: decade later, in February twenty twenty one, she died by suicide. 29 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 1: The last person to see her alive is believed to 30 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 1: be Matthew Farwell, a police officer who mentored her in 31 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: the Explorer program and whom she said she was in 32 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: a romantic relationship with. I talked about this case a 33 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: little in the final episode of What Happened to Sandy 34 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 1: Beal But in the wake of Sandra Birchmore's death and 35 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 1: since the podcast was released, the Stoughton Police Department has 36 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: come under intense scrutiny. Three police officers have resigned, the 37 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:20,520 Speaker 1: district attorneys investigating whether criminal charges should be brought, and 38 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:24,520 Speaker 1: Sandra's family has filed a civil suit accusing local police 39 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:27,960 Speaker 1: of participating in a ten year period of sexual abuse 40 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:31,359 Speaker 1: and mistreatment. As I've been working on the next season 41 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: of What Happened To which we'll be telling the story 42 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: of a different woman, I keep getting emails and messages 43 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,520 Speaker 1: about Sandra Birchmore. So today we're bringing you this bonus 44 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: episode to make sense of how this type of police 45 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:48,639 Speaker 1: sexual misconduct continues to persevere decades after Sandy Beal's experience. 46 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: To help go through the case and discuss how or 47 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: if anything might change in Stoughton, I spoke with Laura Crimaldy, 48 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:59,079 Speaker 1: a reporter from the Boston Globe who has been covering 49 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:03,399 Speaker 1: Sandra Burchmore's since the beginning. I'm Melissa Jelson, and this 50 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:07,239 Speaker 1: is what Happened to Sandy Beale, a bonus episode about 51 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: the other Sandra. 52 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 2: Sandra Birchmore was a young woman who grew up in 53 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 2: the town of Stoughton, Massachusetts, south of Boston. I think 54 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 2: that she had a difficult childhood, that there were factors 55 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 2: in her household that made her look to outside influences 56 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 2: for support and guidance and direction. She was drawn to 57 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 2: the discipline, order, and hierarchical structure of law enforcement that 58 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 2: was a way for her to make sense of the 59 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 2: world around her, and at an early age, she developed 60 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 2: an interest in law enforcement and got involved with the 61 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 2: Police Explorers program in her community through the police department. 62 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 1: Sandra, like Sandy, admired law enforcement, and she really seemed 63 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: to enjoy the Explorer program, so much so that she 64 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 1: encouraged other people to join. 65 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 2: She would publish pictures on her Facebook page of her 66 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 2: with the Explorers. She also posted a lot of photographs 67 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 2: of her at different community events in her hometown of Stoughton, 68 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 2: in which she was posing with different police officers, some 69 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 2: who were involved with the Explorer's program and some who 70 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,719 Speaker 2: were not involved in Explorers directly but were members of 71 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:25,359 Speaker 2: the department. 72 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 1: At some point, Sandra began to confide in her friends 73 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 1: about a sexual relationship she was having with a police 74 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 1: officer she met as an Explorer, Matthew Farwell. He and 75 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 1: his twin brother William, had actually once been Explorers themselves, 76 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: and now as officers in the Stoughton Police Department, they 77 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:44,600 Speaker 1: both helped out with the program. 78 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:50,279 Speaker 2: What was learned later was that Sander birch Moore told 79 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 2: friends that when she was fifteen years old, she began 80 00:04:55,320 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 2: to have sex with Matthew Farwell, and that relationship continued 81 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 2: until her death, and at the time of her death, 82 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:07,359 Speaker 2: she was telling friends that she was pregnant and that 83 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:11,599 Speaker 2: she believed the father was Matthew Farwell. Sandra Birchmore was 84 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 2: telling people that she was happy about this pregnancy and 85 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 2: she was eager to become a mother. 