COHASSET, Mass. (Court TV) — A Massachusetts man accused of murdering his missing wife was back in court Wednesday for a brief hearing.
Brian Walshe is led into court Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. (Court TV)
Brian Walshe, 49, is charged with first-degree murder, misleading a police officer and conveyance of a human body in the presumed death of Ana Walshe. He pleaded not guilty to each charge at his arraignment.
Wednesday’s proceedings were expected to be a discovery motion hearing, however proceedings were continued at the request of the defense. Brian’s attorney, Larry Tipton, told Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone they’re expecting “a lot of discovery” from the Commonwealth so, they didn’t want to argue their “extensive motion” yet.
The hearing was rescheduled for Dec. 2 to give the defense time to review the discovery and narrow down their motion.
The defense’s “extensive motion” that was to be the subject of Wednesday’s hearing is seeking access to various records related to disgraced Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor. Proctor was the lead investigator in the Walshe case, but became the subject of controversy during the trial of Karen Read. In Read’s trial, it was revealed Proctor, who was a lead investigator in the case, sent inappropriate text messages about Read during the investigation. After Brian’s last court appearance in June, prosecutors announced they would not be calling Proctor at trial.
Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor testifies during Karen Read’s trial, Wednesday, June 12, 2024 in Norfolk Super Court in Dedham, Mass. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
The defense’s motion seeks a large amount of material, including Proctor’s work cell phone records, his job performance records and documents related to his “conduct” while investigating the deaths of John O’Keefe and Ana. They’re also seeking records from other cases he’s investigated, specifically the deaths of O’Keefe and Sandra Birchmore.
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Ana was last seen Jan. 1, 2023 during a dinner with her husband and a mutual friend. Investigators say Brian killed Ana that night and spent the following days concealing the crime, including making a fake ransom note. Prosecutors believe Brian killed his wife because she was having an affair. Her body has not been found.
When Ana disappeared, Brian was awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in a federal art fraud case. In Feb., he was sentenced to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
