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Dedham, MA – The fate of Brian Walshe now rests in the hands of a jury, who began deliberations Friday in the high-profile murder trial of the Cohasset man accused of killing and dismembering his wife, Ana Walshe.
Walshe, a father of three, is charged with the murder of his 39-year-old wife, who disappeared around New Year’s Day in 2023. While he pleaded guilty last month to lying to police about her disappearance and improper disposal of her body, Walshe has maintained his innocence on the murder charge. Ana Walshe’s body has yet to be found.
After nearly four hours of deliberation on Friday, following intense closing arguments, jurors were dismissed without reaching a verdict. They are scheduled to resume their discussions Monday morning.
Prior to closing arguments, Judge Diane Freniere instructed the jury that they could consider a conviction of second-degree murder, in addition to the first-degree murder charge sought by the prosecution, which requires proof of premeditation.
During opening statements last week, defense attorneys argued that Brian Walshe discovered his wife deceased in bed on New Year’s Day 2023, subsequently panicked, and then lied to authorities investigating her disappearance. They firmly asserted that he did not kill her.
Prosecutors, however, paint a chilling picture, alleging that Walshe murdered and dismembered his wife, then disposed of her remains in dumpsters. They presented internet search history from his devices on January 1, 2023, including queries such as “best way to dispose of a body,” “how long for someone to be missing to inherit,” and “best way to dispose of body parts after a murder.”
Defense attorney Larry Tipton challenged the prosecution, arguing that the Commonwealth had not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Brian Walshe, whom he described as a “loving father and loving husband,” killed his wife or had any motive to do so. Tipton suggested that the “unspeakable” internet searches and the disposal of a body could stem from a sudden, unexpected event that only a medical examiner would understand, not a man like Brian Walshe.
Tipton conceded that his client lied and disposed of a body, but emphasized a lack of evidence proving premeditation or intent to harm his wife. He claimed the internet search for murder occurred six hours after his wife’s death, and that “upsetting” searches about dismemberment and “cleaning up” indicated disbelief rather than a premeditated plan.
“Why is a man searching now if he had intended to kill his wife?” Tipton asked the jurors.
“Where is the evidence of premeditation in thousands of pages of records?”
Prosecutor Anne Yas, in her closing argument, pointed directly at Brian Walshe, declaring, “Ana Walshe is dead because he murdered her.” She contended that Ana Walshe did not die of natural causes, but was killed by her husband, who then disposed of her body to conceal the evidence.
“The defendant did not want anyone to find Ana’s body and to know how she died,” Yas stated. “So the defendant bought cutting tools at Lowe’s and Home Depot and he cut up Ana’s body – the woman that he claimed to love – and he threw her into dumpsters.”
Yas argued that the evidence demonstrated Brian Walshe’s intent to kill his wife and a “methodical” approach. She suggested his claim of misplacing his phone for two days around New Year’s Eve was a calculated move to execute his plan and provide an explanation to police for lack of contact. She also highlighted a shopping list Walshe allegedly used at Lowe’s.
The prosecution further asserted that the Walshes’ marriage was in “crisis,” marked by arguments over Ana Walshe’s job in Washington, D.C., and her time away from the family. Yas also claimed Brian Walshe knew his wife was having an affair, a claim the defense has denied.
“Please do not allow the defendant’s self-serving act of dismembering and disposing of Ana’s body let him get away with this murder,” Yas implored the jurors. She urged them to use their “common sense” during deliberations, asserting that the evidence points to “only one verdict” – guilty of the premeditated first-degree murder of Ana Walshe.
The defense rested on Thursday without calling any witnesses. Brian Walshe ultimately waived his right to testify, despite initial indications from the defense’s opening statement.
Evidence presented during the two-week trial in Dedham included surveillance footage believed to show Brian Walshe purchasing tools and other supplies at a Lowe’s on January 1, 2023. A receipt detailed items such as a hacksaw, utility knife, hammer, snips, Tyvek suit, shoeguards, rags, and cleaning supplies, totaling $462, all purchased with cash.
Additional surveillance footage depicted an individual disposing of trash bags at dumpsters on multiple days in early January 2023. Forensic scientists from the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory testified that several blood-stained items recovered from dumpsters by investigators – including a hacksaw, a piece of rug, a towel, and hairs – along with an unknown tissue, were linked to Ana Walshe through DNA testing. Blood was also found in the basement of the family’s rental home in Cohasset.
Ana Walshe was reported missing by her employer on January 4, 2023. Brian Walshe initially told police that she had a “work emergency” in D.C. and left their Cohasset home on New Year’s Day, according to audio played in court.
At the time, Brian Walshe and their three young children, aged 2, 4, and 6, were living in Massachusetts while he awaited sentencing in a federal fraud case, having pleaded guilty to a scheme involving counterfeit Andy Warhol paintings.
Jurors also heard testimony, including from a D.C. man with whom Ana Walshe was having an affair, that the mother of three was distressed about being away from her young children, and that there was marital stress. The defense has maintained that the couple was happy.