COHASSET, Mass. (Court TV) — The husband of missing Massachusetts mother Ana Walshe pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder at his arraignment Thursday.
Brian Walshe appears in court Thursday, April 27, 2023 for his arraignment. (Court TV)
Brian Walshe, 47, is accused of murdering Ana Walshe, 39, on Jan. 1, 2023. He was indicted March 30 on one charge of first-degree murder, one count of misleading a police officer and one count of conveyance a human body. He entered a plea of not guilty to each charge during his April 27 arraignment.
Prosecutors outlined their case against Brian during the proceedings. The contend in Dec. 2022, Brian began suspecting his wife of having an affair and, with the help of his mother, hired a private investigator. A friend allegedly told investigators that Ana was planning to leave her husband due to his pending federal case.
At the time of Ana’s disappearance, Brian had been on house arrest while awaiting sentencing in a fraud case involving the sale of fake Andy Warhol paintings, reported The Associated Press.
Prosecutors also detailed digital evidence and internet search history surrounding the time Ana was last seen. They said the hours after Ana disappeared, Brian bought cleaning supplies and a hacksaw.
This surveillance image from court documents shows Brian Walshe at a Home Depot on Jan. 2, 2023. (Trial Court of Massachusetts)
His internet search history in the following days allegedly included “how to remove bloodstains from concrete” and articles on how to dismember a human body, prosecutors said.
Brian’s defense argued their client had no idea Ana was having an affair until after his arrest, and that he had no motive for killing Ana, who could still be alive since a body hasn’t been found.
They said Brian has “been nothing but cooperative” with investigators and asked for bond.
The judge rejected the defense’s request and ordered he be held without bail. A pretrial conference was scheduled for Aug. 24.
