COHASSET, Mass. (Court TV) — Court documents in the case of Brian Walshe reveal an alleged ransom note and confirm the missing Massachusetts mother was having an affair.
(L) Brian Walshe appears in court. (CNN), (R) FILE – Ana Walshe (Cohasset Police Department)
In a search warrant application recently obtained by Court TV, authorities with the Massachusetts State Police detailed their case against Walshe, who is accused of murdering his missing wife, Ana Walshe.
Prosecutors say Brian killed Ana on Jan. 1, 2023, and spent the following days concealing the crime. He was indicted March 30 on one charge of first-degree murder, one count of misleading a police officer and one count of conveyance of a human body. He entered a plea of not guilty to each charge during his April 27 arraignment.
In court documents, authorities note that on Jan. 7, a detective received an alleged ransom email from a “Richard Walker,” stating:
“We have the so named Ana Walshe with us here..we had a deal worth $127,000.. she messed up..we have her here with us and if she doesn’t pay the money..then she’ll never be back, and we know that the police and the FBI are involved..good luck finding us.”
Investigators note the email was suspicious because it didn’t include instructions on how or when to respond.
This surveillance image from court documents shows Brian Walshe at a Home Depot on Jan. 2, 2023. (Trial Court of Massachusetts)
The court documents also confirm Ana was having an affair, and had spent Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve with her lover. It also details that Ana confided in a friend that she intended to leave Brian at the conclusion of a pending criminal fraud case, in which he was awaiting sentencing.
The documents also detail previously reported internet search history from Brian’s cellphone that include “how long before a body starts to smell” and “dismemberment and best ways to dispose of a body.” Surveillance images tracking Brian’s movements at local home improvement stores are also included.
Brian Walshe is currently being held without bail. A pretrial conference is scheduled for Aug. 23.
