Day 6 Highlights From Brian Walshe’s Trial: Blood Evidence, Surveillance Footage and a Missing Body

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story references a graphic image entered into evidence.

The second week of testimony continued in the murder trial of Brian Walshe as prosecutors presented forensic and surveillance evidence they say ties him to the death and disposal of his wife, Ana Walshe, around New Year’s Day 2023. The jury heard testimony about blood detected on items from the Walshe home and on objects recovered from nearby dumpsters, and watched surveillance video that prosecutors say shows Walshe buying cleaning supplies and discarding a bag on Jan. 1.

Forensic Evidence

A forensic scientist from the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory testified that multiple items tested positive for blood. Among the findings: a kitchen knife stored in a cabinet above the refrigerator tested positive for traces of blood despite lacking visible stains, and blood stains were identified on the stairway to the basement and on the basement floor.

Sheehan, the lab scientist, also said several tools and garments recovered from dumpsters near Walshe’s mother’s apartment— including a hacksaw, hammer, hatchet, tin snips and a Tyvek suit—tested positive for blood. Photos shown to the jury included blood-soaked towels and pieces of carpet found in the trash. Many samples were submitted for DNA testing, but the witness did not discuss DNA results during Monday’s testimony.

Surveillance Footage And Purchases

Prosecutors presented surveillance video and receipts they say place a man who resembled Walshe making multiple cash purchases on Jan. 1, 2023. Video from a CVS and a Stop & Shop showed a man buying several bottles of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia and paying with cash. Security footage from a Lowe’s captured a masked, gloved shopper—identified by prosecutors as Walshe—buying more than $400 worth of supplies, including a hacksaw; a receipt admitted into evidence corroborated the cash payment.

A liquor store manager who knew Walshe identified him in video from Jan. 1 at 5:12 p.m. carrying a black garbage bag from a Volvo to a dumpster near the store. Prosecutors say that footage and the purchases occurred hours after the defense says Walshe found his wife unresponsive in bed.

Washington, D.C., Search And Wellness Checks

Two of Ana Walshe’s colleagues at Tishman Speyer described actions taken after Brian Walshe called the office on Jan. 4 to report her missing. Theresa Marchese (human resources) said she spoke with Walshe several times and drove to Ana’s townhouse, where she noticed a dry package outside despite several days without rain. Chief security officer Hugh Dunleavy testified that he went to the home with engineers and local police; with Walshe’s permission they drilled a door to perform a wellness check and found no sign of Ana.

Marchese testified that office staff checked local hospitals in Washington, D.C., and found no records of Ana; she advised Walshe to also check hospitals in Boston. Dunleavy said Ana’s car was later located at a Tishman Speyer property she managed; the car had been left there on Dec. 30, the last day she used her work email and corporate card.

Legal Status And Trial Outlook

A medical examiner told jurors that, because Ana’s body has not been recovered, they could not determine a cause or manner of death. Earlier in the proceedings, Walshe pleaded guilty to charges related to illegally disposing of Ana’s body and misleading police after her death, but he continues to deny killing her. His attorneys say he discovered Ana dead in bed and panicked; prosecutors argue the physical evidence supports a homicide charge. If convicted of murder, Walshe faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The trial is ongoing; future testimony and forensic results (including DNA analyses submitted by the state lab) are expected to further shape the case.