A jury is hearing opening arguments in the murder trial of Brian Walshe, who is accused of killing and dismembering his wife in 2023.
Walshe has denied killing Ana Walshe but has pleaded guilty to lesser charges of misleading police and improper conveyance of a human body.
- Ana Walshe, a 39-year-old immigrant from Serbia, was last seen in her Cohasset home on New Year's Day 2023.
- Her body was never found, but investigators said a search of a trash processing facility near the home of Brian’s mother uncovered bags containing a hatchet, hacksaw, towels, a protective Tyvek suit, cleaning agents, a Prada purse, boots like the ones Ana was last seen wearing and a COVID-19 vaccination card with her name.
- Walshe has claimed they had a happy marriage, but prosecutors say he researched divorce shortly before his wife's disappearance.
Stay with Newsweek for the latest on Walshe's trial.
...Dec 01, 2025 at 11:53 AM EST
Defense offers first explanation for Ana Walshe’s death
In a dramatic opening statement, defense attorney Larry Tipton told jurors that Brian Walshe discovered his wife Ana unresponsive in their bed, marking the first time the defense has explained her death.
Tipton acknowledged that Walshe lied to investigators in the days following Ana’s disappearance but argued those actions stemmed from panic and grief. He pointed to Google searches Walshe made on January 1, saying they reflected a man “wrestling with the fact that Ana Walshe was dead.”
According to Tipton, Walshe had gone downstairs to clean the kitchen and check emails before returning to bed. When he tried to lie beside his wife, she was unresponsive, and her body rolled off the bed. Tipton described the moment as shocking and unexplained, insisting Walshe intended nothing more than to be with “the woman he loved.”
Dec 01, 2025 at 11:50 AM EST
Brian Walshe’s art fraud case: What to know
At the time of Ana’s disappearance, Brian Walshe was awaiting sentencing for an unrelated art fraud case involving the sale of two fake Andy Warhol paintings.
The buyer paid Brian $80,000 but could not find any Warhol Foundation authentication stamps on the paintings, prosecutors said. The buyer tried and failed to get his money back.
Brian was sentenced to 37 months in prison and ordered to pay $475,000 in restitution.
Dec 01, 2025 at 11:47 AM EST
Brian Walshe’s search history: What to know
Prosecutors alleged that Brian made online searches for “dismemberment and best ways to dispose of a body,” “how long before a body starts to smell” and “hacksaw best tool to dismember” beginning on January 1, 2023, and for several days after.
The court also heard that Walshe had researched divorce shortly before his wife disappeared.
Dec 01, 2025 at 11:47 AM EST
Defense links Walshe’s divorce searches to family concerns
Brian Walshe’s defense attorney told jurors that his client’s prior federal conviction strained his marriage and prompted discussions with his wife, Ana, about financial security if he went to prison. Attorney Larry Tipton argued that online searches for divorce strategies and Washington, D.C. divorce laws, highlighted by prosecutors, were isolated and tied to property sales rather than marital breakdown.
Walshe, who pleaded guilty in 2021 to selling forged Andy Warhol artwork, is serving a 37‑month federal sentence alongside state charges connected to Ana’s disappearance. He was also ordered to pay $400,000 in restitution.
Tipton said Walshe’s focus was on ensuring stability for his wife and three sons, not ending the marriage. He cited Ana’s own comments to a man she was involved with in Washington, suggesting divorce might be considered to “preserve the family essence.”
The defense added that Walshe misled investigators after Ana vanished to protect his children, not to conceal wrongdoing. “What would happen to their three boys now that Ana is no longer here?” Tipton asked the jury, framing Walshe’s actions as misguided attempts to shield his family.
Dec 01, 2025 at 11:45 AM EST
What did Brian Walshe do for a living?
Brian Walshe previously worked as a chief financial officer and international business strategist for consulting companies, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Dec 01, 2025 at 11:43 AM EST
What did Brian Walshe plead guilty to?
Walshe appeared in Norfolk Superior Court last month and pleaded guilty to the lesser charges of to misleading a police investigation and willfully conveying a human body, without a plea deal from the prosecution.
The maximum sentence for misleading a police investigation is 10 years in prison and three years for willfully conveying a human body, according to CBS News.
Dec 01, 2025 at 11:42 AM EST
Court plays interview with Brian Walshe in missing person case
Jurors on Monday heard audio from a January 4, 2023 interview between Brian Walshe and Sgt. Schmidt at the Walshe family home in Cohasset, Massachusetts. The interview was conducted as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Walshe’s wife, Ana.
In the recording, the couple’s children can be heard in the background while Walshe shows the officer text messages exchanged with Ana. The messages included details about travel arrangements. At one point, Walshe tells Schmidt, “Look at anything that’s going to help you,” as he provides access to the communications.
Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI Guidelines
Add Newsweek as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Recommended For You
Live BlogNASA Astronaut to Lift Off in Kazakhstan Rocket Launch Today—Live Updates1 min read
NewsDC Shooting: Two Shot National Guard Members and Suspect Pictured2 min read
EntertainmentStranger Things Season 5: Duffer Brothers Reveal Key Episodes To Rewatch As Finale Begins2 min read
Live BlogThanksgiving Winter Storm Live Tracker, 2,000 Flights Delayed, Up To 3 ft Of Snow Expected1 min read
WorldPutin Gives Update on Ukraine Peace, Trump Sending Witkoff to Moscow3 min read
EntertainmentDancing with the Stars: Robert Irwin Crowned Season 34 Champion2 min readRelated Podcasts
Trending
FloridaAmazon Driver Sees Food Left for Stray Cats—Ring Cam Captures What He Does3 min read
NWSWinter Storm Warning as 8 Inches of Snow to Hit North and Midwest3 min read
Delta AirlineDelta Air Lines Plane Slides Off Runway During Winter Storm1 min read
Donald TrumpMap Shows Donald Trump’s Approval Rating in Each State After 10 Months4 min read
WeatherWinter Storm Warning As 13 Inches of Snow To Strike: ‘Extreme Caution’3 min readTop Stories
NewsThe Motive Behind the National Guard Shooting: What We Know6 min read
NewsUncommon Knowledge: Trump Closes Venezuelan Airspace, but Not NATO Airspace5 min read
WorldRepublicans Demand Probe into Pete Hegseth’s Boat Strikes5 min read
PoliticsDonald Trump Suffers Blow in Alina Habba Case4 min read
U.S.What the US Supreme Court Has Said About Denaturalization7 min read
WorldNetanyahu Pardon: Israel’s President Responds to Trump-Endorsed Request3 min read
