A Massachusetts man accused of killing and dismembering his wife has admitted guilt to two related charges but still faces a full trial on the murder count.
Just before jury selection was set to begin in the trial of Brian Walshe, 50, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, he pleaded guilty to two lesser offenses: willfully conveying a human body in violation of state law and misleading police, according to CBS News Boston, WCVB and MassLive.com.
Prosecutors allege that Walshe’s actions ultimately led to the incineration of the remains of his wife, 39-year-old Ana Walshe, WCVB reports.
Walshe did not plead guilty to the charge of murdering his wife and has maintained his innocence on that count since he was first charged, CBS News Boston reports.
Jury selection in the case began on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
Ana was last seen alive on New Year’s Eve in 2022 at the Cohasset home she shared with Brian and their children. She was reported missing on Jan. 4 by her boss after she failed to appear for work at her job in Washington, D.C., authorities said.
Investigators allege that Brian killed Ana because he believed she was having an affair. They say they believe he disposed of her body using dumpsters at multiple locations across the state, MassLive.com reports.
The trial had originally been scheduled to start in October, but proceedings were delayed when Judge Diane Freniere ordered Walshe to be evaluated at Bridgewater State Hospital following an attack on him in prison, Fox News reported.
Last week, Freniere said she had received a comprehensive report from the hospital concluding that Walshe is competent to stand trial, Fox News reported.
On Monday, Nov. 18, the judge, prosecutors and Walshe’s defense team met to address what evidence and testimony jurors will be allowed to hear, WCVB reports.
Among the topics discussed were Walshe’s alleged internet searches, which reportedly included queries about identifying human remains and how to dismember a body, according to MassLive.com. He also allegedly searched for “ten ways to dispose of a dead body if you really need to,” WCVB reports.
Prosecutors intend to present those searches to the jury and are also seeking to introduce evidence of additional online activity, including alleged searches for pornography involving a “cheating wife,” MassLive.com reports.
Walshe’s defense attorneys are pushing to keep that latter evidence from being shown to jurors.
