DEDHAM, Mass. (Court TV) — Defense attorneys for Brian Walshe are seeking to dismiss the first-degree murder charge against him in connection with his wife’s death, arguing prosecutors lack sufficient evidence of premeditation to support the accusation.
During a hearing Thursday, defense attorney Larry Tipton argued that prosecutors have incorrectly inferred that Brian killed his wife, Ana Walshe, after discovering she was having an affair, claiming there’s no evidence that Brian knew Ana was having an affair.
Brian Walshe appears in court for a hearing Thursday, July 24, 2025. (Court TV)
Judge Diane Freniere pushed back on this claim, citing evidence presented to the grand jury that Brian had searched the name of a man his wife was allegedly involved with six times on December 25, 2022.
The judge noted that, according to grand jury testimony, Brian had access to his wife’s iMessage and Instagram accounts, which were the primary means of communication between Ana and the man in question.
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Tipton maintained that his client consistently insisted he wasn’t having an affair and he didn’t believe Ana was either, arguing that prosecutors were improperly “piling inference upon inference” without reliable information.
Prosecutors countered that the evidence shows Brian was aware of his wife’s relationship and was motivated by financial concerns, including potential inheritance from life insurance policies.
Pointing to searches related to cleaning up crime scenes and luxury goods, prosecutors argued Brian’s behavior showed he was planning to kill Ana.
The prosecution also highlighted testimony that Ana had told a friend about a “huge fight” over Christmas and had given her husband an ultimatum regarding his pending federal case.
Prosecutors alleged Brian murdered Ana on January 1, 2023, and spent the following days concealing the crime. Her body has not been found.
Judge Freniere took the matter under advisement and will issue a ruling at a later date.
This story was reported by Court TV’s Grace Wong and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
