The trial has begun for Brian Walshe, a man from Massachusetts accused of killing his wife, Ana Walshe. Opening statements were made on Monday.
Brian Walshe is accused of murdering Ana Walshe, who was 39 years old and the mother of their three young children. The children were ages 2, 4, and 6 when Ana disappeared in 2023.
Before the jury was selected, Brian Walshe admitted to two things: moving a dead body illegally and misleading the police. He said he cut up his wife’s body and threw the pieces in dumpsters, but those contents were later burned.
Even though he admitted to these things, Brian Walshe still says he is not guilty of murdering his wife. So, he will still have a trial for the murder charge.
Ana Walshe, who worked in real estate, was last seen on New Year’s Eve in 2022 at her home in Cohasset, a suburb of Boston where she lived with her husband and kids.
She was reported missing on January 4 after she didn’t show up for work in Washington, D.C.
Prosecutors believe that Brian Walshe killed his wife because he thought she was having an affair. They also believe he threw her body away in different dumpsters around the state.
After Ana went missing, Brian allegedly searched online for ways to get rid of a body and how to clean DNA off a knife.
Ana’s body has not been found.
If the jury finds Brian Walshe guilty of first-degree murder, he will automatically be sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole.
The murder trial was originally scheduled for October, but a judge ordered Brian to be evaluated at Bridgewater State Hospital to check on his mental health.
In February 2024, Brian was sentenced to about three years in prison for an art fraud scheme involving fake Andy Warhol paintings. He was also told to pay $475,000.
If you’re dealing with domestic violence, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or visit thehotline.org. It’s free, confidential, and available 24/7 in many languages.
