Day 3 of Brian Walshe Trial: Jurors Shown Items with 'Red‑Brown' Stains, Travel Records Show No Exit

On the third day of testimony in the trial of Brian Walshe in Dedham, Massachusetts, jurors viewed photographs and sealed evidence bags containing items recovered from dumpsters that prosecutors say bear "red‑brown" stains consistent with blood. Witnesses and records presented by prosecutors sought to show that Ana Walshe did not leave the family home after returning from Washington, D.C., and that discarded items recovered near an apartment where Walshe’s mother lived are connected to her disappearance.

Evidence shown in court

Forensic scientist Davis Gould of the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory guided jurors through images of items recovered during a Jan. 9, 2023 dumpster search. Assistant District Attorney Greg Connor brought several sealed evidence bags into the courtroom; Gould confirmed the contents without opening the bags for jurors. Judge Diane Freniere told the jury they will be permitted to view the physical evidence during deliberations.

Photos entered into evidence showed a black jacket, white towels, a white robe and a pair of gray slippers with what Gould described as "red‑brown stains." One slipper appeared to have a clump of hair attached to its sole. A hatchet and a hacksaw recovered from the trash were also depicted with similar staining. Prosecutors have previously said investigators found blood and the couple’s DNA on items from the dumpsters, and they indicated they will present testimony later to explicitly link specific objects to Ana and Brian Walshe.

Gould also said he processed the Walshe family’s Volvo and swabbed multiple areas for blood, though he did not report testing results during his testimony. Prosecutors have earlier asserted that Ana Walshe’s blood was recovered from the vehicle.

Travel records and residence checks

Short, procedural testimony from records custodians for rideshare services and airlines bolstered the prosecution’s contention that Ana Walshe did not travel after arriving in Massachusetts on Dec. 30, 2022. Representatives for Uber and Lyft testified she did not use those services between Dec. 30 and Jan. 8, 2023, the day Brian Walshe was arrested. A JetBlue records custodian said she was marked a "no show" for a Jan. 3 flight from Boston to Washington, D.C., and another flight on Jan. 13 from D.C. back to Boston. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection witness testified there were no records showing she left the country after an early‑December trip abroad.

A Massachusetts state trooper who searched Ana Walshe’s townhouse in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 7 described the residence as "neat and tidy," saying she saw no signs Ana had recently been there.

Life insurance testimony

Insurance agent Mark Selvaggi testified that Ana Walshe purchased a $1 million term policy and a $250,000 whole life policy in 2021, and that Brian Walshe was listed as beneficiary on both. The family also had whole‑life policies on their three children with Ana as sole beneficiary. Selvaggi said Ana received the insurer’s highest health rating after submitting blood and urine tests when the policies were issued.

On cross‑examination, defense attorneys sought to minimize life insurance as a motive, and Selvaggi acknowledged it is common for spouses with young children to name each other as beneficiaries so a surviving parent can provide for those children. He also confirmed Brian had earlier attempted to obtain life insurance on himself but was denied due to a pending federal matter related to forged artwork.

Case status and next steps

Brian Walshe has pleaded guilty to charges of misleading police and improperly disposing of his wife’s body but denies killing Ana Walshe. If convicted of murder, he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. The trial is set to resume Thursday, with prosecutors indicating they will call additional witnesses later in the week, including a man they say Ana Walshe was involved with before her death.