Prosecution uses therapist testimony to challenge suicide theory in Farwell trial

Switching gears here, the prosecution's case is winding down in trial of Matthew Farwell. Only a handful of witnesses are expected to testify before the trial is handed over to the defense. Boston 25 News reporter Ryan Breslin is live at the federal courthouse where only two witnesses took the stand today, Ryan. Yeah, Shana, that's right. One of them was Sandra Birchmore's close friends. The other one was her therapist, both providing emotional testimony today and even showing that emotion outside. Sandra Birchmore's therapist, Dialla Al-Khalil, in tears, leaving the federal courthouse Friday. Al-Khalil telling jurors she met with Birchmore the day before she died. Quote, she reported to me that she was worried about something happening to her in her apartment, Al-Khalil said. The therapist saying, Sandra woke up in the middle of the night, the room turned cold, and her dead mother appeared at the end of her bed carrying her unborn baby. The defense pressing Al-Khalil about this as a hallucination from Sandra. Quote, I didn't endorse it, but I was respectful of her belief. The defense asking, you didn't qualify that as a hallucination? No, Al-Khalil said. Al-Khalil says she was shocked when she learned Birchmore died allegedly by suicide as she never gave an indication of any suicidal ideation. Was she not depressed and suicidal because she didn't tell her therapist? Or did she just not call her therapist and she was? Boston 25 legal expert Elise Hirschhorn weighs in saying the prosecution is bringing in witnesses to try and shut the door on any possibility that it was a suicide. Just because you don't have evidence of something doesn't mean it didn't happen. Doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It just means there's no evidence of it. And what the prosecution wants to do is say, well, there's no evidence that she was even thinking about suicide. So therefore, it could not be a possibility. That's the theory they're going with. The defense is saying maybe there wasn't evidence of it, but it's still a possibility. Next week, Al-Khalil will finish her testimony. We'll also hear from the medical examiner and Farwell's twin brother, who Birchmore also had a sexual relationship with. The timeline of this trial as it stands now means that closing arguments in the case, it could come at the end of the first week of November. For now, we're live in Boston. Ryan Breslin for your local station, Boston 25 News. Ryan, thank you. No cameras are allowed inside federal courts, so Ryan will be providing live updates of the testimony as it happens. You can follow along on our website, boston25news.com.