A Massachusetts man accused of killing his wife and dismembering her body appeared in court for a hearing Monday afternoon, when a judge set a trial date for October next year.
Ana Walshe, a mother of three young children and a real estate professional who worked in Washington, D.C., disappeared on New Year’s Day 2023 and was reported missing a few days later. His body was never found.
Prosecutors and investigators say her husband, Brian Walshe, murdered Ana, 39, in January 2023 and misled authorities about her disappearance.
DETAILED UPDATE TIMELINE OF THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ANA WALSHE AND THE ARREST OF BRIAN WALSHE
Brian and Ana Walshe pose in the Boston Public Gardens on their wedding day, Monday, December 21, 2015. Brian is charged with Ana’s murder in January 2023. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
Judge Diane Freniere set Walshe’s trial date for Oct. 21, 2025, during a hearing in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham on Monday. The judge said she expects the trial to last no more than four weeks.
Walshe appeared in court Monday wearing glasses, a blue suit with a turquoise tie and a white shirt, and his hands were shackled.
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During the hearing, the defense asked prosecutors to examine any potential police bias, given that the lead investigator in the Walshe case was Trooper Michael Proctor, who was also in charge of the Karen Read case, which ended in a mistrial after inappropriate texts of hers came out during testimony.
Proctor has since been suspended without pay after admitting to his unprofessional behavior in the matter, including making disparaging comments about Read.
The prosecution agreed to ask investigators if they are aware of any documents such as emails or text messages from law enforcement officers that would indicate bias in the handling of the Walshe case, as well as if information has been lost or destroyed.
ANA WALSHE MURDER: HUSBAND BRIAN WALSHE DROPPED HACKSAW WITH POTENTIAL KEY PIECE OF EVIDENCE: DOCS
Ana Walshe holds her three children in an October 2022 Instagram post. (Ana Walshe/Instagram)
Walshe was indicted in March 2023 for first-degree murder, deceiving police and improper transportation of a human body. He has pleaded not guilty to charges that he beat his wife to death in their Cohasset home, dismembering and dumping her body.
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Store surveillance footage shows Walshe at a Home Depot, purchasing various items, including three mops and brushes, two splash-proof goggles and a utility knife, which investigators believe he used to dispose of her body, according to court records.
Authorities also searched trash cans and dumpsters in areas Brian Walshe went to after Ana’s disappearance.
Alleged wife killer Brian Walshe dodges legal bullet as murder case awaits DNA
Brian Walshe, accused of murdering his wife Ana, who went missing on New Year’s Day 2023, enters the courtroom for his arraignment, Thursday, April 27, 2023 in Dedham, Massachusetts. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
Brian Walshe, left, in Quincy District Court, Jan. 18, 2023. Ana Walshe, right, on her wedding day at Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Newbury Street in Boston, Monday, Dec. 21, 2015. (Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool; obtained by Fox News Digital)
While searching for Ana, investigators found a hacksaw with a “small bone fragment” on it in a dumpster across the street from Walshe’s mother’s house. Other evidence found in the dumpster included Ana’s COVID vaccination card, an Hermes watch and a Gucci necklace she wore, Hunter boots, a black Prada handbag and a short black coat, according to the court records.
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Walshe also allegedly used his son’s iPad to conduct more than a dozen Google searches in the days after his wife’s disappearance, centered on disposing of a body, prosecutors said.
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A motion hearing regarding DNA testing is scheduled for January 8, 2025.
Chris Eberhart of Fox News contributed to this report.
