Fanning FOIA Production

Source: Sgt. John Fanning (Norfolk DA / MSP CPAC unit) email production, obtained via public records requests from @TheEmilySee.
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FOIA production
Flagged
Redacted
Items of note in this production
04/2022
Ashley Bell's April 2022 interview recording
Bell says she saw a recorder; NDAO says no record exists. Two PRRs filed; no answer for where it went.
03/21/2024
POST Voluntary Decertification Agreement
Formal record of Farwell's permanent law enforcement decertification; Patrick Hanley (same attorney who stonewalled 2021 DNA) represented Farwell here too.
09/27/2022
Barstool Sports PRR names Joshua Heal
Heal named in a FOIA request nearly three years before the Patriot Ledger's "fourth ex-cop" story ran in July 2025.
01/14/2022
499 West Street ALS testing
Farwell's workplace; tested substance redacted; ALS result NEGATIVE on both surfaces; no evidence collected.
Act 1 · Scene, DNA & First Contacts / Feb – Aug 2021
02/09/2021
Fanning Contacts OCME: 5 Days After Body Found
Fanning reaches out to OCME the same day Farwell ran guilty-knowledge searches (per trial evidence). Wants to discuss "some issues that came up." Specific interest in DNA: "I'm interested in if [REDACTED]. We may be interested in DNA." Fanning FOIARedacted
02/12/2021
OCME Retrieves Biological Sample for Potential Testing
OCME retrieving biological sample [REDACTED] to hold. Possible court order needed; OCME Legal looped in for additional testing [REDACTED]. Fanning FOIARedacted
02/17/2021
Sandra's Cousin Finds Letters and Notebooks: Then Gives Them to an Attorney
Cousin found letters and notebooks at Stoughton family home, initially offered to bring them to Trooper Dunne, then called back and gave the materials to an attorney instead. Fanning FOIA
02/23/2021
Fanning's "Final Request" to CME Before Body Released
Fanning's final request to Chief Medical Examiner Lisa Riccobene before Sandra's body was released to family. Content fully redacted in the FOIA production. Fanning FOIAFully redacted
03/2021
MSP Crime Lab Has DNA Results; Blood Tube Chain of Custody Issues
MSP Crime Lab forensic scientist Stephanie Waite asks Dunne and Fanning what additional DNA testing they need "in light of the results I gave to Trooper Dunne yesterday." Blood tube chain of custody issues also noted in this period. Fanning FOIA
03/2021
Farwell's Attorney Refuses DNA Sample and Polygraph
Attorney Patrick Hanley refuses both requests, calling them "far outside the norm for mere witnesses." Letter: "I expect his DNA profile would reveal nothing of value to your case." Farwell not yet a named suspect at this stage. Fanning FOIA
Hanley is also the attorney of record in Farwell's 2024 POST decertification agreement, the same counsel who managed both the criminal exposure phase and the certification proceeding.
05/12/2021
Fanning Asks OCME Whether Tox Panel Included "Knockout" Drugs
Fanning asks OCME whether tox was "full tox panel or standard", specifically whether drugs that would "knock someone out" (roofies / flunitrazepam / similar) were tested. Fanning FOIA
05/25/2021
Lab Results Forwarded
Lab results forwarded to Fanning. Attachment redacted in full in the FOIA production. Fanning FOIARedacted
07/2021
Fanning Coordinates with NDAO Leadership
Fanning in coordination with Norfolk DA's office: ADA Beland, DA Morrissey, ADA Mattaliano. Fanning FOIA
07/29/2021
Dunne Corrects Date Error in Laptop Report
Trooper Dunne corrects a date error in his report regarding the laptop data analysis. Fanning FOIA
08/16/2021
Brady Disclosure Trigger Email
ADA Monahan emails ADA Alford: "Birchmore/Stoughton PD Investigation, Officer Matthew G. Farwell." Email body contains only Farwell's name. This is the record that initiates the Brady disclosure chain. Fanning FOIA
Follow-on: Aug. 19
08/19/2021: ADA Alford forwards the Brady trigger email to Second ADA Connolly.
