Brian Walshe’s claim wife Ana died of natural causes ‘defies common sense,’ prosecutors say as deliberations begin

In the closing moments of a Massachusetts murder trial, a prosecutor called Brian Walshe’s claim that his wife Ana died of “natural causes” at 39 “absolutely makes no sense.” The defense, however, insisted that her death was a “sudden unexplained death” that left Walshe overwhelmed and panic‑stricken.

Walshe, 50, is on trial for the killing of the mother of his three children on New Year’s Day 2023. Prosecutors argue that he ripped Ana’s body apart, bagged the pieces, and dumped them in nearby trash cans in an attempt to mask the fact that he had murdered her. No remains have ever been located.

“Because Ana didn’t die of natural causes, Walshe had to hide her body,” said prosecutor Anne Yas, who told the 12‑person jury in Dedham’s Norfolk County Superior Court that the defendant feared the truth would surface and expose him.

The jury now faces a decision: a single count of first‑degree murder that carries life in prison without parole, or a second‑degree conviction that allows the possibility of parole. A unanimous verdict, based on “beyond a reasonable doubt,” is mandatory.

During his closing remarks, defense attorney Larry Tipton presented the story his client claimed to have followed. After a New Year’s celebration with a close friend, Walshe returned from cleaning the kitchen to find Ana unresponsive in the bedroom. He was reportedly shaken, scared, and convinced he’d been blamed for her sudden death.

Tipton argued that Walshe acted under panic, staging a dramatic cover‑up. He cited the client’s purchases at Home Depot and Lowe’s—tools such as a hatchet, hacksaw, and Tyvek suit—used to dismember Ana. Prosecutors countered that the evidence, including bloodstained rug fragments and the purchased tools recovered from a dumpster near Walshe’s mother’s house, supports a plan rather than an accident.

The defense also highlighted research Walshe allegedly conducted early on January 1, 2023, such as how to dismember a body, dispose of remains, and even search for information on serial killer Patrick Kearney. Tipton suggested that the rapid shift in searches reflected a man in shock and disbelief.

“There’s no motive,” Tipton asserted. “Walshe loved Ana. On their last night together, their friend Gem Mutlu described them as “festive,” “jovial,” and clearly in love.”

Tipton claimed the client had no knowledge of Ana’s alleged affair with William Fastow of Washington, DC, and that the couple’s finances were still solid, having purchased and sold several investment properties. He contended that, despite a federal art‑fraud conviction that kept Walshe in home confinement, the family was otherwise well off.

Jury testimony revealed stress within the marriage stemming from Walshe’s incarceration and restitution obligations of more than $400,000. An additional layer involved the belief that Ana had begun a new relationship with Fastow, a detail prosecutors say may have pushed Walshe toward a violent end. Walshe’s best friend, Alissa Kirby, testified that Ana had confessed to being “falling out of love” with her husband.

Yas countered, emphasizing that Ana was a fit, healthy woman who exercised regularly and showed no signs of illness. “Walshe didn’t just want her dead,” she said. “He needed her dead. The marriage was already faltering, and he was standing at a breaking point.”

In the months before trial, jurors saw videos of Walshe shopping for cleaning supplies and sharp tools, an act that, according to prosecutors, was part of a larger scheme. They also learned that Walshe framed Ana as having departed abruptly for DC on New Year’s Day for a “work emergency.” That lead set off a confusing chase by police in both Massachusetts and Washington, DC.

Weeks prior to the trial, Walshe accepted guilty pleas for the lesser charges of lying to investigators and disposing of a body, while maintaining his innocence on the murder charge. He now stands at the cross‑roads, with his fate left to the jury’s deliberations.

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