Warning: This article contains graphic details regarding the death of a woman and a crime scene description

Massachusetts has been hit with another high-profile trial weeks after Lindsay Clancy’s ended in a hung jury.

Right now, Boston is in the middle of the controversial federal trial of Matthew Farwell, an officer who has been accused of killing 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore after it was claimed he had inappropriate contact with her as a minor.

Farwell, a former Stoughton police detective, has been accused of killing pregnant Birchmore in 2021 after it was initially ruled a suicide by the state's medical examiner.

However, her death was investigated by the Stoughton police just 18 months later.

It determined that three people had been having ‘inappropriate’ relations with her after contacting her through the department’s youth program.

The death of Sandra Birchmore was initially thought to be a suicide. Credit: DoJ

Birchmore’s death was initially listed as a suicide before Farwell was charged with her murder

Farwell, his twin brother and another officer are alleged to have been involved with Birchmore, with The Boston Globe reporting friends of Farwell alleging he was having sexual relations with her when she was 15 and he was 27.

Farwell denies the allegations against him.

A year after the internal investigation, the FBI began a separate investigation, which led to Farwell being charged with Birchmore’s murder in 2024.

Currently, prosecutors say Farwell strangled Birchmore in her apartment on February 1 and pointed to a surveillance video showing Farwell entering the apartment that night.

According to the filings, he was wearing a hoodie and a face mask and left her home 29 minutes later.

Birchmore’s body was found on February 4 wearing the same clothing as the day Farwell visited her.

Prosecutors also claim the final movement on her phone was recorded three minutes before Farwell left her home and that it is believed he staged the scene to look like a suicide.

Birchmore was pregnant at the time of her death. Credit: DoJ

The unredacted crime scene images are online

Now, the public has been alerted that incredibly graphic crime scene images of Birchmore’s body and home are available for viewing on the Department of Justice’s website.

Warning: They are extremely graphic photos and contain images of a dead body, injuries, hanging, and decomposition. Viewer discretion and a serious warning about its content are advised from Trial Exhibit 008 onwards.

The DoJ’s case page also includes images of Birchmore before her death, her lease contract, her home, and the blueprint to her apartment as part of the trial’s day two exhibit presentation.

In one image, Birchmore’s body can be seen attached to a door via a strap tied to the handle.

People who have seen the pictures have expressed their grief and shock that they are available to be seen by the public.

One person wrote on X: “omg i didnt think these would be public !!!!!! not a chance in HELL she did this . this looks physically impossible ??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.”

Another said: “omg, I thought it would be like oh ok they are releasing some pics probably heavily redacted but showing the entire body hanged like that is insane.”

Someone else wrote: “I did not heed your warning and have some regrets. I can't believe this is public.”

A user simply said: “I am horrified and sickened!”

Matthew Farwell and Stoughton police Chief Donna McNamara from 2017. Credit: Facebook

It is believed Birchmore may have been killed because of her pregnancy

According to investigators and the filings, Birchmore was pregnant with a child that both she and Farwell believed to be his.

Farwell, who was separately married with kids, is thought to have not been happy about the prospect of having a baby with the victim.

In a statement released through his attorney in 2022, per the Boston Globe, Farwell called Birchmore’s death tragic, but that he had no part in it.

“Contrary to your questions, I have not committed any crimes,” the statement said.

Featured image credit: Department of Justice

A Pennsylvania woman accused of fatally stabbing her husband and their three-year-old son at a Poconos resort drained her husband's 401(k) account prior to the trip, according to family members.

Metallica Rose Harrison, 27, allegedly tapped her husband Charles Harrison's retirement account to pay for a three-week stay at the Great Wolf Lodge in Scotrun, Pennsylvania, as well as a kitchen remodel and other personal expenses.

The family initially checked into the resort on September 21 and extended their stay on October 5. Relatives noticed the sudden financial move, though they did not anticipate the violence that would follow.

Stepmother April Thetga noted that while the family found taking funds out of the retirement account strange, they did not suspect anything was wrong at the time.

Just hours before police discovered the bodies, Harrison held a cheerful video call with her family. Relatives described the household as a loving one, noting that Charles was a devoted father and husband who rarely lost his temper. The abrupt shift from family vacation to crime scene left relatives searching for answers.

Metallica Rose Harrison and husband Charles Harrison with their son. Credit: Chaz Harrison/Facebook

Unusual financial moves before the resort trip

According to Thetga, Harrison accessed the retirement account to fund what was meant to be an early Christmas gift for her toddler son, Tristan. "It was definitely odd, but they’d taken their 401(k) out … There was nothing we could do about that," Thetga told The New York Post.

She added that family members were unsure whether the couple had taken a loan against the retirement account or withdrawn the funds entirely.

