Brian Walshe Sentenced For Wife's Murder

MASSACHUSETTS — Brian Walshe, the Massachusetts man convicted of murdering and dismembering his wife, was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday.

Walshe was found guilty of first-degree murder of his wife, Ana, on Monday morning in Norfolk Superior Court.

There was no reaction in the courtroom as the verdict was read, with Walshe staring straight ahead. He was handcuffed and shackled before being led out of the courtroom.

On Thursday, Ana Walshe's sister, Aleksandra Dimitrijevic, delivered a powerful statement on behalf of the family, stating that the death has left them empty and denied them the right to say goodbye.

"Losing my sister, Ana, so unexpectedly has altered our world in ways we never imagined," Dimitrijevic said. "I struggle with the grief that comes without warning, hoping every morning that this is all just a terrible dream. The most painful part of this loss is knowing that her children must now grow up without a mother's hand to hold. They now face a lifetime of milestones, big and small, where her absence will be deeply and painfully felt."

The 50-year-old had been accused of killing his wife and dismembering her body, which has never been recovered. Ana Walshe first went missing on Jan. 1, 2023. The prosecution argued that a $2.7 million life insurance policy Brian Walshe was set to be the sole beneficiary of, and an affair Ana Walshe had as possible motivations Brian Walshe had to carry out the crime.

Before the trial, Brian Walshe pleaded guilty to willfully misleading a police investigation and willfully conveying away a human body or remains.

The plea came in after numerous pieces of evidence surfaced, including internet searches about how to dispose of a body, surveillance footage of Walshe purchasing hundreds of dollars' worth of cleaning supplies and cutting tools, and discarded items with blood and DNA from both he and Ana Walshe were discovered.

Ana Walshe, an immigrant from Serbia, was last seen after a New Year's Eve dinner at the couple's home.

When initially questioned by investigators, Walshe said his wife had been called to Washington, D.C., on New Year's Day for a work emergency. But witnesses testified there was no evidence she took a ride service to the airport or boarded a flight. He didn't contact her employer until Jan. 4.

Walshe later admitted that he dismembered her body and disposed of it in dumpster, saying that he did so only after panicking when he found his wife had died in bed.

Walshe's defense team didn't call any witnesses and have argued he found Ana Walshe dead in bed and panicked.

With reporting from the Associated Press.