DEDHAM, Mass — Brian Walshe, the Cohasset father accused of murdering and dismembering his wife, Ana Walshe, may seek to have his upcoming jury trial moved out of the Norfolk County Courthouse in Dedham. Court records reveal his lawyers are researching media coverage of his case and that research could be used to request a change of venue.
Walshe, who is considered “indigent” and is being represented by taxpayer-funded public defenders, was recently granted a court-approved initial payment of $6,000 to hire a “media expert” according to his public docket sheet.
The expert is identified as veteran public relations executive Scott Farmelant of Boston Strategic Communications. 25 Investigates has learned Farmelant is compiling all local and national publicity related to the case since Ana Walshe was reported missing in January 2023.
Prosecutors have said Brian Walshe was the beneficiary of a $2.7 million life insurance policy purchased by his wife. He’s accused of buying a hatchet, cleaning products, and Tyvek suits and googling “10 ways to dispose of a dead body if you really need to,” around the time of her disappearance in January 2023.
A change of venue is a legal maneuver typically seen in high profile cases. According to Boston-based criminal defense attorney Elyse Hershon, it is “highly unusual” for a judge to approve such a request. “I don’t see how even changing it to another county or jurisdiction is going to overcome how much publicity this case has already gotten,” Hershon said. She noted there was no change of venue request by the defense in the high-profile Karen Read murder case, and a change of venue is “highly unlikely” to be granted here.
The paperwork filed by Walshe’s lawyers regarding the funding request has been sealed, preventing public access to the documents. Walshe’s legal team did not respond to a request for comment, and Scott Farmelant declined to comment.
“You have to have faith that juries will do what they’re supposed to do and be impartial and come to the right verdict,” Hershon said.
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