BOSTON (AP) – Brian Walshe is set to be sentenced on Thursday for the brutal murder of his wife, Ana Walshe. He was found guilty of first-degree murder and now faces a mandatory life sentence in state prison without the possibility of parole. Ana Walshe, a real estate agent who immigrated from Serbia, was last seen on January 1, 2023, following a New Year’s Eve dinner at their home.
Two days subsequent to his guilty verdict, Walshe will return to court for sentencing. Prosecutors presented compelling digital evidence during the trial, including disturbing online searches conducted by Brian Walshe. These included phrases like "dismemberment and best ways to dispose of a body," "how long before a body starts to smell," and "hacksaw best tool to dismember." Additionally, investigators uncovered more incriminating searches on Brian's laptop regarding timeframes for inheritance and disposal of body parts.
Surveillance footage displayed a man, identified as Walshe, discarding what appeared to be heavy trash bags in a dumpster near their residence. Following this, a search at a nearby trash processing facility revealed several items including a hatchet, hammer, shears, hacksaw, towels, a protective Tyvek suit, cleaning supplies, a designer purse, and boots matching those worn by Ana Walshe, along with a COVID-19 vaccination card bearing her name.
DNA analysis from the Massachusetts State Crime Laboratory confirmed the presence of both Brian and Ana Walshe’s DNA on the Tyvek suit, and Ana's DNA was also detected on the hatchet and hacksaw among other items collected. Prosecutors proposed multiple motives for the murder, including financial gain, as Brian Walshe was the sole beneficiary of Ana's $1 million life insurance policy. The trial revealed tensions in their marriage, exacerbated by Brian's legal troubles related to an art fraud case while Ana worked in Washington, D.C.
In the year prior to her death, Ana Walshe was reported to have started an affair, a detail shared in court by her boyfriend, William Fastow. Brian Walshe’s defense attorney refuted this claim, insisting that his client was unaware of the extramarital relationship. In his opening remarks, Walshe’s attorney characterized the incident as a “sudden unexplained death,” maintaining that the couple had a loving relationship and were planning a future together.
The couple, who lived in the affluent coastal town of Cohasset, approximately 15 miles southeast of Boston, had three young children currently in state custody. Throughout the trial, Walshe’s defense presented no witnesses, and Brian Walshe chose to remain silent on the stand. Initially, when questioned by police, he claimed that Ana had been called to D.C. for a work emergency on New Year’s Day; however, testimony revealed no evidence of her taking a ride service to the airport or boarding a flight. Furthermore, Walshe only contacted her employer on January 4, three days after her disappearance.
Ultimately, Brian Walshe admitted to dismembering his wife’s body and disposing of the remains in a dumpster, claiming he acted out of panic upon discovering Ana deceased in their bed. This shocking admission added to the gravity of the prosecution's case, leading to his conviction.
