Chilling Google Searches Highlighted at Trial as Husband Denies Role in Wife’s Disappearance

Prosecutors say a string of disturbing internet searches made in the hours and days after Jan. 1, 2023, tie Brian Walshe to the disappearance of his wife, Ana Walshe, 39, whose body has not been recovered. Walshe, 50, of Cohasset, Massachusetts, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, saying he found his wife dead and panicked; he previously admitted to lesser state counts for willfully conveying a human body and misleading police.

In opening statements, the defense told jurors that Walshe awoke in the early morning and discovered Ana dead in their bedroom, then panicked and made poor decisions aimed at protecting their three young sons. Prosecutors countered that the content and timing of the online searches — including queries about dismemberment, decomposition and disposing of evidence — show deliberate attempts to conceal a death.

What prosecutors presented

At trial, investigators testified that Walshe’s device history included a series of searches the prosecution says are relevant to how a body might be hidden or destroyed, and to practical steps for destroying evidence. Trooper Nicholas Guarino and other witnesses described a detailed timeline shown to jurors.

Alleged search timeline

• Jan. 1, 2023 — 4:52 a.m.: allegedly searched for the 'best way to dispose of a body'; 4:55 a.m.: 'how long before a body starts to smell.'
• Jan. 1, 2023 — 6:24 a.m.: 'how long for someone to be missing to inheritance'; 7:48 a.m.: nearby Lowe's stores; 9:35 a.m.: 'can identification be made on partial human remains'; 9:59 a.m.: 'how to dispose of a cell phone'; 10:29 a.m.: 'my wife is missing what should I do'; 11:50 a.m.: 'can I use bleach to clean my wood floors from blood stains'; 12:53 p.m.: 'should I use hydrogen peroxide 8 on blood stains in concrete.'
• Jan. 2, 2023 — 12:27 p.m.: 'how to saw a body'; 12:33 p.m.: 'hack saw the best tool for dismembering a body'; 12:47 p.m.: 'can you be charged with murder without a body'; 1:12 p.m.: 'can you identify a body with broken teeth'; later that afternoon: 'disposing of a body in the trash' and 'how to remove a hard drive from an Apple laptop.'
• Jan. 3, 2023 — 1:05 p.m.: 'body found at trash station'; 1:12 p.m.: 'can a body decompose in a plastic bag'; 7:30 p.m.: 'can police get your search history without your computer.'

Prosecutors also highlighted searches from late December that they say suggest motive, including queries related to infidelity and divorce. They noted that Walshe was the sole beneficiary of a $2.7 million life-insurance policy.

Defense account and context

The defense maintains Walshe did not kill his wife but instead panicked after discovering an unexpected death. Defense counsel told jurors that his client made regrettable choices while trying to protect his children and that the searches reflect fear and confusion, not a deliberate plan to hide a homicide.

Other relevant background

Investigators have not recovered Ana’s body; the case against Walshe relies in part on circumstantial evidence, including the digital timeline the prosecution presented. Separately, Walshe has a prior criminal history unrelated to this matter: in 2021 he pleaded guilty to fraud-related counts in connection with an art scheme, and in February 2024 he was sentenced in that federal matter to 37 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $475,000 in restitution.

The jury will weigh the competing narratives — whether the online activity supports a finding of criminal intent or is the product of panic and poor judgment after a sudden death. Ana’s three young sons remain without their mother as investigators continue to seek information that could lead to her recovery.

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