Key points: Brian Walshe pleaded guilty to misleading police and improperly conveying human remains but denied killing his wife as jury selection began. Prosecutors say they recovered trash bags containing a hacksaw, hatchet and items with both spouses' DNA; Ana Walshe's body remains missing. Walshe faces state prison terms for the new convictions and is serving a separate 37-month federal sentence for selling forged artworks.
Brian Walshe Admits Disposing of Wife’s Body but Denies Murder as Trial Begins
Key points: Brian Walshe pleaded guilty to misleading police and improperly conveying human remains but denied killing his wife as jury selection began. Prosecutors say they recovered trash bags containing a hacksaw, hatchet and items with both spouses' DNA; Ana Walshe's body remains missing. Walshe faces state prison terms for the new convictions and is serving a separate 37-month federal sentence for selling forged artworks.
04:52 AM, 11/19/2025Society
Brian Walshe, 50, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges of misleading police and improperly conveying human remains in connection with the disappearance and death of his wife, Ana Walshe, 39. He entered the guilty pleas without a deal from prosecutors but made it clear in court that he is not admitting to murder as jury selection for the murder trial began.
In Norfolk County Superior Court, defense attorney Kelli Porges said Walshe would accept the factual recitation read by prosecutors about obstructing the investigation but emphasized, "he's not admitting to ... murder." Prosecutors have said they refused to negotiate unless the murder indictment was part of any discussions.
Ana Walshe, a corporate real estate manager and mother of three, was reported missing on Jan. 4, 2023, after her employer could not reach her. Her husband told investigators he last saw her leave their Cohasset, Massachusetts, home on Jan. 1 for a work trip. Brian Walshe was arrested on Jan. 8 and initially charged with misleading police; a murder indictment followed later that month.
At the hearing, Judge Diane Freniere asked Walshe whether he had "willfully remove[d] or convey[ed] the body of Ana Walshe or her remains, not being lawfully authorized to do so?" Walshe replied, "Yes, Your Honor," acknowledging that he disposed of her body.
Prosecutors say investigators recovered trash bags they allege Walshe discarded that contained a hacksaw, a hatchet and several items bearing the blood and DNA of both Brian and Ana Walshe. Court records also show disturbing internet searches made from the family iPad, including queries such as "How long before a body starts to smell?" and "How to stop a body from decomposing." Ana Walshe's body has not been recovered.
Walshe faces up to 10 years in prison on the misleading-police charge and up to three years on the improper-conveyance count. Prosecutors say a murder conviction could add a 20-year sentence enhancement. Separately, Walshe previously pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to selling forged Andy Warhol artworks; he is serving a 37-month federal sentence that will run concurrently with any state sentence tied to his wife's death.
The state indicated it may call as many as 60 witnesses. Last week Judge Freniere found Walshe competent to stand trial after a 40-day psychiatric evaluation at a state hospital. The judge had postponed the trial — originally scheduled for Oct. 20 — so Walshe could undergo that evaluation following an assault in jail last September, when he was stabbed. The defense did not contest the competency finding.
Correction: An earlier version misstated the day jury selection was supposed to start. Jury selection began Tuesday.