Episode 216: The Murder of Sandra Birchmore

Another week, another installment of True Crime New England's case profile mini-episode series! This week, Katie starts us off by sharing the extremely depressing case of the murder of 29-year-old Jephthe Chery, who was shot on Thanksgiving day of 2015 in Boston. Then, Liz tells the partially solved story of the murder of John Lima, an 18-year-old who was shot an killed in Brockton, Massachusetts in May of 2007. Anyone with any information on the murder of Jephthe Chery is asked to please contact Boston Police homicide detectives at 617-343-4470 or anonymously through the Boston Police CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS. 

On this week’s episode of True Crime New England, take a trip back in time to 1850's Maine where Katie and Liz share the infamous story of Mary Bean, “The Factory Girl.” This tale involves a young woman from Quebec named Berengera Caswell, who left home with her sisters to work in the ever-expanding textile mills in New England. After she met a young machinist at the same mill she was employed at, she became pregnant. As premarital sex was harshly stigmatized in society in the 19th century, Berengera and her partner sought out a locally known abortionist to help remedy their problem. This turned out to be fatal, leading to a trial that became widely publicized in the region. Tune in to hear the details of navigating this unnecessary death and how society viewed such a case.

On this week's installment of True Crime New England's case profile mini-episode series, Katie and Liz cover two solved murders from New Haven, Connecticut. First, Liz shares the troubling murder of 18-year-old Tashawn Brown, who was killed after an argument at a family gathering in May of 2021. Then, Katie discusses the upsetting murder of 29-year-old Dwaneia Turner, who was shot and killed by her girlfriend in March of 2021. 

On this week’s episode of True Crime New England, Katie and Liz dive into a relatively well-known case in recent Massachusetts history. In February of 2021, 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore, who was 3 months pregnant, was found dead in her Canton apartment. She had recently found out she was pregnant and was so excited to be a mom. Her body was found with a duffel bag strap around her neck and tied to a doorknob, appearing as if she had committed suicide. It took three years for her death to be ruled a homicide, and this resulted in the subsequent arrest of former Stoughton Police Department officer Matthew Farwell, a man who had been grooming Sandra for almost a decade. While his trial is set to occur in October of 2026, the evidence mounting against him is damning as Sandra’s family waits for justice for their loved one’s murder. 

Would you look at that... another mini-episode from True Crime New England's case profile series! This week, Katie talks about the very suspicious homicide of 63-year-old Jake Keels out of Norwalk, Connecticut in August of 1996. Then, Liz talks about the puzzling disappearance and eventual unfortunate discovery of Jerry Riley in October of 1993 out of Epsom, New Hampshire. Anyone with any information on the murder of Jake Keels is asked to please call Lieutenant Weisgerber of the Cold Case Unit at 203-854-3028 or by emailing [email protected].

On this week’s episode of True Crime New England, Katie and Liz take a look at the mysterious murder of Barbara Beach Hamburg. Barbara, a mom of two living in Madison, Connecticut, was found beaten and stabbed to death on her lawn on March 3rd, 2010. She hadn't answered her teenage daughter’s calls about picking her up from school, and had also failed to appear in court that morning for a scheduled appointment against her ex-husband, Jeffrey Hamburg. Her murder immediately went cold, but her son, Madison Hamburg, began investigating his mother’s murder through a film school project that developed into a docuseries that aired on HBO in 2020. Madison spends over a decade looking through the facts and files of his mother’s case, interviewing family members and friends, meeting with police, and even filing appeals for documents to be sent to him. His docuseries, Murder on Middle Beach, showcases the intricate details of his mother’s murder investigation and how he became obsessed with the who and the why. If you or anyone you know has any information regarding the murder of Barbara Beach Hamburg, please go to barbarahamburgtips.com where you can leave an anonymous tip by submitting on their website or by calling their confidential tip line. You can also call the Madison Police Department at 203-245-6500.

On this week's episode of True Crime New England's case profile mini-episode series, Katie and Liz discuss two murders, both by gun violence. First, Liz tells the upsetting story of the murder of 22-year-old Ciera Jones, who was shot and killed in New Haven, Connecticut in July of 2021. While someone has confessed to the crime, no sentencing has been done. Then, Katie talks about the tragic murder of Treyshawn Boyd in January of 2020 in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Tragically, Treyshawn also lost his father, Jamil Harmon, to homicide in 2010. Anyone with any information on the murders of Treshawn Boyd and Jamil Harmon is asked to please call Boston police detectives at 617-343-4470, the CrimeStoppers anonymous tip line by calling 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463).

On this week’s episode of True Crime New England, Katie and Liz discuss the troubling home invasion that took place in Bedford, New Hampshire in November of 2012. That evening, Dr. Eduardo Quesado and his wife, Sonia, returned home to their mansion on Proclamation Court after seeing a movie. When they got inside, they were confronted by a man in a ski mask who then proceeded to viciously attack and rob them. While both the doctor and his wife survived with serious injuries, the effects were everlasting. Six weeks after the home invasion, Sonia was found dead and Eduardo unresponsive, both surrounded by a large amount of prescription medications. It was shortly after this that two suspects were arrested in regards to the home invasion. 

It's time for another installment of True Crime New England's case profile mini-episode series. Today, Katie begins the episode by telling the story of the random murder of 31-year-old mom Grisel Sanchez in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 2015. Then, Liz shares the details of the senseless murder of 28-year-old Dantley Leonard, also in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 2016. Grisel's murder remains unsolved while Dantley's murder is in the middle of being prosecuted. Anyone with any information about the murder of Grisel Sanchez is asked to please call homicide detectives at 617-343-4470 or anonymously at 1-800-494-TIPS.

Take a trip back in time this week on True Crime New England as Katie and Liz discuss the story of “The Gentleman Burglar.” In the late 1800s, small town Chester, Vermont was terrorized by sixteen years of random and heinous robberies in both local stores and local homes. The townspeople were furious and frightened, but luckily they had a hardworking public figure to help them solve the mystery. Clarence Adams, a once state legislator and highly respected member of the town, helped approve security plans, hire detectives, and even kicked in some of his own personal money as a part of the reward. His efforts were highly respected until one night in July of 1902, an incident that left Clarence injured had all signs pointing to HIM as the main suspect for the string of robberies. Tune in to hear the timeline and the details of the terrified town as they navigate the heightened level of crime in this historical whodunnit case.