meantime we're following breaking news a former stoton police detective under arrest tonight investigators say he murdered 23-year-old Sandra burchmore and staged her death as a suicide they say the victim was pregnant at the time and that the officer began a sexual relationship with birchmore when she was a teenager according to court records the suspect knew the victim for years she was just a child when she joined a program that teaches young people about careers in law enforcement court records also alleged he had been having a sexual relationship with her since she was 15 years old some of the most disturbing allegations come from texts between the suspect and victim and we have live team coverage for you tonight on this story beginning with Boston 25 news reporter Bob Ward live outside federal court in Boston and Bob these allegations are so difficult to hear yeah Mark it's a highly disturbing case and this afternoon Matthew Farwell was arraigned here at US District Court in South Boston charged with the death of Sandra burchmore I attended this arraignment he appeared handcuffed and Shackled he pleaded not guilty but he is in some serious charges he even faces the possibility of the federal death penalty this is the moment that a SWAT team took down former stoton police officer Matthew Farwell at a shopping plaza in Riv Wednesday morning he's now charged in federal court with one count of killing a witness or victim for the disturbing February 2021 death of 23-year-old Sandra burchmore who was allegedly carrying his baby she was found hanging in her camp apartment Sandra burchmore first met Matthew Farwell when she was just 12 years old and a member of the Sten Police Department's explorers program authorities say the two began having sex when she was 15 and in newly revealed text messages the two later talked about it birchmore I had butterfly so bad the day you took my virginity Farwell me too it was such a big day birchmore still know the date to this day Farwell really birchmore yes on December 28th 2020 birchmore announced her pregnancy to the married Farwell sending him this photo that she made at the time farwell's wife was about to give birth to their third child according to the feds Farwell was not happy that he grew violent toward Sandra and then on February 1st 2021 he strangled her out of concern she would reveal their relationship and when it became clear to Mr Farwell that he could no longer control sander birchmore he allegedly silenced her permanently the State medical examiner initially ruled Sandra's death the suicide but now after a thorough investigation the FED say Sandra was murdered what we believe officer Matthew Farwell did as outlined in today's indictment is depraved and a gross betrayal of his sworn oath and the Public's trust Matthew Farwell is ordered held he is now in the custody of US Marshals he'll be back here in federal court in South Boston next month reporting live from South Boston I'm Bob Ward for your local station boston25 news