Despite the unexpected withdrawal, family members saw no warning signs during their final conversation. "She had called and we’re video chatting, and then she says she loved us very much, just like she normally would," Thetga recalled.

Referring to Charles, Thetga noted, "He was a fantastic husband. She definitely got lucky when it came to him. He just was good. He was a good father. I don’t think I’ve ever even seen him fight."

Metallica Harrison allegedly killed her husband and son on a family vacation. Credit: Chaz Harrison/Facebook

Chilling statements made after emergency response

Police officers responded to Room 2030 at the Great Wolf Lodge shortly after 3:00PM on Monday after Harrison placed a call to 911 asking for assistance ending her own life.

Inside the room, investigators located Charles Harrison and three-year-old Tristan dead on mattresses in the living room, both suffering from multiple stab wounds to the chest.

Authorities recovered a butcher knife on the bathroom floor, a smaller knife in the sink, several containers of blood, and multiple bottles of medication.

According to an affidavit obtained by WNEP, Harrison made direct admissions regarding her family during the emergency call. "My husband and son are already gone in the bed in the living room. They’re already gone, I’m sorry," Metallica Rose told the 911 operator.

When officers arrived at the scene, she informed them that she was "suicidal, not stupid" after asking for assistance locating a vein in her neck.

While receiving care from emergency medical staff, she continued making statements regarding her intentions and family life. "Every day I work so hard," Metallica Rose told EMS as they treated her. "To be the best person, the best mother, the best wife. It wasn’t supposed to end like this. I was supposed to have my happy family. That’s what I envisioned since I was a child."

Inside the ambulance, Harrison repeatedly stated that she was "not supposed to be here," according to the affidavit. She inquired with medical personnel about the depth of her wrist veins for "next time" and expressed frustration that her blood was clotting despite taking blood-thinning medication.

Harrison was transported to a medical facility in Stroudsburg for treatment of cuts to her left wrist and puncture wounds to her neck before being taken into police custody.

Featured image credit: Chaz Harrison/Facebook

The mom accused of killing her husband and son whilst on a family vacation ranted to police when they found her covered in blood.

Metallica Rose Harrison, 27, called 911 herself to allegedly admit to murdering her husband, Charles, and their three-year-old son.

The incident occurred when the family were staying at the Great Wolf Lodge, a resort in Poconos, Pennsylvania.

As of the time of writing, she remains in custody.

Mom said "it wasn't supposed to end like this" when cops found her

According to an affidavit obtained by WNEP, Harrison called 911 on Monday night, where she allegedly admitted to the killing of her husband and son, whose name is identified only by the initials T.H.

"My husband and son are already gone in the bed in the living room," she told the 911 operator. "They’re already gone, I’m sorry."

Officers who attended the scene then found the pair with multiple stab wounds to the chest.

When cops arrived, Harrison asked them to find a vein to stab in her neck - but told them she was "suicidal, not stupid."

As she was treated, Harrison told EMS that "Every day I work so hard. To be the best person, the best mother, the best wife."

She continued: "It wasn't supposed to end like this. I was supposed to have my happy family. That’s what I envisioned since I was a child."

Metallica Harrison allegedly killed her husband and son on a family vacation. Credit: Chaz Harrison/Facebook

Grisly details of crime scene as mom arrested for double homicide

As medical personnel took her to the hospital, the affidavit says that while in the ambulance, Harrison admitted that, "I'm not supposed to be here."

Harrison lived around 2 hours away from the hotel where she was found, and lamented that her blood had clotted despite her taking blood thinners.

After her 911 call, cops entered Room 2030 at the hotel and found Harrison's husband and child dead on mattresses, with multiple stab wounds to their chests.

According to police at the scene, a butcher knife was found on the bathroom floor and a smaller knife was discovered in the bathroom sink.

They also uncovered several containers suspected to contain blood and multiple bottles of medication.

The family had originally arrived at the Great Wolf Lodge on September 21, and had extended their original reservation until October 5.

Following the incident, Metallica Rose Harrison was taken to hospital to treat cuts to her left wrist and superficial puncture wounds on her neck. She remains in police custody.

Featured image credit: Chaz Harrison/Facebook

Christa Pike has been released from hospital following two failed attempts to execute her using the lethal injection.

Pike, now 50, was due to be executed on September 30 after spending 30 years on death row for a murder she committed as a teenager.

However, officials struggled to place an IV line in her arm ahead of the execution, with witnesses claiming at least seven needles had been used, one of which allegedly came out of her arm bent.

Pike remained alive after the second dose of pentobarbital was administered, with witnesses saying she was heard snoring before she was rushed to hospital.

Christa Pike has been released from hospital after surviving two lethal injection attempts. Credit: Tennessee Department of Corrections

She remained unconscious for several days after the botched execution attempt, before coming round.

