Stoughton Town Manager Thomas Calter denied on Wednesday, Aug. 12, that he ever ordered the destruction of a report connected to the 2021 death of Sandra Birchmore, who was found dead in her Canton apartment at age 23.

Calter's written statement, his first since Police Chief Donna McNamara sued him July 27, came as firefighter and Department of Public Works unions in Stoughton voted no confidence in his leadership on the same day.

McNamara filed her lawsuit in Norfolk Superior Court alleging Calter demanded she destroy a third-party investigative report tied to the Birchmore case, calling it a "hit piece," and repeatedly directed her to get rid of it. Her suit also accuses Calter of harassment, discrimination and a coordinated effort to remove her as Stoughton's first woman police chief.

In his statement, Calter denied the allegations, saying he "did not ask Chief McNamara to destroy, alter, suppress, or otherwise interfere with any investigation or investigative report concerning Sandra Birchmore."

He added: "I would never make such a request. I have supported, and continue to support, the investigative process and the pursuit of justice for Sandra and her family."

McNamara's attorneys at Barrault and Associates responded on Aug. 12, saying the evidence "directly contradicts Mr. Calter's recent statements" and that "the people of Stoughton have made their voices heard."

The Stoughton Select Board placed both Calter and McNamara on paid administrative leave after a closed-door meeting on July 29. Former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis has been hired by the Select Board to independently investigate McNamara's allegations. Davis said the investigation is expected to take at least two months.

As we reported July 24, McNamara first publicly alleged she was being forced out over her cooperation with the federal investigation into Birchmore's death.

Birchmore's death and the October trial

Birchmore was found dead in her Canton apartment on Feb. 1, 2021. Her death was initially ruled a suicide but the Massachusetts medical examiner later changed the finding to "undetermined."

Former Stoughton police detective Matthew Farwell has been charged federally with killing Birchmore and her unborn child and staging the death as a suicide. He has pleaded not guilty. A federal judge denied bail, citing "very strong, if not overwhelming" evidence.

Farwell's trial is scheduled for October. Prosecutors plan to call about 50 witnesses over approximately 20 in-court days. His defense team has asked the judge to bar any mention of the McNamara-Calter dispute from the jury.

Surveillance video cited in court filings shows Farwell entered Birchmore's Canton apartment building wearing a hood and surgical mask about six minutes after texting to ask if he could stop by. He was seen leaving approximately three minutes after her phone last recorded movement.

Calter and the town have not yet filed a formal response to McNamara's lawsuit in Norfolk Superior Court.