86 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: The evening she was last heard from in February twenty 87 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 1: twenty one, she texted with a colleague in the school 88 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: system she worked at, wondering if school would be canceled 89 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: the next day because of an impending snowstorm, and. 90 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:31,599 Speaker 2: At some point in the evening she learned that Matt 91 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:36,840 Speaker 2: Farwell was going to stop by her apartment and visit her. 92 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 2: Matt Farwell later told police that he visited Sandra Birchmore 93 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:45,600 Speaker 2: and that they had an argument. There was a confrontation, 94 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 2: and Matt Farwell described the confrontation as being a bad fight, 95 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 2: but he said it wasn't physical. His intent, he told investigators, 96 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 2: was to break off his relationship with Sandra Birchmore. Sandra 97 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:03,839 Speaker 2: insisted that she was pregnant and that he was the 98 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:08,039 Speaker 2: father of the child, and he disputed her version of events. 99 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 2: He said he was not the father, according to interviews 100 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 2: he gave to police afterwards, he was recorded on surveillance 101 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:21,040 Speaker 2: leaving her apartment sometime after about a thirty minute visit, 102 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:24,800 Speaker 2: and it's after that visit that Sander's friends say that 103 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 2: they didn't hear from her again. The school department contacted 104 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:32,159 Speaker 2: police a couple days later and asked for a well 105 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:35,919 Speaker 2: being check at Sandra's home because she hadn't reported for work, 106 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:40,039 Speaker 2: and so when police went her apartment a few days later, 107 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:42,800 Speaker 2: she was found dead there, and the Office of the 108 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:48,080 Speaker 2: Chief Medical Examiner in Massachusetts concluded that she died by suicide, 109 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:50,479 Speaker 2: and her date of death is listed as the day 110 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 2: her body was found, which was February fourth, twenty twenty one. 111 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 1: Sandra was just twenty three years old when she died. 112 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:02,279 Speaker 1: As with Sandy beal under Birchmore's friends were confused and 113 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 1: concerned that her death had been ruled a suicide. Many 114 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: of them knew she had been in a relationship with 115 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 1: a police officer and that she said he was the 116 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 1: father of her unborn child. 117 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 2: So in the days after her death, there were concern 118 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 2: among some of her family members and her friends about 119 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 2: the circumstances of her death, she had recently gone out 120 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 2: with some of her cousins and told them about her 121 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 2: pregnancy and appeared really excited and eager to become a mother, 122 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:33,760 Speaker 2: and had even received some gifts for the baby, like 123 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 2: a stroller or carriage, was talking to a hairdresser about 124 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:42,960 Speaker 2: arranging a photo shoot to memorialize her pregnancy. So the 125 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 2: idea that she was dead and that the initial reports 126 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:50,240 Speaker 2: were that she killed herself didn't comport with what those 127 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 2: who know Sandra believed at the time. And also, some 128 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 2: of the people in her circle knew that she had 129 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 2: been in a relationship with a Stoton police officer. They 130 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:05,560 Speaker 2: knew he was a detective, and there was concern among 131 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 2: those who knew Sandra best that any police investigation into 132 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 2: the circumstances of her death might be tainted by her 133 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 2: relationship with this local police officer, And so some of 134 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 2: her friends did post on social media asking people who 135 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 2: knew Sandra to contact the prosecutor's office and tell them 136 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 2: what they knew about Sandra, and they wanted to make 137 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:34,000 Speaker 2: sure that any investigation into her death took into consideration 138 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:40,319 Speaker 2: those other factors. 139 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 1: So here's where Sandra Birchmore's case is different than Sandy Bill's. 140 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: Despite the fact that there were serious concerns in some 141 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:59,200 Speaker 1: officer's behavior with Sandy Bill, I found little to no 142 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 1: evidence of an ethics inquiry or that officers involved faced 143 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 1: any repercussions for their actions. But in Sandra Birchmore's case, 144 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 1: after hearing from her friends and family, Stoughton Police began 145 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 1: an internal investigation into her death and any potential misconduct 146 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 1: committed by members of the department. Laura Carmaldi went through 147 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 1: the details with me. 148 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:25,959 Speaker 2: So after Sandra's death, there were two investigations that were initiated. 149 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 2: One was a death investigation, which was conducted by the 150 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 2: prosecutor's office that serves a community where Sandra was found. 