The husband of missing Massachusetts woman Ana Walshe says he’s not guilty of her disappearance and presumed death.
Brian Walshe pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, misleading police, and improperly moving a body, NewsNation reports. Walshe was indicted in March after Ana, 37, disappeared on January 1.
Court documents this week revealed additional information in the case, including allegations that the suspect’s mother hired a private investigator to follow Ana, who Brian Walshe allegedly thought was having an affair. The documents also stated that Ana had planned to leave her husband since he was going to jail on a federal art fraud case.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Ana was last seen by a family member in her Cohasset apartment between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. on January 1, according to Cohasset police Chief William Quigley.
Brian Walshe was initially arrested for hindering a missing person investigation after police said he lied about his whereabouts on New Year’s Day and the day after. He was later charged with first-degree murder.
Walshe’s defense team claims that despite Ana being missing for months, there is no proof that she’s deceased. They also said the pair had a happy marriage and emphasized that his mother was the one who hired a private investigator, although Walshe was against it.
Evidence presented at the defendant’s arraignment earlier this year, at the Quincy District Court, indicated that he made numerous searches on his son’s iPad, including, in part:
- ’10 ways to dismember a body’
- ‘does baking soda make a body smell good?’
- ‘how long is someone missing before you can inherit?
- ‘Can you throw away body parts?’
- ‘Can you be charged with murder without a body?’
- ‘Dismemberment and the best ways to dispose of a body?’
Prosecutors said blood was found in the family home’s basement, along with a bent knife that appeared to have blood on it. Investigators also said security footage showed Brian Walshe making a trip to a hardware store on January 2, where he purchased over $400 in cleaning supplies.
Prosecutors also said a hacksaw and a rug with blood on it were found at a transfer station in Peabody, around 45 miles from the Walshe’s residence.
Meanwhile, the search for Ana continues.
Ana’s cellphone, credit card, and debit cards have not been used since New Year’s Day, and her phone pinged last at her home on January 1.
Police first said she was reported missing on January 4 by the defendant and her Washington, D.C.-based employer. In court, however, it was determined that only Ana’s employer made the initial missing persons report.
“Police were notified around Jan. 4 by her employees in Washington, D.C. that she had not shown up for work on Jan. 4. That was the first time that (police were) notified that she was missing,” Norfolk Assistant District Attorney Lynn Beland said in court Monday.
Brian Walshe told investigators that Ana was supposed to take an Uber or Lyft to Washington, D.C., for work, but prosecutors said that there is no evidence of her ever leaving her home.
He remains behind bars without bail. Check back for updates.
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[Featured image: Ana Walshe/Facebook]
