Brian Walshe was sentenced on Thursday to life in jail with out the potential for parole after a Massachusetts jury discovered him responsible of killing and dismembering his spouse, the mom of their three youngsters, with the choose calling his acts “barbaric and incomprehensible.”
His spouse, Ana Walshe, went lacking on Jan. 1, 2023, on the age of 39. Her physique has not been discovered.
Brian Walshe, 50, pleaded responsible final month to improperly disposing of her physique and mendacity to police following her disappearance. He had modified his plea on the 2 expenses earlier than jury choice acquired underway for the trial, whereas sustaining that he didn’t kill her.
A Norfolk County jury discovered Brian Walshe responsible of first-degree homicide on Monday, after deliberating for about six hours over two days.
He confronted a compulsory sentence of life in jail with out the potential for parole after being convicted of first-degree homicide.
Decide Diane Freniere stated that the sentence, the one applicable sentence underneath the legislation, is “immensely applicable and simply, given your murderous acts and the life trauma that you have inflicted upon your personal youngsters.”
She stated that due to his lies to police, “1000’s of hours of investigative sources had been wasted, diverted from different deserving instances,” and that his “acts in dismembering your spouse’s physique and disposing of her stays in a number of space dumpsters can solely be described as barbaric and incomprehensible.”
“You had no regard for the lifelong psychological hurt that your felony acts inflicted in your then 2-, 4- and 6-year-old sons,” she stated, noting that they’ll “by no means having the ability to correctly grieve that loss to say goodbye to their mother.”
She handed down consecutive sentences on the three counts, with as much as 20 years for mendacity to police and as much as three years for illegally disposing of his spouse’s physique.
Brian Walshe seems in court docket for his sentencing on a first-degree homicide cost in Dedham, Massachusetts, Dec. 18, 2025.
Pool by way of ABC Information
Ana Walshe’s sister addressed the court docket forward of sentencing, saying the “incomprehensible act” has left her and their mom with an “insufferable vacancy.”
Her sister, Aleksandra Dimitrijevic, requested the court docket to think about the “long-lasting” impression her homicide can have on her youngsters in handing down the sentence.
“Probably the most painful a part of this loss is understanding her youngsters should now develop up with out their mom’s hand to carry,” she stated. “They now face a lifetime of milestones, huge and small, the place her absence shall be deeply and painfully felt.”
The Commonwealth argued that every of the three expenses “requires a harsh penalty” and requested that Brian Walshe be sentenced consecutively, whereas the protection responded that consecutive sentences can be “inappropriate and inhumane.”
Prosecutor Greg Connor prompt the phrase inhumane “describes the defendant’s actions and the depravity of his actions — of murdering his spouse, dismembering her and eliminating her stays by throwing her away like rubbish.”
Connor stated these actions disadvantaged Ana Walshe’s household of a grave and memorial.
A lacking particular person poster that the Cohasset Police produced whereas trying to find Ana Walshe proven on the primary day of the Brian Walshe homicide trial in Norfolk Superior Court docket, on Dec. 1, 2025, in Dedham, Mass.
Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger by way of AP, Pool
The choose stated she had obtained and reviewed sentencing memorandums from prosecutors and the protection, in addition to a number of written sufferer impression statements. One submitted on behalf of Ana Walshe’s youngsters from the Massachusetts Division of Youngsters and Households relayed the “devastating impression on her youngsters,” the choose stated.
“It is clear to me that Ana was a brilliant gentle within the lives of many individuals. She lifted individuals up,” the choose stated.
Freniere stated she additionally thought of a letter submitted by Brian Walshe’s mom on his behalf, however she stated she “merely can not reconcile the particular person Diana Walshe describes in her letter with the one that stands earlier than me for sentence.”
“Mr. Walshe, you’ll stay with the guilt and burden of Ana Walshe’s dying for the remainder of your life,” Freniere stated earlier than sentencing him to life in jail.
Brian Walshe didn’t testify throughout the two-week trial in Dedham, and the protection didn’t name any witnesses.
Protection attorneys stated throughout the trial that Brian Walshe didn’t kill his spouse however discovered her useless in mattress on New 12 months’s Day in 2023 — calling her dying sudden and unexplained — after which panicked and lied to police as they investigated her disappearance.
Prosecutors stated Brian Walshe premeditatedly murdered and dismembered his spouse, then disposed of her stays in dumpsters. The web historical past on his units on Jan. 1, 2023, included searches similar to “greatest approach to get rid of a physique,” “how lengthy for somebody to be lacking to inherit,” and “greatest approach to get rid of physique components after a homicide,” prosecutors stated.
Brian Walshe is escorted into court docket for the afternoon session of the primary day of the Brian Walshe homicide trial in Norfolk Superior Court docket, Dec. 1, 2025, in Dedham, Mass.
Greg Derr/Pool/The Patriot Ledger by way of AP
Proof offered throughout the trial included surveillance footage of a person believed to be Brian Walshe shopping for instruments and different provides at a Lowe’s on Jan. 1, 2023. A receipt confirmed that objects, together with a hacksaw, utility knife, hammer, snips, Tyvek go well with, shoeguards, rags and cleansing provides, totaling $462, had been bought with money.
Further surveillance footage offered in court docket confirmed somebody throwing out trash baggage at dumpsters on a number of days in early January 2023.
A number of blood-stained objects recovered from dumpsters by investigators — together with a hacksaw, a chunk of rug, a towel and hairs — and an unknown tissue had been linked to Ana Walshe by way of DNA testing, a forensic scientist from the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory testified throughout the trial.
Brian Walshe seems to be on the jury whereas seated along with his legal professional Kelli Porges in Norfolk Superior Court docket, Dec. 15, 2025 in Dedham, Mass.
Greg Derr/Pool/The Patriot Ledger by way of AP
Ana Walshe was reported lacking by her employer on Jan. 4, 2023. Brian Walshe advised police on the time that she had a “work emergency” at her job in D.C. and left their Cohasset dwelling on New 12 months’s Day, based on audio of his interview performed in court docket.
Jurors heard testimony, together with from a D.C. man with whom Ana Walshe was having an affair, that the mom of three was upset about being away from her younger youngsters a lot — who had been 2, 4 and 6 on the time — and there was stress within the marriage.
On the time, Brian Walshe and their three youngsters had been dwelling in Massachusetts whereas he was awaiting sentencing in a federal fraud case after pleading responsible to a scheme to promote counterfeit Andy Warhol work. He was finally sentenced to 37 months in federal jail in that case.
Freniere stated Thursday it’s her understanding that the federal sentence will run concurrent with the one she imposed.
Brian Walshe’s attorneys didn’t tackle reporters gathered outdoors the courthouse following the sentencing. Prosecutors additionally declined to remark.
