Brian Walshe has been convicted of the murder of his wife, who disappeared in January 2023.
Ana Walshe was last observed on New Year’s Eve 2022 after dining with a friend and Brian at their residence. She was reported missing four days later by both her employer and her husband.
Brian initially claimed that his wife, a successful real estate executive, had flown to Washington DC due to a work-related emergency, which led to his arrest on January 8 for providing false information to investigators.
On January 18, Brian was charged with Ana’s murder after evidence revealed that he had purchased nearly $500 worth of cleaning supplies, a hammer, and wire snips on New Year’s Day 2023.
It is alleged that he utilized these items to kill, dismember, and dispose of Ana’s body.
The trial commenced in November, where Brian admitted to disposing of his wife’s body but denied the murder charge. He also admitted to misleading the police.
Prosecutors maintained that the 50-year-old killed Ana out of jealousy due to an alleged affair.
In addition to his unsettling purchases, Brian’s DNA was discovered on bloodstained items found in dumpsters in the vicinity following Ana’s death, according to NPR.
Brian’s incriminating Google searches were also unveiled during the investigation. Prior to and following Ana’s murder, he searched for phrases like ‘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’, as reported by CNN in 2023.
Further searches conducted shortly after 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’.
Nearly two years after Ana’s death, Brian has been found guilty of first-degree murder.
The jury deliberated for almost four hours after closing arguments on Friday (December 12) and resumed discussions on Monday.
After an additional two hours of deliberation, they reached a consensus that Brian was guilty.
The father-of-three is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow. He faces a mandatory life sentence without parole, as noted by ABC.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that help is available. You can speak confidentially 24/7 with the national domestic violence helpline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233). A list of local resources can be found here.