Massachusetts prosecutors claim accused murderer Brian Walshe hired a private investigator to snoop on his wife, Ana, whom he suspected of having an affair in the weeks leading up to her disappearance.
Walshe, 47, appeared Thursday morning in Norfolk Superior Court, where he stands accused of killing Ana — who disappeared on New Year’s Day.
Although her body has never been recoverd, police found a slew of incriminating evidence against father of three Brian, including her clothing that he allegedly dumped and his damning Google search history.
Prosecutors allege Walshe killed his wife after discovering she was having an affair, based on reports from a private investigator hired to tail her.
Ana, a successful real estate agent, spent her weeks in Washington, DC, then returned to Massachusetts on the weekends to spend time with Bryan — who was not allowed to leave the state, as he was on an ankle monitor over an art forgery case — and their children.
However, the defense claimed there is no evidence of an affair, and said it was actually Walshe’s wealthy mother, Diana, who had hired the investigator to follow Ana.
“[Brian] told her she was crazy,” defense attorney Tracy Miner said. “He said, ‘Go ahead, but you’re wrong.'”
There was no mention in court Thursday of with whom Ana could have been having her alleged affair.
Walshe has pleaded not guilty to murder, misleading police, obstruction of justice and improper conveyance of a human body.
Standing in stark contrast with his previous court appearances, where he appeared disheveled, Brian walked into court on Thursday with a fresh shave and haircut and a smart shirt and sweater.
The defense asked the judge to limit bail to $150,000, but the judge denied the request and ordered that Walshe be held in custody.
Ana vanished from the couple’s Cohasset home on Jan. 1. Although police have not found her body, they allege Walshe killed her in their basement, dismembered her and bagged up the remains, then tossed her body parts into a dumpster, where they were incinerated by trash services.
Prosecutors reiterated the slew of circumstantial evidence against Walshe including how, in the days following Ana’s disappearance, he had made internet searches including “How to keep a body from decomposing,” “Can you throw away body parts” and “How long for someone to be missing to inherit.”
The state says Walshe also purchased $450 of cleaning supplies from a Home Depot store, including mops, buckets, tarps and various kinds of tape.
Walshe was arrested on January 8 for misleading police in their investigation into Ana’s disappearance. A subsequent search of their house led investigators to bloodstains in the basement and a bloody knife.
The defense, however, says there is still no solid evidence against the disgraced art dealer, noting how not only is there no body, but no murder weapon has turned up either.
Miner also claimed Ana is still missing simply because she doesn’t want to be found, alleging the mother of three had just run off.
The defense also disregarded any notion that Walshe would have killed his wife for insurance money, claiming there was no reason for him to do so, as his mother was very wealthy and often provided him and his wife with thousands of dollars.
Along with denying him bail, the judge ordered Walshe to return to court for a pre-trial conference in August, then another hearing set for the first week in November.