DEDHAM, Mass. (Court TV) — A Washington, D.C. real estate broker took the stand Thursday in Brian Walshe’s murder trial, detailing his romantic relationship with the victim and her growing concerns about her husband in the months before she disappeared.
Brian, 50, is charged with first-degree murder in his wife, Ana Walshe’s, disappearance and presumed death. Prosecutors say he murdered his wife on Jan. 1, 2023, and spent several days trying to conceal the crime before she was reported missing by Brian and her employer on Jan. 4, 2023.
William Fastow, Ana Walshe’s boyfriend, looks at a picture of Ana while on the witness stand during Brian Walshe’s trial for murdering his wife Ana, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (Matt Stone/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)
William Fastow testified that he met Ana in spring 2022 while helping her find a townhome in the Washington, D.C. area. Ana purchased the townhome in March 2022, which she furnished with a home gym and three bedrooms for her children. The deed was in Ana’s name, according to his testimony.
Fastow described how they became close friends, then confidants, and eventually engaged in an intimate relationship.
By early summer 2022, their relationship had become more serious. They socialized with Fastow’s friends together but kept the romantic nature of their relationship somewhat private. Fastow said he never met Ana’s three children.
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He testified that Ana was “despondent” and concerned that she was not the mother her children deserved. Ana had issues related to Brian’s legal situation that were affecting her life and her relationship with her children. At the time, Brian was awaiting sentencing on federal fraud charges involving the sale of fake Andy Warhol paintings.
The couple made plans to spend Thanksgiving together in Dublin from Nov. 23-27, 2022, and to celebrate Christmas Eve at the Annapolis Yacht Club. However, Ana’s flight was delayed or canceled due to snow, leading to a missed Christmas Eve with her family in Massachusetts.
During the holiday season, Ana discovered Brian had used her credit cards without her knowledge for personal expenses, Fastow testified.
While Fastow was in Idaho with his children, Ana communicated with him via text messages. He said Ana was concerned that Brian would find out about the affair and thought he was suspicious, but she preferred to tell Brian herself about the relationship.
Ana was active on social media, particularly Instagram and Facebook, and Fastow commented on her posts using his full name, making their connection visible to anyone who viewed her profiles.
Brian Walshe enters the courtroom for his trial for murdering his wife Ana, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (Matt Stone/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)
Ana’s body has never been found. However, investigators recovered items from a dumpster, including Ana’s Hunter boots and other clothing items, a COVID-19 vaccination card, and a hacksaw with DNA evidence linking to both Ana and Brian.
Internet searches on devices linked to Brian included queries such as “best ways to dispose of a body,” “how long before a body starts to smell?”, and “how to clean blood from a wood floor?”
The defense has argued that Ana died of sudden death syndrome and that Brian found her dead, then panicked.
On Nov. 18, moments before jury selection began, Brian pleaded guilty to two charges in connection with Ana’s disappearance: misleading a police officer and conveyance of a human body. Sentencing on those charges will be scheduled after the murder trial concludes.
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