Brian Walshe Found Guilty of Murdering, Dismembering His Wife Ana

A Massachusetts man who reported his wife missing on New Year’s Day 2023 — and later admitted he dismembered her and disposed of her remains — has been found guilty of murdering her.

Brian Walshe, 50, of Cohasset, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Ana Walshe, 39, a real estate executive and the mother of their three children. Ana was last seen in the early hours of Jan. 1, 2023, after the couple hosted a friend at their home to ring in the new year.

The guilty verdict was reported by MassLive, WHDH and CBS News, and was reached after roughly five hours of jury deliberations.

Investigators testified that on Jan. 4, 2023, Brian contacted Ana’s employer in Washington, D.C., asking about her whereabouts. After that call, her employer contacted police. During interviews with detectives, Brian claimed Ana had left early for the airport to respond to a work emergency.

Prosecutors said authorities later recovered items believed to belong to Ana — including boots, clothing and her purse — from dumpsters. They also said investigators found a hacksaw and other tools bearing a reddish-brown stain. Ana’s body has never been found.

Brian was arrested and charged with her murder. On Nov. 18, shortly before jury selection began, he pleaded guilty to two lesser charges: willfully conveying a human body in violation of state law and misleading police.

In opening statements on Monday, Dec. 1, defense attorney Larry Tipton claimed Brian discovered Ana dead in bed at about 2:30 a.m., then panicked and decided to conceal what happened. Tipton told jurors Brian feared what might happen to the couple’s three young sons.

Jurors also heard evidence about Brian’s online searches after Ana’s death, including queries about dismembering a body and cleaning blood from wood floors. The defense argued those searches reflected panic and fear that Brian would be blamed.

Brian also had an unrelated legal case at the time. In 2021, he pleaded guilty to federal art fraud and was awaiting sentencing when Ana disappeared. He was later sentenced in 2024 to 37 months in federal prison.

Prosecutors argued the killing was intentional, alleging Brian was angry about an affair they said Ana was having. They pointed to searches they said Brian made in late December 2022, including pornography related to a “cheating wife” and information on “best divorce strategies for men,” according to MassLive. NBC News also reported that Brian was the sole beneficiary of Ana’s $2.7 million life insurance policy.