Act 2 · First Records Battle & Brady Disclosures / Jan – Aug 2022
01/14/2022
MSP Crime Scene Services Tests Farwell's Workplace: NEGATIVE
MSP Crime Scene Services processes 499 West Street, Stoughton, the Stoughton Animal Control building and Farwell's workplace. ALS (Alternating Light Source) testing on a couch and an office chair. Screening test for [REDACTED]: NEGATIVE on both surfaces. No evidence collected or submitted. Report #22-01049, Forensic Scientist Jennifer Preisig. Fanning FOIASubstance redactedFlagged
The tested substance is fully redacted. The ACO building is also where Joshua Heal worked. Jayson Pickard (army recruiter) was identified at trial as the biological father of Sandra's fetus per DNA testing and trial stipulation (Kelsch, Day 6). The timing (Jan 2022) is ~11 months after Sandra's death, ~1 month before the first Globe FOIA appeal is decided.
02/10/2022
Supervisor of Records Upholds NDAO Withholding
After in-camera inspection, Supervisor of Records upholds NDAO's exemption (f) withholding (investigatory materials, G.L. c. 66 § 10). Stoughton PD's IA investigation of Farwell still described as active. Globe reporter Crimaldi had filed 6 previous appeals in this case (SPR21/3034 et al.). Fanning FOIAExemption (f)
03/11/2022
Farwell Resigns; Globe Asks About Brady List
Farwell resigns from Stoughton PD. Globe asks whether he will appear on the Brady/officer disclosure list and whether additional records will now be released. Fanning FOIA
03/14 to 03/25/2022
NDAO Coordinates With Stoughton PD on Records Release
NDAO confirms it is coordinating with Stoughton PD on whether to release investigation records following Farwell's resignation. Fanning FOIA
03/31/2022
NDAO Releases Initial Records Batch to Globe
NDAO releases MSP Report #1, case #2021-112-39 (4 pages, heavily redacted). Remaining records still withheld, IA investigation described as "active and ongoing" even post-resignation. Fanning FOIA
04/01/2022
Globe Asks Three Questions; DA Declines Comment
Globe asks: (1) what did the investigation uncover about Farwell's relationship with Birchmore; (2) will charges be filed; (3) did investigators believe the relationship began before the age of consent. NDAO: "The office declines comment." Fanning FOIA
04/05/2022
NDAO Supplemental Release: 25 Additional Pages
ADA Monahan notifies Morrissey, Beland, Fanning, and Traub: "The response and reports have been sent." Fanning FOIA
04/13/2022
Globe: "Scandal Widens in Stoughton Police Department"
Globe reports William Farwell (Matthew's brother) and Robert Devine placed on paid administrative leave. Matthew listed Devine as his supervisor in a 2010 employment questionnaire. All NDAO leadership circulates article internally. Fanning FOIA
05/06/2022
Globe Files PRR Directly With MSP
Globe files a separate public records request with MSP for all Birchmore investigation records. MSP legal contacts NDAO to coordinate. Fanning FOIA
05/16/2022
MSP Legal and Tully Loop In NDAO for Coordinated Response
MSP legal (Noone) contacts D.Lt. Brian Tully. Tully CCs ADA Monahan and Fanning to coordinate the Globe PRR.
Tully personally invited Farwell to the Oct. 2019 Norfolk DA MSP Homicide Conference (trial evidence, Ex. 296 / Beckstrom Day 5) and subsequently cleared Farwell of involvement in Sandra's death.