151 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:38,240 Speaker 2: And then secondly, the Stoughton Police Department initiated an internal 152 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:43,679 Speaker 2: investigation that began in Earnest once the medical examiner had 153 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 2: ruled that Sandra had died by suicide. The department hired 154 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 2: outside investigators. They were retired police officers who had experienced 155 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:58,720 Speaker 2: with doing internal investigations, and also delegated the deputy police 156 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 2: chief in the town to to conduct interviews and gather 157 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:07,760 Speaker 2: evidence looking into police interactions with Sandra Birchmore. While she 158 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 2: was a police explorer and in the years afterwards. 159 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:14,679 Speaker 1: The findings were made public in September twenty twenty two. 160 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:21,079 Speaker 2: That investigation found that two Stoughton police officers, Matthew Farwell 161 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 2: and his twin brother William Farwell, as well as their mentor, 162 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:31,360 Speaker 2: Robert Devine, had had inappropriate relations with Sandra over a 163 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 2: period of years. And the investigation further found that a 164 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:44,160 Speaker 2: Stoughton Animal control officer also had inappropriate relations with Sandra, 165 00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:52,240 Speaker 2: and that a military recruiter had inappropriate communications with Sandra. 166 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 1: Multiple Stoughton police officers, all affiliated with the Explorer's program, 167 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 1: as well as two other authority fail are alleged to 168 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:06,079 Speaker 1: have had inappropriate contact with Sandra. This is heartbreakingly similar 169 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:08,960 Speaker 1: to what I believe happened with Sandy Beale, and there's 170 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:12,440 Speaker 1: a reason why these police youth programs can become breeding 171 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: grounds for abuse. On one side, you have older male 172 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:20,119 Speaker 1: figures in positions of authority, and on the other teens 173 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:23,960 Speaker 1: maybe from vulnerable backgrounds, who were eager for mentors. 174 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 2: That report is heavily redacted and does not give the 175 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 2: specific details about the allegations, but it does establish that 176 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:38,480 Speaker 2: Sandra Birchmore met Matthew Farwell as a police explorer, that 177 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 2: she looked up to him when she was a police explorer, 178 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:46,440 Speaker 2: and that at some point in her teenage years he 179 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 2: embarked upon an inappropriate relationship with her that continued right 180 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 2: up until around the time of her death. Matthew Farewell, 181 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:59,120 Speaker 2: through an attorney, has said that he has not committed 182 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:03,679 Speaker 2: any crime. They found William Farwell was also engaged in 183 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:08,360 Speaker 2: an inappropriate relationship with Sandra Birchmore, but it doesn't specify 184 00:12:08,679 --> 00:12:13,439 Speaker 2: how old she was when that relationship began. It also 185 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 2: found that he was involved in introducing her to other people. 186 00:12:19,520 --> 00:12:23,240 Speaker 2: It doesn't exactly specify who these people were that he 187 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:25,920 Speaker 2: introduced her to or what the purpose of it was, 188 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:29,120 Speaker 2: but the way it's written in the report, it gives 189 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:32,480 Speaker 2: the impression that in doing so, he was not acting 190 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:37,839 Speaker 2: in her best interest. We haven't heard from William Farewell publicly, 191 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:42,200 Speaker 2: but he did leave the department in the summer and 192 00:12:42,559 --> 00:12:47,040 Speaker 2: got another position with a Transportation security administration, which said 193 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 2: publicly that they found no negative information about him when 194 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 2: they were conducting a background check. 195 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 1: The third Stote Police officer named in the report was 196 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:00,880 Speaker 1: Robert Devine, who had run the departments florer program. 197 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 2: Robert Devine has publicly denied any wrongdoing. There's a portion 198 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 2: of the report that alleges that he used a made 199 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:15,319 Speaker 2: up screen name on Facebook to communicate with Sander Barchmore, 200 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:20,800 Speaker 2: and that he used that Facebook account to set up 201 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 2: meetings with her arranged to meet her at a restaurant 202 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 2: while he was on duty. 203 00:13:26,880 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 1: The Stoton Police Department recommended that Robert Devine, Matthew Farwell, 204 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:34,760 Speaker 1: and William Farwell all be decertified by the state Board, 205 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: but it's a new system in Massachusetts and the decertification 206 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 1: hasn't happened yet. As it stands, before the investigation was 207 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: even finished, all three officers had voluntarily left the department. 