Featured Image Credit: Boston Globe/Getty
Topics: Crime, Google, Massachusetts, News, True crime, US News
Niamh Shackleton
Topics: Crime, Google, Massachusetts, News, True crime, US News
Brian Walshe has been found guilty of murdering his wife who went missing in January 2023.
Ana Walshe was last seen on New Year's Eve 2022 after having dinner with a friend and Brian at their home. Just four days later, the mom-of-three was reported missing by her employer and by her husband.
At the time, Brian said that his wife, who was a successful real estate executive, had jetted to Washington DC for an apparent work emergency, sparking his arrest on January 8 for misleading investigators.
On January 18, Brian was charged with his wife's murder after investigators found that the Massachusetts man had spent nearly $500 on cleaning supplies, a hammer, and wire snips on New Year's Day 2023.
Advert
It was said that he used these supplies to kill, dismember and dispose of Ana's body.
His trial began in November and Brian pleaded guilty to disposing of his wife's body but denied killing her. He also pleaded guilty to misleading police.
But prosecutors have long argued that the 50-year-old killed Ana in a jealous rage over an alleged affair she was having.
As well as his gruesome shopping list, Brian's DNA was found to be on bloodstained items later recovered in several dumpsters in the area after Ana's death, NPR reported.
Elsewhere Brian's disturbing Google searches were revealed as part of the investigation. In the days before and after Ana's murder, he searched 'What’s the best state to divorce for a man', 'Dismemberment and the best ways to dispose of a body', and 'Can you be charged with murder without a body', CNN said in 2023.
Other searches made in the hours following Ana's death included 'How long before a body starts to smell', 'How to stop a body from decomposing', and '10 ways to dispose of a dead body if you really need to'.
Almost two years on from Ana's death and Brian has now been found guilty of first-degree murder.
A jury deliberated for almost four hours after closing arguments on Friday (December 12) and resumed deliberations on Monday.
After another two hours of discussions they came to a an agreement that Brian was guilty.
The father-of-three is set to be sentenced tomorrow. He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to ABC.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence 24 hours a day to the national domestic violence helpline on 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) 24/7. You can find a list of local resources here.