Topline
Brian Walshe, the Massachusetts man accused of killing and dismembering his wife on New Year’s Day, pleaded not guilty Thursday morning to charges of murder and misleading police, as prosecutors present new details in the strange case, including a possible motive.
Brian Walshe, the man accused of killing and disposing of his wife, pleaded not guilty to new … [+]
Key Facts
Walshe pleaded not guilty Thursday morning to charges of murder, misleading a police investigation, obstruction of justice and improper conveyance of a human body, after being indicted last month in connection with the murder of his wife in Cohasset, Massachusetts, south of Boston.
Walshe, 48, had previously pleaded not guilty to charges of assault with intent to murder and unlawful handling of a dead body.
Prosecutors claim Walshe dismembered his 39-year-old wife Ana Walshe’s body and disposed of her body in multiple locations, even searching for the “best ways to dispose of a body” online.
Speaking at a district court in Massachusetts Thursday, Norfolk County Assistant District Attorney Greg Connor also alleged Walshe had suspected his wife was having an affair and hired a private investigator using money from his mother to have her followed in Washington D.C. (defense attorneys have argued the prosecution’s case is weak, said Walshe has complied with investigators and accused prosecutors of leaking evidence to the media before providing it to the defense).
If convicted, Walshe, who was denied bail, faces an automatic sentence of life in prison without parole, under Massachusetts law.
Key Background
Ana Walshe, a mother of three, was reported missing by her coworkers on January 4, fueling national interest in the strange case that led to her husband’s not-guilty plea. Brian Walshe, who has denied accusations, told police he was running errands for his mother while Ana was on her way to Washington D.C. for work, and had taken a rideshare or taxi to the airport (investigators did not find evidence she took a car or a flight that day, CNN reported). Surveillance footage revealed Brian Walshe had not shopped at the two stores he told police he had gone to on New Year’s Day, but rather went to Home Depot the next day, where he bought $450 in cleaning supplies. Police later found a bloody knife in Walshe’s basement.
Surprising Fact
Prosecutors did not say on Thursday whether the body of Ana Walshe has been found, though DNA from both Brian and Ana was found on disposed items, including gloves and a hacksaw, in a trash bag in the town of Peabody, north of Cohasset.
Further Reading
Brian Walshe Searched ‘Best Ways To Dispose Of A Body’ On Day Wife Ana Walshe Disappeared, Prosecutors Say (Forbes)
Ana Walshe Case: Husband Pleads Not Guilty To Murder Charges (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/04/27/brian-walshe-accused-of-killing-and-dismembering-wife-pleads-not-guilty-to-murder-charges/