208 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:49,560 Speaker 1: The animal control officer found a job in a nearby 209 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 1: community where he was placed on paid administrative leave. It's 210 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 1: unknown if the military recruiter faced any repercussions, as his 211 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 1: identity has never been revealed publicly, and despite the fact 212 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: that Sandra Birchmore told her friends that she and Matthew 213 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 1: Farwell began having sex when she was fifteen, there have 214 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 1: not been, as of yet, any criminal charges against him. 215 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 2: A prosecutor could consider a statutory rape crime because the 216 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 2: age of consent in Massachusetts is sixteen years old. The 217 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:24,240 Speaker 2: department said at the time that it released its internal 218 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:27,480 Speaker 2: affairs report that it was forwarding the documentation and the 219 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 2: evidence to the Prosecutor's office to consider whether any criminal 220 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:35,560 Speaker 2: charges are warranted, and the prosecutor has not made any 221 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:39,000 Speaker 2: announcements yet as to whether he plans to pursue any 222 00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:40,280 Speaker 2: criminal charges. 223 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:44,000 Speaker 1: One key difference between Sander Birchmore's case and Sandy Bal's 224 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:47,400 Speaker 1: case is how the police department responded once they were 225 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 1: alerted to possible inappropriate conduct. So in Sandy Bal's case, 226 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:55,720 Speaker 1: the police officer investigating her death received a number of 227 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:59,120 Speaker 1: phone calls from other cops who insinuated that they may 228 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:02,000 Speaker 1: have been sexually involved with her. He told me that 229 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:04,680 Speaker 1: he did report this to higher ups, but that it 230 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 1: didn't trigger an investigation or any media coverage or public 231 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:13,560 Speaker 1: statements by the police department addressing their wrongs. In contrast, 232 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:18,080 Speaker 1: the Stoughton police chief has addressed Sandra Birchmore's case publicly. 233 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:22,400 Speaker 2: She gave a news conference to announce the findings of 234 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 2: the internal investigation, in which she was very sober faced, emotional. 235 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:31,560 Speaker 2: She described Sandra's life I thought in poignant terms and 236 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 2: touched upon the reverence that Sandra showed during her life 237 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 2: for law enforcement and the military, and drew a bright 238 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:44,920 Speaker 2: line between Sandra's reverence for those people and the officers 239 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 2: who were the subject to report in their conduct, which 240 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:51,360 Speaker 2: she described as rendering them unfit to serve. It was 241 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:55,320 Speaker 2: an emotional news conference. It was one of the few 242 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 2: times that we've seen a police chief come out and 243 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:01,960 Speaker 2: say publicly that she wished to certify some of her 244 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:06,000 Speaker 2: former officers, in part because it's a new system in Massachusetts. 245 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 2: She showed a lot of empathy for Sandra and her 246 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:14,320 Speaker 2: family and the people who loved her, and a considerable 247 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 2: amount of regret that she had been subject to such 248 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:21,600 Speaker 2: misconduct where she should have felt safe and protected, and 249 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 2: that the miscontact was perpetrated against her by those who 250 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:26,600 Speaker 2: are sworn to uphold the law. 251 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:31,200 Speaker 1: These public reckonings can be helpful as they send the 252 00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 1: message that police abuses won't just be swept under the rug, 253 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:38,760 Speaker 1: and when it comes to public trust, transparency is key. 254 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:43,360 Speaker 2: One thing that was revealed in this investigation, which I 255 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:45,920 Speaker 2: don't think was publicly known before, is that there were 256 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 2: big questions about the Farewell brothers law before they became 257 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 2: police officers or even applied to be police officers. They 258 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 2: were getting into trouble when they were explorers and personing 259 00:16:57,240 --> 00:17:00,280 Speaker 2: officers and pulling people over as they were driving through 260 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 2: streets in Stoughton, and that piece of information was known, 261 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:07,440 Speaker 2: It was considered during the hiring process for both of them, 262 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:10,959 Speaker 2: and it was overlooked because both of them eventually were hired. 263 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 2: So there are a lot of open questions that are 264 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:18,359 Speaker 2: left from the investigation that will likely be addressed in 265 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:23,480 Speaker 2: the coming months. But there's also the more lasting impact 266 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:26,879 Speaker 2: what kind of trust can the public have in a 267 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:31,520 Speaker 2: department like this where the department itself has admitted that 268 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:34,879 Speaker 2: their officers were unfit to serve. 269 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:38,280 Speaker 1: As they wait to see if the prosecutor decides to 270 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 1: bring any charges, Sandra Birchmore's family has moved forward with 271 00:17:42,119 --> 00:17:42,879 Speaker 1: a civil suit. 272 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:48,000 Speaker 2: They filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Farwell brothers, 273 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:53,600 Speaker 2: Robert Divine, and the animal control officer who now works 274 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 2: in the neighboring community of Abington as a police officer. 