前斯托顿警官法威尔杀人案 10 月 6 日在波士顿联邦法院开始遴选陪审团
10 月 6 日，前马萨诸塞州斯托顿镇警官马修·法威尔（Matthew Farwell）涉嫌杀害 23 岁女子桑德拉·伯奇莫尔（Sandra Birchmore）一案，在波士顿的约翰·约瑟夫·莫克利联邦法院正式开始遴选陪审团。这起案件因涉及警官利用职权与年轻女性发生不正当关系并涉嫌杀人灭口，在新英格兰地区引发持续关注。
检方指控，法威尔在担任警官期间与当时未成年的伯奇莫尔建立不正当关系，并在伯奇莫尔怀孕后将其杀害，伪造成自杀现场。伯奇莫尔的遗体于 2021 年在其坎顿市公寓内被发现。法威尔面临杀人、证人报复等多项联邦指控，若罪名成立可能面临终身监禁。
辩方则主张伯奇莫尔死于自杀，否认法威尔与她的死亡有任何关系。预计庭审将持续数周，检方计划传唤数十名证人，包括执法部门同事、法医专家以及伯奇莫尔的亲友。
由于案件社会关注度极高，法院此次从数百名候选人中遴选陪审团，法官逐一询问候选人是否事先了解案情、能否保持中立。遴选预计持续多日，正式开庭陈述将在陪审团组成后进行。
（来源：美联社、波士顿环球报）
Jury Selection Begins Oct. 6 in Boston Federal Trial of Ex-Stoughton Officer Matthew Farwell
Jury selection began on October 6 at Boston's John Joseph Moakley federal courthouse in the trial of former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell, accused of killing 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore. The case — involving allegations that an officer exploited his authority in an inappropriate relationship with a young woman and then killed her to cover it up — has drawn sustained attention across New England.
Prosecutors allege that Farwell began an inappropriate relationship with Birchmore while she was a minor and killed her after she became pregnant, staging the scene to look like a suicide. Birchmore's body was found in her Canton apartment in 2021. Farwell faces federal charges including homicide and witness retaliation, carrying a possible life sentence.
The defense maintains Birchmore died by suicide and denies Farwell had anything to do with her death. The trial is expected to last several weeks, with prosecutors planning to call dozens of witnesses, including fellow officers, forensic experts, and Birchmore's family and friends.
Given intense public interest, the court is selecting jurors from hundreds of candidates, with the judge individually questioning each on prior knowledge of the case and ability to remain impartial. Selection is expected to take several days, with opening statements to follow once the jury is seated.
(Sources: Associated Press, Boston Globe)
图片来源：图：波士顿约翰·约瑟夫·莫克利联邦法院大楼临港外景。摄影：Mbfitz，公有领域，来源：Wikimedia Commons
