A man from the Boston area has been handed a life sentence in a Massachusetts state prison for the brutal murder of his wife, Ana Walshe, whose body vanished nearly three years ago and has never been recovered.
Brian Walshe was convicted on Monday of first-degree murder in the killing of his wife, a verdict that carries no possibility of parole.
He had previously pleaded guilty in November to charges of misleading police and illegally disposing of a body, admitting he dismembered her remains and placed them in a dumpster. He claimed this was done in a panic after he found her dead in bed.
Ana Walshe, a real estate agent who had immigrated from Serbia, was last seen in the early hours of January 1, 2023, following a New Year’s Eve dinner at the couple’s home.
During the trial, prosecutors presented compelling digital evidence, including online searches found on devices linked to Walshe. These included questions such as “dismemberment and best ways to dispose of a body,” “how long before a body starts to smell,” and “hacksaw best tool to dismember.”
Investigators also uncovered searches for “how long for someone missing to inherit,” “how long missing to be dead,” and “can you throw away body parts.”
Surveillance footage showed a man resembling Walshe discarding what appeared to be heavy rubbish bags into a dumpster near the couple’s residence.
A subsequent search of a trash processing facility close to his mother’s home yielded bags containing a hatchet, hammer, shears, hacksaw, towels, a protective Tyvek suit, cleaning agents, a Prada purse, boots similar to those Ana Walshe was last seen wearing, and a Covid-19 vaccination card bearing her name.
Prosecutors informed the jury that the Massachusetts State Crime Laboratory found Ana and Brian Walshe’s DNA on the Tyvek suit, and Ana Walshe’s DNA on the hatchet, hacksaw, and other items.
Prosecutors put forward several potential motives. An insurance executive testified that Brian Walshe was the sole beneficiary of Ana Walshe’s $1 million life insurance policy, suggesting a financial incentive. However, prosecutors also depicted a failing marriage; Brian Walshe was confined to their home in Cohasset, an affluent coastal community southeast of Boston, awaiting sentencing for an art fraud case, while Ana Walshe commuted to Washington, D.C., for work.
The court also heard testimony from Ana Walshe’s boyfriend, William Fastow, who stated she had begun an affair the year before her death. Brian Walshe’s attorney denied that his client was aware of the affair.
In his opening statement, Brian Walshe’s attorney, Larry Tipton, argued the case was not one of murder but what he termed a “sudden unexplained death,” asserting the couple loved each other and were planning for the future. However, the defense called no witnesses, and Brian Walshe declined to testify.
Initially questioned by investigators, Walshe claimed his wife had been called to Washington for a work emergency on New Year’s Day.
Yet, witnesses testified there was no evidence Ana Walshe took a ride service to the airport or boarded a flight, and Walshe did not contact her employer until January 4.
The couple’s three young children are currently in state custody.