275 00:17:57,119 --> 00:18:00,439 Speaker 2: The other defendants in the lawsuit are the town of 276 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:03,800 Speaker 2: Stone and It's a police department. The parts of that 277 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:07,119 Speaker 2: complaint that concerned the department and the town have to 278 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:11,760 Speaker 2: do with negligent hiring and supervision of the officers who 279 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:13,199 Speaker 2: were interacting with Sandra. 280 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 1: It is still so striking to me how similar Sandy 281 00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:32,160 Speaker 1: Bill and Sandra Birchmore's cases are, even though they were 282 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:35,879 Speaker 1: decades apart. They both really seemed to admire law enforcement, 283 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:38,600 Speaker 1: and then both of them appeared to have been taken 284 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:41,200 Speaker 1: advantage of by more than one person in a position 285 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 1: of power. When I was reporting on the Explorer program 286 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:47,679 Speaker 1: that Sandy Bill was a part of, I discovered that 287 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:51,080 Speaker 1: it had very little oversight. I was able to track 288 00:18:51,119 --> 00:18:53,359 Speaker 1: down one of the first officers who was involved in 289 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:56,040 Speaker 1: the program, and he told me that they underwent no 290 00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 1: training before engaging with teenagers and they were basically left 291 00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:03,880 Speaker 1: on their own to organize the program. Sandra Birchmore started 292 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 1: in the Explorer program when she was thirteen years old. 293 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:10,960 Speaker 1: It was overseen by Robert Devine, the same officer later 294 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:13,400 Speaker 1: accused of inappropriate conduct with her. 295 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:16,480 Speaker 2: At the time, he was rising through the ranks of 296 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:20,080 Speaker 2: the department. As he got further and further along in 297 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 2: his career, there were fewer and fewer people who were 298 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:27,240 Speaker 2: overseeing him, and those who were overseeing him might have 299 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:30,480 Speaker 2: seen that program as a success because it was popular. 300 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:33,840 Speaker 2: I got news coverage in the local papers, and it 301 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:37,560 Speaker 2: was seen as something that was positive about the Stoton 302 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 2: Police Department. 303 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:41,960 Speaker 1: I was curious if Laura thought that what happened to 304 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:45,400 Speaker 1: Sandra Birchmore had made any sort of impact on policing 305 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:46,320 Speaker 1: in the community. 306 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 2: I think that Sandra Birchmore's story has just touched upon 307 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:56,439 Speaker 2: the questions of power and authority that we give to 308 00:19:56,520 --> 00:20:02,719 Speaker 2: police officers, and how I should provide checks on that 309 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:07,639 Speaker 2: power and authority. I think that it's been one of 310 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 2: the sadder cases that we have heard about in terms 311 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:15,960 Speaker 2: of police misconduct, because it took place over years and 312 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:20,600 Speaker 2: that she suffered for a long time, and it was 313 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:25,520 Speaker 2: mostly hidden from view until she died. This particular case 314 00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 2: highlights the crucial stuff that happens when police officers are 315 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:33,440 Speaker 2: being hired and scrutinized. I think there's been a lot 316 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:37,320 Speaker 2: of focus in recent years about who's entering law enforcement 317 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:40,360 Speaker 2: and what their backgrounds are, what their histories are. If 318 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:43,400 Speaker 2: there's stuff that is known about their backgrounds that might 319 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 2: be considered for disqualification, how are the hiring panels going 320 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:54,439 Speaker 2: to treat it. I think that anyone who was a 321 00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 2: young person has met someone like Sandra, someone who is 322 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:02,840 Speaker 2: a little vulnerable but found a way to strengthen herself, 323 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:06,320 Speaker 2: found something that fit, that felt like she could help 324 00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:11,040 Speaker 2: herself by getting involved in something, and in Sandra's case, 325 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:14,960 Speaker 2: it was police Explorers. What's so sad about Sandra's case 326 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:18,639 Speaker 2: is that she sought out the Explorers to improve her life, 327 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:23,239 Speaker 2: to give her some stability and direction, and ultimately it 328 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:26,960 Speaker 2: was the choice that led her to her death. 329 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:34,840 Speaker 1: For more information, make sure to check out Laura Cromaldi's 330 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:38,679 Speaker 1: original reporting at The Boston Globe. If you have information 331 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:42,919 Speaker 1: you wish to share about Sandra Birchmore or Police Explorer programs, 332 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 1: please send me an email at what Happened to Sandy 333 00:21:46,359 --> 00:21:50,080 Speaker 1: Beal at gmail dot com. Thank you so much for listening.