A trial date has been set for Brian Walshe, who stands accused of murdering his missing real estate executive wife.
On New Year's Day 2023, in their Cohasset, Massachusetts, home, it is alleged that Ana Walshe was killed and dismembered by her husband, Michael Walshe.
On Monday afternoon, a Massachusetts man accused of murdering his wife and dismembering her body appeared in court for a hearing. The judge set a trial date for October of next year.
Ana Walshe, a real estate professional and mother of three young children, disappeared in Washington, D.C. on New Year's Day 2023. Despite extensive efforts, her body was never found.
Her husband, Brian Walshe, is accused of murdering 39-year-old Ana in January 2023 and misleading authorities about her disappearance, according to prosecutors and investigators.
On Monday, Judge Diane Freniere set the trial date for Oct. 21, 2025, during a hearing at the Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham. The judge stated that she anticipates the trial to last no more than four weeks.
On Monday, Walshe was seen in court with glasses, a blue suit, an aqua tie, and shackled hands.
The defense requested that the prosecutors investigate any possible police bias during the hearing, as the lead investigator in the Walshe case was Trooper Michael Proctor, who was also the lead investigator in the Karen Read case, which resulted in a mistrial due to inappropriate texts that were revealed during testimony.
Since admitting to unprofessional behavior towards Read, Proctor has been suspended without pay.
The prosecution requested that investigators search for any records, such as emails or text messages, from law enforcement officers that may reveal a bias in handling the Walshe case, as well as if any information was lost or destroyed.
In March 2023, Walshe was charged with first-degree murder, misleading police, and improper transport of a human body. He entered a not guilty plea to allegations that he killed his wife in their Cohasset home by beating her to death, dismembering her body, and then disposing of it.
According to court records, surveillance footage shows Walshe at a Home Depot, purchasing three mops and brushes, two splash-resistant goggles, and a utility knife, which investigators believe he used to dispose of her body.
Following Ana's disappearance, authorities searched trash bins and dumpsters in areas where Brian Walshe traveled.
In the dumpster across the street from Walshe's mother's house, investigators discovered a hacksaw with a "small bone fragment" on it while searching for Ana. Additionally, other evidence found in the dumpster included Ana's COVID vaccination card, a Hermes watch and Gucci necklace that she was known to wear, Hunter boots, a black Prada purse, and a short black coat, according to court records.
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Prosecutors claimed that Walshe made over a dozen Google searches on his son's iPad in the days after his wife's disappearance, which were centered around discarding a body.
A DNA testing hearing has been scheduled for January 8, 2025.
Planet Chronicle' Chris Eberhart contributed to this report.
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