An art swindler on trial for murdering his stunning wife has changed his plea on two counts related to the case.
Brian Walshe, 50, is accused of killing and dismembering his wife Ana Walshe, 39, around New Years Day in 2023 at their home in Cohasset, Massachusetts, about 45 minutes outside of Boston.
But during court on Tuesday, Walshe, who is currently serving a 37-month sentence for selling two fake Andy Warhol paintings for $80,000, decided to plead guilty to counts of willfully conveying a human body in violation of state law and misleading police.
Prosecutors allege that Walshe disposed of his wife’s remains in nearby dumpsters and that his interference in the case resulted in the destruction of her deceased body.
He has not admitted to killing her and the trial will proceed with jury selection on the remaining murder count.
‘Mr. Walshe is prepared to admit to the recitation of facts with respect to the indictment that the government just read in so far as it alleges he did impede and obstruct the criminal investigation into the disappearance of Anna Walshe,’ his defense attorney told Judge Diane Freniere.
‘The second portion of the facts that the government just read. That we would take issue with, is the last sentence.’
Brian Walshe, the Massachusetts man accused of killing his wife in 2023, changed his plea on two counts related to the case. (Pictured: Walshe in court in April 2023)
He is accused of murdering and dismembering his wife Ana Walshe (pictured), 39, around New Years Day in 2023 at their home in Cohasset, Massachusetts
Judge Freniere then asked him what happened the day his wife died.
‘Mr. Walshe, did you, in fact, willfully remove or convey the body of Ana Walshe or her remains, not being lawfully authorized to do so?’ she asked.
‘Yes, your honor,’ he answered.
He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years on the misleading police charge and up to three years in prison on the conveyance charge.
If convicted of murdering his wife, Walshe could get up to 20 more years behind bars.
He was arrested on January 8, 2023, in connection to Ana’s disappearance.
She was reported missing by her employers on January 4, 2023, after she disappeared from her Cohasset home hours after a New Year’s Eve party.
To this day, her body has never been found.
Walshe was arrested on January 8, 2023 in connection to his wife Ana’s disappearance
Investigators later discovered Walshe had searched ‘how to dispose of a 115-pound woman’s body’ on the internet, prosecutors said.
Blood was found in the basement of the couple’s home, and trash bags filled with bloody items, a hatchet, and a hacksaw were found at a nearby trash center.
Walshe told police his wife had taken an Uber or Lyft to the airport to fly to Washington DC on January 1 for work.
Ana reportedly planned to travel on January 3 but said she needed to fly earlier due to an emergency.
There is no evidence Ana had ever taken a taxi to the airport, investigators found.
Walshe also told investigators he was out shopping for his mother on New Year’s Day, but surveillance footage from a CVS store did not support this.
Investigators instead allegedly found Walshe had visited several stores including Home Depot, Lowes and CVS, buying cleaning products, plastic sheets, hazmat suits, a hatchet and a hacksaw.
He was allegedly wearing a black surgical mask and blue surgical gloves while shopping.
Walshe is shown on January 1 purchasing cleaning supplies, a hack saw, hatchet and other items from Lowes, hours after allegedly murdering his wife Ana
Walshe and his wife’s relationship has been tumultuous from nearly the beginning.
Prior to their marriage, Ana called police in August 2014 to report that Walshe had threatened ‘to kill’ her and a friend on a phone call.
The case was later dropped when she declined to participate in the investigation.
The next year, the couple got married. They went on to have three sons together who they raised in Cohasset.
News of his plea change comes just two months after he was stabbed by a fellow inmate inside the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Correctional Center in Dedham, according to the sheriff’s office.
Correctional officers quickly intervened and subdued the other inmate.
Prior to their marriage, Ana called police in August 2014 to report that Walshe had threatened ‘to kill’ her and a friend on a phone call. They share three sons together
The weapon, described as a ‘makeshift blunt instrument,’ was recovered by the officers, the sheriff’s office said.
Walshe was taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston for treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. He returned to the jail overnight.
The other inmate has not been publicly identified and it is unclear what led up to the attack.
This is not his first time in trouble with the law as Walshe was previously sentenced in February 2024 for selling bogus Andy Warhol paintings. He pleaded guilty to that crime in 2021.
