Description:
Sandra Birchmore thought she was joining something safe—something built to guide and empower her future. What she got was years of grooming, manipulation, and ultimately, death.
At 23, Sandra was found dead in her apartment. Initially ruled a suicide, her death was almost swept away as another statistic. But when federal authorities looked deeper, they uncovered something far more disturbing: Sandra had been involved for years with Officer Matthew Farwell—a man twice her age who met her when she was just 13 through the Stoughton Police Explorer Program. Prosecutors now say he strangled her to silence her and staged the scene to look like suicide.
In this episode, retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke joins us to unpack the five key failures that made this tragedy possible. From negligent oversight and toxic leadership to peer silence and institutional cowardice, we break down how Sandra was abandoned not just by one person—but by a system designed to protect her.
Robin outlines how grooming works within trusted institutions, how “mentorship” becomes a mask for abuse, and why departments that prioritize convenience over ethics become complicit. He explains how fear of professional backlash often keeps good officers from speaking up—and why failing to confront one predator often empowers more.
This isn’t just an indictment of one cop. It’s a case study in what happens when leadership fails, accountability collapses, and victims are left to fend for themselves inside a system that should’ve had their back.
Sandra Birchmore didn’t fall through the cracks. She was pushed. And in this episode, we show you who pushed her—and how we stop it from happening again.
#SandraBirchmore #RobinDreeke #LawEnforcementFailure #TrueCrimePodcast #FBIBehavioralAnalysis #Grooming #InstitutionalNeglect #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #ExplorerProgram
Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video?
Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/
Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod
X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod
Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.