Ex-Cop Barred for Life in Massachusetts Over Conduct involving Sandra Birchmore
Former Abington school resource officer, Joshua Heal, who is a witness in the federal murder investigation of Sandra Birchmore, has been permanently barred from ever serving as a law enforcement officer in Massachusetts.
The ban was finalized by the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission on September 25, 2025. The POST Commission order states that Heal “shall never again apply for certification as a law enforcement officer within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” and shall “never seek or hold employment by any law enforcement agency” in the state.
The action against Heal stems from sustained allegations of misconduct, including the accusation that he lied about a sexual relationship he had with Sandra Birchmore when she was a young adult. The Abington Police Department found Heal engaged in “conduct unbecoming of an officer” and was “untruthful during multiple interviews”.
Abington Town Manager Scott Lambiase supported the Commission’s ruling, stating he was “glad that this is over and behind us” and that the outcome was “what we had anticipated, what we’d hoped for with our recommendation. I think that’s probably what’s best”.
Heal met Birchmore in his previous job working for Stoughton’s Animal Control Unit. His name appeared in an internal affairs report that accused Stoughton police officers of sexually grooming Birchmore when she was a minor.
A recording leaked to Investigative Reporter Ted Daniel last year revealed that former Abington Police Chief David Del Papa said Heal had intimate knowledge of Birchmore’s involvement with the Stoughton officers. Del Papa said Heal admitted to having sex with Birchmore when she was a young adult, stating that the allegation he had “exchanged ah, a cat, for um, oral sex” was true. Del Papa also found Heal to be not credible, according to the recording, “because Josh denied having a sexual relationship with Birchmore during the first interview but had changed his answer in the second interview”.
Birchmore was found dead in her Canton apartment in February 2021. Although State Police initially believed it was suicide, federal authorities charged former Stoughton Police Officer Matthew Farwell with her murder last summer, accusing him of staging her death to look like she had hung herself.
Heal maintains he’s done nothing wrong. His lawyer, Peter S. Farrell, noted that Heal’s certification had already expired before the agreement, and that the voluntary agreement “is not and should not be construed as an admission of fault or liability for any of the allegations asserted by POST or any other entity”. Farrell added that a Superior Court finding on January 22, 2024, determined Heal “did not break any laws”, and that he will not be the target of any criminal charges in the future.
Heal’s Massachusetts law enforcement certification status will publicly read “Expired”. The agreement does not prohibit Heal from seeking employment as a police officer in another state.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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