Fanning FOIA
06/20/2022
Globe Long-Form on Stoughton PD History
Globe publishes long-form framed around "worst of small-town governments." DA Morrissey's response to Traub forwarding the article: "I saw it." Fanning FOIA
08/02/2022
William Farwell Resigns; Both Farwells and Devine on Brady List
William Farwell resigns. Globe confirms both William Farwell and Robert Devine are on the NDAO officer disclosure (Brady) list. NDAO (Traub): "Yes, both are on officer disclosure list." Fanning FOIA
Act 3 · IA Report, Heal's Name, Morrissey's Statement / Sept – Oct 2022
09/22 to 09/23/2022
Stoughton PD Releases 60-Page IA Report; DA Issues "No Prosecutable Case" Statement
Stoughton PD releases its internal affairs report. Globe publishes: "Three Stoughton police officers had inappropriate relationships with a young woman." DA Traub's official statement: "The investigation to date has not developed a prosecutable statutory rape case against any individual." GBH (reporter Mark Herz) and others also request NDAO comment. Fanning FOIA
09/27/2022
Barstool Sports PRR Names Joshua Heal: Three Years Before Patriot Ledger Story
Globe files a PRR for William Farwell's MSP interview (referenced in his resignation letter). Separately, Barstool Sports reporter Dave Cullinane files a PRR for records on Birchmore, Devine, Matthew Farwell, William Farwell, and Joshua Heal, first appearance of Heal's name in the FOIA production. Fanning FOIAFlagged
Heal had a documented relationship with Sandra; Jayson Pickard (army recruiter) is the DNA-confirmed biological father of Sandra's fetus (trial stipulation, Kelsch Day 6). The Patriot Ledger ran its "fourth ex-cop implicated" story on 07/27/2025, nearly three years after Cullinane filed this PRR naming Heal. The Globe and other outlets' PRRs do not name Heal at this date. Cullinane's request predates public reporting on Heal by years.
09/28/2022
Globe Comprehensive PRR; Morrissey Texts Monahan
Globe files a comprehensive PRR for all remaining investigation materials. DA Morrissey texts ADA Monahan: "when you get a chance could you give me a call. No rush." Fanning FOIA
10/06/2022
Cullinane (Barstool) Contacts Tully Directly
Cullinane reaches out to D.Lt. Tully directly. Tully refers him to public information officers. Fanning FOIA
10/12/2022
NDAO Sends Globe Response to Comprehensive PRR
NDAO sends its response to the Globe's 09/28/2022 comprehensive records request. Fanning FOIA
Act 4 · POST Decertification / 2022 – 2024
03/21/2024
POST Voluntary Decertification Agreement: Farwell Permanently Decertified
Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission issues a Voluntary Decertification Agreement permanently revoking Farwell's Massachusetts law enforcement certification. Entry made in the National Decertification Index (NDI). Farwell waived all rights to contest. Fanning FOIAFlagged
Patrick Hanley, the same attorney who refused DNA and polygraph in March 2021, calling them "far outside the norm for mere witnesses", is listed as Respondent's attorney in the POST proceeding. The March 2021 refusal effectively delayed the investigation; the 2024 agreement closed Farwell's certification permanently without any admission. Hanley's continuity across both proceedings is documented in this production.
Act 5 · Pre-Trial Records Activity / Sept 2024 – April 2025
09/09 to 09/10/2024
Multiple PRRs: Globe Asks Who Told Farwell About the Jan. 20 Call
Multiple new PRRs received at NDAO and MSP. The Globe specifically requests: (1) audio of the Jan. 20, 2021 call from Julia Pearlman to Stoughton PD; (2) documentation of that call; (3) the identity of the SPD employee who took the call and relayed it to Farwell; (4) records MSP provided to OCME. People Magazine requests all investigative reports including Trooper Dunne's 2021 reports. Fanning FOIA
Context: the Jan. 20, 2021 call
Per trial testimony (Fitton, Day 7): dispatcher James Fitton took the 7:40 PM call, informed Farwell in the detectives office, and Farwell became visibly and audibly angry. Officer Letendr also told Fitton to "forget about the call." Farwell then texted Fitton: "Let's never discuss that again. That girl is fucking insane." Chief McNamara first learned of this call in spring 2024 from the FBI. The recording was likely overwritten after 30 days. The identity of the employee who passed the information to Farwell, including Letendr's role, remains an open PRR question in the FOIA record at this date.
