Birchmore probe found ‘not credible’ for former officer still certified in 2021

When a Massachusetts police officer is accused of unreliability or conduct that would result in disciplinary action, his or her supervisors are required to report the officer to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST), the state agency that certifies and monitors law enforcement misconduct.

25 The investigation found that no reports were submitted to POST about former Abington School Resource Officer Josh Heal after then-Principal David Del Papa was informed that Heal had been found “unreliable” in an internal affairs investigation conducted at 2021 by Stoughton police regarding Sandra Birchmore’s relationships with multiple police officers.

25 Investigations: The recording of the Birchmore murder investigation you were never meant to hear

25 The investigation first reported on Heal last week after obtaining an audio recording of Del Papa’s official interview with the city attorney and an outside investigator asked to look into Del Papa’s handling of Heal. The Abington investigation found that Del Papa demonstrated professionalism and conscientiousness, and the redacted report concluded that Del Papa “was questioned throughout the SPD (Stoughton Police Department) investigation, receiving limited information from … SPD, specific to Heal.”

In the recording, Del Papa states that then-Stoughton Deputy Police Chief Brian Holmes told him that he “found Josh (Heal) unreliable because Josh denied having a sexual relationship with Birchmore during the first interview but changed his answer in the second interview.” interview.”

In a strongly worded email, Heal’s Duxbury attorney, Peter S. Farrell, told 25 Investigates Heal “will take all appropriate legal action if you suggest that he (Josh Heal) lacks credibility.”

Heal met Birchmore when she was a young adult in her previous role as an animal control officer in Stoughton. In December 2021, Holmes told Del Papa he wanted to speak to Heal as a “witness” about text messages sent to Birchmore’s cell phone after she was found dead in February 2021 in her Canton apartment.

State police assigned to the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office initially ruled Birchmore’s death a suicide. In August, federal authorities charged former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell with murdering Birchmore and faking her death to make it look like she had hanged herself. Matthew Farwell first met Birchmore when she was 13 and participating in Stoughton’s Police Explorer Program, which teaches young people about working in law enforcement.

At the end of the nine-month investigation into the Stoughton case, Del Papa said in the recording that Holmes told him Heal had “had sex all day while he was at work” and “traded the cat for oral sex” with Birchmore. Del Papa placed Heal on leave in September 2022 following the conclusion of Stoughton’s internal affairs investigation.

Stoughton police determined that 3 officers had disturbing relationships with Birchmore. Matthew Farwell, his twin brother William and Robert Devine were delisted by POST. “A decertified officer is barred from working in any law enforcement agency and his or her name is added to the National Decertification Index,” the POST website states.

Heal is no longer working as a police officer, but is POST certified through July 2025. A POST spokesman said Heal’s records with the agency were updated in November 2023 to include “resignation for discipline” and POST, “I cannot comment on whether a case has been commenced or regarding any matters that may be pending.”

Attorney Peter S. Farrell wrote: “Mr. Heal is licensed as a police officer by the POST Commission and no adverse action has been taken against him by POST, nor has any law enforcement agency sought to revoke his license issued by the POST Commission. You are hereby ordered to cease and desist from publishing and reporting any further selfish, speculative and defamatory comments and opinions about my client.

Former Abington Police Chief David Del Papa could not immediately be reached for comment.

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