Brian Walshe found guilty of murdering wife, dismembering her body

His sentencing has been scheduled for Wednesday. He faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

What happened to Ana Walshe

39-year-old Ana Walshe, an immigrant from Serbia, was last seen early January 1, 2023, after a New Year’s Eve dinner at the couple’s home. Her body has never been found.

Brian Walshe told authorities that she’d traveled that morning to Washington, DC, for a work emergency.

Earlier, Walshe pleaded guilty last month to two lesser charges linked to his wife’s death – misleading a police investigation and improper disposal of her body.

Brian Walshe searched Google to cover tracks

However, Walshe’s Google search history on the day of Ana’s disappearance gave him away.

He had searched “can you identify a body with broken teeth,” “dismemberment and best ways to dispose of a body,” “how long before a body starts to smell,” “hacksaw best tool to dismember,” and “how to saw a body” on Google.

Admitted dismembering and disposing body

When initially questioned by investigators, Walshe said his wife had been called to Washington, DC, 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 January 4.

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

Already convicted in fraud case

According to the prosecution, Walshe, who had pleaded guilty to federal art fraud and was awaiting sentencing at the time of Ana’s death, was in need of money.

He was the sole beneficiary of his wife’s $2.7 million life insurance policy.

Last year, Walshe was sentenced to 37 months in jail in connection with federal art fraud charges involving fake Andy Warhol paintings.