01/07 to 01/30/2025
Globe Requests All Interview Recordings; NDAO Says None Found
Globe (Crimaldi) requests audio/video recordings of all interviews in the death investigation (filed 01/07/2025). NDAO response (01/30/2025): "After a diligent search, no responsive records were found." Fanning FOIA
04/08/2025
Globe Asks About Ashley Bell's Interview Recording: Missing
Globe (Crimaldi) asks specifically about an audio recording of Ashley Bell's April 2022 interview with Lt. Fanning and Trooper Prince at the Norfolk DA's office. Bell told Globe she saw a recording device, a white/gray plastic recorder, during the interview. Both Bell and Crimaldi filed PRRs. NDAO says no record exists. Crimaldi asks whether the recording was ever made and what became of it. Fanning FOIAFlagged, missing record
This is an April 2022 interview of a witness (Bell) by Fanning and Prince, the lead investigator in this FOIA production. NDAO's Jan. 2025 global response ("no responsive records found") would cover this recording. Bell's eyewitness account of seeing a recorder is in direct conflict with NDAO's response. No explanation for the discrepancy appears in the production.
04/23/2025
New PRR for Birchmore Case Files; MSP Refers SPDU Reports to NDAO
New PRR for Birchmore case files received by MSP. MSP legal refers State Police Detective Unit (SPDU) reports to NDAO for response. Fanning FOIA
Act 6 · Trial Era & Devine POST Findings / July – Sept 2025
07/21 to 07/23/2025
Vanity Fair Asks Morrissey; NDAO Confirms Federal Cooperation
Vanity Fair (Julie Miller) contacts DA Morrissey. NDAO: "The NDAO has cooperated and handed over information gathered during the investigation to the U.S. Attorney's Office and is continuing to cooperate with the office. Because it is a pending case, the NDAO cannot comment further." Fanning FOIA
07/27/2025
Patriot Ledger: "Fourth Ex-Cop Implicated": Joshua Heal Decertification Hearing
Patriot Ledger reports Joshua Heal (Stoughton Animal Control Officer; former Abington police officer) faces a POST decertification hearing. Heal had a documented relationship with Sandra and texted her in Oct. 2020 to inform her that Farwell's wife was expecting their third child. Jayson Pickard (army recruiter) was identified as the biological father of Sandra's fetus per DNA testing and trial stipulation (Kelsch, Day 6). Fanning FOIA / public reporting
08/29 to 08/30/2025
Protesters Demand Answers; MassLive on Morrissey's Inaction
Protesters outside Morrissey's office. MassLive: "Why didn't Morrissey indict Matthew Farwell and why did it take the feds coming in? Why aren't there any state charges?" Google Alerts in Morrissey's and Traub's inboxes capture the coverage; both appear in this production. Fanning FOIA
09/04/2025
Brady Disclosure in Unrelated Case: Farwell Decertification Order Sent to Defense
ADA Blair sends Farwell's POST decertification order and the Stoughton PD IA report to defense in Commonwealth v. Ilton Rodrigues, an unrelated matter in which Farwell had been a law enforcement witness. Fanning FOIA
09/15/2025
Globe Publishes Devine POST Decertification Findings
Globe (Crimaldi) publishes findings from Robert Devine's closed-door POST hearing (June–July 2025). Key allegations: Fanning FOIA / Globe 09/15/2025
Expand all findings
  • Federal prosecutors allege Devine contacted Birchmore on 02/01/2021, the day Farwell allegedly strangled her.
  • DNA excludes Farwell as the father of Birchmore's unborn baby; Jayson Pickard identified as biological father per DNA testing and trial stipulation (Kelsch, Day 6). Paternity listed as undetermined in POST proceedings.
  • Devine used the Facebook alias "Marty Riggs" (Lethal Weapon character) to message Birchmore.
  • POST allegations include Devine having a "sexual encounter" with Birchmore while on duty in December 2020.
  • Devine's response when Birchmore raised Farwell's paternity: "You shouldn't be talking to me about this. You shouldn't be talking to anybody about this."
  • William Farwell sent "sexually graphic text messages and videos" to Birchmore, April through December 2020.
  • Chief Holmes distanced from Devine in 2011 over concerns about interactions with another former Explorer (not Birchmore), Devine was getting "way too cozy."
  • Devine's 8-year-old daughter issued a trespass notice at Stoughton PD in 2016 after leaving a crayon note: "Revenge is a meal best served cold."
  • As of September 2025: Farwell pleaded not guilty; pretrial conference scheduled for October 2025.

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