From Missing to Murder Charge: Timeline of the Walshe Investigation and Trial

Overview

Ana Walshe, 39, was reported missing on January 4, 2023, after coworkers in Washington, D.C., raised concerns. Prosecutors allege Ana’s husband, Brian Walshe, killed, dismembered and disposed of her body. Investigators cite phone and surveillance data, a pattern of purchases and disturbing internet searches as key pieces of evidence. On November 18, 2025, just as jury selection began, Brian pleaded guilty to misleading police and improperly conveying a human body; he expressly did not admit to murdering his wife and the homicide charge remains pending.

Background

Brian Walshe, now 50, had a documented history of legal and financial troubles. In 2018 he was indicted on federal fraud charges related to the sale of purported Andy Warhol artworks; he pleaded guilty in April 2021 to three counts and was later sentenced to 37 months in prison, ordered to pay restitution and placed on supervised release. Family disputes also surfaced in probate filings after the 2018 death of his father, Dr. Thomas Walshe.

Marital Tension

Prosecutors say marital strains had intensified in late 2022. Court papers indicate Ana had a relationship with a man in Washington, D.C., and that Brian suspected infidelity. Prosecutors say Brian’s mother — with his input, they allege — hired a private investigator to follow Ana on December 26, 2022. Defense lawyers dispute some of these characterizations.

Key Timeline: New Year’s Day–January 2, 2023

New Year’s Eve / New Year’s Day: The Walshes hosted friends at their Cohasset, Massachusetts, home on New Year’s Eve. Brian later told investigators Ana left for the airport on January 1 for work, but prosecutors say evidence contradicts his account.

January 1, 2023 — Digital and surveillance evidence: Investigators identified a series of internet searches linked to devices in the household that included queries such as "How long before a body starts to smell," "How to clean blood from wooden floor," and "10 ways to dispose of a dead body if you really need to." Cell-phone location data and surveillance footage placed Brian at multiple stores where he purchased items including buckets, a hacksaw, towels, disposable rags, a full-coverage suit and multiple cleaning products. Video also showed him discarding items in dumpsters in the north-shore area.

January 2, 2023 — Additional purchases and disposal: Prosecutors say Brian made further searches (for example, "Hacksaw best tool to dismember" and "Can you be charged with murder without a body") and bought more cleaning supplies at a Home Depot while wearing a mask and gloves. Surveillance footage and phone records show him placing heavy bags into dumpsters in several towns; some of those bags were later collected and incinerated by waste authorities.

Discovery, Evidence and Investigative Steps

After Ana failed to report to work, her employer alerted police and a welfare check followed. Officers found signs of recent cleaning in Brian’s vehicle and later, during searches of dumpsters and a transfer station, recovered trash bags and items prosecutors say contained blood stains, cleaning materials, a hacksaw, a hatchet, a purse and boots identified as belonging to Ana, and her COVID-19 vaccination card. A search of the Walshe home reportedly turned up blood and a bloody knife in the basement.

Investigators also received a suspicious ransom-like email claiming to hold Ana and demanding $127,000; the message provided no credible contact information or timeline. Authorities treated the email as unverified and suspicious.

Charges and Court Proceedings

Brian was first arrested and charged with misleading investigators. A grand jury later indicted him on murder, misleading investigators and improperly conveying a human body, moving the case to Norfolk County Superior Court. Prosecutors noted that Ana had taken out approximately $2.7 million in life-insurance policies naming Brian as sole beneficiary; defense counsel disputed any suggestion he needed money.

Before the criminal trial, Brian underwent a 40-day psychiatric evaluation and was found competent to stand trial. The trial date was delayed after he was assaulted in jail; jury selection ultimately began in November 2025. On the first day of jury selection, he pleaded guilty to misleading police and to improperly conveying a human body without a plea agreement; he did not admit to homicide. Sentencing exposure for the misleading-police charge can reach up to 10 years, with additional enhancements possible if convicted of murder, and up to three years for the conveyance charge.

Current Status

The homicide charge remains pending and the investigation continues. Key pieces of evidence — phone and surveillance records, purchase receipts, recovered items from dumpsters and forensic testing results — are central to the prosecution’s case. Defense attorneys have raised questions about evidence handling, motive theories and the strength of the proof, and further motions and hearings are expected as the case proceeds.

Note: This article synthesizes public court filings, prosecutor statements and investigative findings to present a clear timeline. Names of prosecutors and the presiding judge were included where they were part of public filings and court records.