The legal maneuver comes just two days after a federal jury in Boston found Farwell guilty of first-degree murder and of killing a fetus. The conviction followed a closely watched trial that centered on Birchmore's death in 2021, which authorities initially ruled a suicide before a federal investigation led to Farwell's indictment.

Farwell, who was a Stoughton police officer at the time of Birchmore's death, was accused of strangling her in her Canton apartment and then staging the scene to look like a suicide. Birchmore was 23 years old and pregnant with Farwell's child when she died. The case drew widespread attention after an independent investigation found that multiple officers had failed to intervene in a pattern of abuse that began when Birchmore was a teenager participating in a police explorer program.

The request for a new trial is a routine but significant step in the post-conviction process. Farwell's defense team is expected to argue that the jury's verdict was not supported by the evidence or that legal errors during the trial deprived him of a fair proceeding. Federal prosecutors have not yet responded publicly to the filing.

The conviction has ignited a fierce backlash in Stoughton, where residents have directed their anger at town leadership over the suspension of Police Chief Donna McNamara. McNamara was placed on leave in the wake of the Farwell scandal, and a growing number of residents are now calling for her reinstatement, arguing that she was unfairly scapegoated for a culture of misconduct that predated her tenure.

The case has also raised broader questions about accountability within law enforcement and the failure of local institutions to protect a vulnerable young woman. Birchmore's family has said they hope the conviction sends a message that no one is above the law, even those sworn to uphold it.

Farwell is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. If his request for a new trial is denied, he faces a mandatory life sentence for the murder conviction.