A judge has set the trial date for Brian Walshe, a Massachusetts man accused of killing his wife, Ana Walshe, for October 20, 2025. He faces charges of first-degree murder, misleading investigators, and other related charges. However, Ana’s body has never been found, and Brian has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Brian appeared in court on Monday, dressed in a suit and handcuffs, before Judge Diane Freniere, who is now handling the case. His defense team is asking for documents from two other ongoing cases, one involving the murder trial of Karen Read and another involving a detective, Matthew Farwell, who is accused of killing Sandra Birchmore in Stoughton, Massachusetts.
The defense specifically wants emails and texts from Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator in both the Read and Walshe cases. Proctor was removed from duty after sending inappropriate texts about Read.
Prosecutors argue that some of the documents the defense wants are protected and cannot be shared because of an ongoing federal investigation.
Ana Walshe, originally from Serbia, was last seen on January 1, 2023, after a New Year’s Eve dinner with her husband and a family friend. Brian said she had to go back to Washington, D.C., for a work emergency but didn’t inform her employer until January 4. The company later confirmed there was no emergency.
Prosecutors say that after her disappearance, Brian searched online for disturbing topics like how to dismember a body and what tools to use. They also pointed out that Ana had a $2.7 million life insurance policy, with Brian as the beneficiary.
In addition to the charges related to his wife’s disappearance, Brian was sentenced earlier this year to over three years in prison for an unrelated art fraud case. He had sold fake Andy Warhol paintings to a buyer in France and tried to sell them online. He was also ordered to pay $475,000 in restitution.