Brian Walshe found guilty for horrifying 2023 murder of wife Ana; her body was never found

Brian Walshe, the Massachusetts man who searched on the internet "best ways to dispose of a body", "how long before a body starts to smell" and "hacksaw best tool to dismember", has been convicted of first-degree murder of his wife Ana, who was last seen on January 1, 2023 after a New year's Eve dinner at their home. Walshe never pleaded guilty of the murder but pleaded guilty to lesser charges of misleading police and illegally disposing of her body. His defense claimed he found his wife dead in bed and panicked. Then he dismembered her body and disposed of the remains in a dumpster. The defense called Ana's death unexplained and sudden and contested that he was a loving father and a loving husband and had no motive to kill his wife.

Ana's body was never found.

Brian and Ana Walshe had three young sons together. The children were living in the family’s Massachusetts home at the time of Ana Walshe’s disappearance but were not present during the events that led to her death, according to authorities.

His sentencing has been scheduled for Wednesday. He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Marriage was in crisis

Prosecutor Anne Yas argued that Ana Walshe did not die of natural causes. "The defendant did not want anyone to find Ana's body and to know how she died, so the defendant bought cutting tools at Lowe's and Home Depot and he cut up Ana's body -- the woman that he claimed to love -- and he threw her into dumpsters," she said.

Yas said their marriage was in "crisis," and they had been having arguments about Ana Walshe being away from the family due to her job in Washington, D.C. She also claimed Brian Walshe knew his wife was having an affair, which the defense has denied.

Ana Walshe was reported missing by her employer on January 4, 2023. Brian Walshe told police at the time that she had a "work emergency" at her job in DC and left their Cohasset home on New Year's Day