Pike was able to speak and even stand up in the days following, and has now been discharged from hospital.

Her legal team confirmed she had been returned to Tennessee's Deborah K. Johnson Rehabilitation Centre, the prison where she has spent over 30 years on death row.

The statement, shared by Stephen Ferrell and Luke Ihnen from Federal Defender Services of Eastern Tennessee, and Randy Spivey and Kelly Gleason from the TN Office of the Post Conviction Defender, said: "Christa Pike was discharged from a local hospital and is now at Deborah K. Johnson Rehabilitation Centre, where she has been housed for more than 30 years.

"She is grateful to the first responders and her medical team for their care in these extraordinary circumstances.

"She is continuing to receive medical care at the prison, and we will continue to track her recovery."

Christa Pike, the only woman on Tennessee's death row, was convicted in the 1995 death of student Colleen Slemmer, 19. Credit: the Tennessee Department of Correction

Pike was sentenced to death after she admitted to killing her Job Corps classmate, 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, in 1995 after fearing that she was interested in her then-boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, 17.

Pike, who was 18 at the time, lured Slemmer to a secluded location where she and Shipp tortured and beat her, before she was killed after a large piece of asphalt was dropped on her head.

Shipp carved a pentagram into Slemmer's chest, while Pike took a piece of Slemmer's skull as a trophy, which she later showed off around the school.

Pike was sentenced to death, while Shipp - who was under 18 at the time of the crime - was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Another friend, Shadolla Peterson, who acted as a lookout, received six years of probation.

After 30 years on death row, Pike's execution was attempted on September 30, after she and her lawyers had mounted several unsuccessful appeals on the basis that the lethal injection could cause undue suffering for her.

Her legal team revealed that after surviving the execution attempt, Pike is facing "cognitive challenges" and "profound psychological trauma".

They said in a statement, per the New York Post: "While her physical recovery has been remarkable, significant questions remain about the long-term effects of what she endured.

"Christa is dealing with the profound psychological trauma of having survived a failed execution, including the terror, pain and uncertainty of believing she was about to die.

"Christa also continues to experience cognitive challenges with concentration and memory."

Currently, the long-term effects on her health are unknown, as well as whether the state will commute her sentence to life in prison - which she and her legal team have campaigned for - or if they will push for another execution.

As it stands, all upcoming executions in Tennessee have been put on hold and an investigation has been opened into why Pike's execution went so drastically wrong.

Featured image credit: Tennessee Department of Corrections

A prisoner who has spent almost 30 years on death row in Texas for the gang rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl has spoken out from behind bars for the first time.

Carlos Trevino, 51, used an online penpal service to complain about the reaction to his heinous crime and people around him not being able to “let it go”.

The death row inmate has been posting about his experience online

On a website called Wire of Hope, which was set up to connect incarcerated individuals with penpals outside of the prison system, Trevino asked: “Are you the black sheep of the family? Have you ever felt as if you just don’t fit in?

"Have you ever made an error or mistake and people just don’t let it go?”

Carlos Trevino has been posting online from death row. Credit: Wire of Hope

In an effort to reassure other criminals, he posted: “No matter how hard you try to make things right, even if these errors or mistakes have made you a better person, they weaponise your past while you’re trying to escape it.

"People, even family, look at you and judge you for that one action, and you are only known for that one action.

"They don’t see anything different about you or the changes you have made. They just see the mistakes you made.”

Referring to his own experience of sexually assaulting and stabbing a teenager to death in San Antonio on June 9, 1996, Trevino said: “Regardless if it has been years, you’re always judged for that one thing.

"It doesn’t matter if you have apologised, made changes in your life, or how much remorse you’ve shown.

"Even when regret is written across your heart and face, people just don’t see the real you. Welcome to my world."

Trevino's execution has been rescheduled multiple times

Three decades after Police found the body of Linda Salinas a day after she got into a car with Trevino, who drove her to a park where she suffered a harrowing assault by a group of men, the perpetrator has still not been executed.

Trevino was sentenced to death for capital murder in 1997. Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice

He was set to die in 2020, but the death warrant was withdrawn because of the “current Covid-19 conditions in Texas”.

That was the third time that his death was rescheduled because his longstanding legal team argued that evidence that he had fetal alcohol syndrome and was both physically and emotionally abused by his mother was overlooked during his original trial.

In the years since he was first sentenced to death, over 10,000 people have signed a petition to prevent Trevino from being executed with a statement reading: "His trial attorney did not investigate potentially mitigating evidence that he suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome, due to his mother drinking while she was pregnant."

While the rapist murderer’s future remains uncertain, he is trying to seek a romantic connection with a woman through Wire of Hope.

Featured image credit: Wire of Hope