Closing arguments expected in murder trial of Brian Walshe over wife’s disappearance

BOSTON (AP) — On the same day his wife was last seen alive, Brian Walshe went to multiple Massachusetts pharmacies and hardware stores to buy heavy-duty cleaning supplies, a Tyvek protective suit and a utility knife, according to prosecutors.

He made the trips after early-morning internet searches including, “How long before a body starts to smell?” and “Dismemberment and best ways to dispose of a body.” Over the next several days, he continued searching for how to dismember a body with a hacksaw, not reporting her missing until Jan. 4, when her employer began looking for her and contacted police.

Closing arguments are expected Friday in Walshe’s trial on a charge of first-degree murder. He previously pleaded guilty to misleading police and improper disposal of a body, on the day jury selection was set to begin.

His attorneys rested Thursday without calling any witnesses, despite speculation that Walshe might testify. His attorneys have tried to cast reasonable doubt, acknowledging he lied to investigators while arguing he panicked after discovering Ana dead following a New Year’s Eve gathering. With no body ever recovered, investigators have been unable to determine a cause of death.

“When he entered the bedroom and began to get into bed, he sensed something was wrong,” defense attorney Larry Tipton told jurors during the trial’s first week, describing a moment when Ana did not respond and “rolled off the bed.”

Prosecutors, meanwhile, have pointed to Walshe’s actions afterward as evidence of premeditation. Jurors were shown surveillance footage of him at stores like CVS, Walgreens and Lowe’s and purchasing items including hydrogen peroxide and ammonia. Jurors also were shown photos of tools that investigators testified tested positive for blood, including a hacksaw and a hatchet.

When questioned, Walshe told police Ana had left Massachusetts on New Year’s Day for a work emergency in Washington, D.C., though witnesses testified there was no record of her booking a ride or boarding a flight. He did not contact her employer until Jan. 4.

Prosecutors also connected him to items found at a trash processing facility near his mother’s home, including a hatchet, hacksaw, towels, a Tyvek suit, cleaning agents, a Prada purse, boots like those Ana was last seen wearing and her COVID-19 vaccination card. Investigators testified Ana had also taken out a $2.7 million life-insurance policy naming him as beneficiary.

Friends described Ana’s final weeks as emotionally strained. Gem Mutlu, who spent New Year’s Eve with the couple, said they appeared “very much in love,” though he later learned Ana and another man had exchanged messages that night.

Another friend, Alissa Kirby, told jurors Ana seemed exhausted by travel and stressed about her marriage. The two had recently grown close, walking together and going to karaoke; Kirby teared up when shown photos of them. She testified that Ana considered moving her family to Washington and said Brian often questioned whether she loved him.

Kirby also recounted two messages from Brian shortly before Ana was reported missing — one on Christmas, when he asked if she knew where Ana was, and another on Jan. 3: “I know we did this a week ago but have you heard from Ana?”