Jury selection in Brian Walshe’s murder trial continues after dramatic turn

DEDHAM, Mass. — Jury selection continues on Wednesday in the high-profile murder trial of Brian Walshe, the Cohasset man accused of killing and dismembering his wife, Ana Walshe, on New Year’s Day 2023.

The case took a dramatic turn on Tuesday when Walshe admitted in court that Ana is dead, pleading guilty to two lesser charges of lying to investigators and disposing of her body.

Despite those admissions, Walshe still faces a first-degree murder charge.

Nine of the 16 jurors needed for the trial were seated on the first day. The proceedings will now focus on whether Walshe is guilty of murder.

As of Wednesday afternoon, 12 jurors had been seated. Judge Diane Freniere is seeking a panel of 16 jurors.

Ana’s friend, Peter Raider, reacted to the bombshell guilty pleas.

“I think it’s a good decision on his part. Certainly, you know, there’s no other plausible explanation for what happened,” Raider told Boston 25 News. “At the end of the day, you have these children who now need to move on with their lives without their mother. And now plausibly without their father.”

Walshe has not yet been sentenced on the charges he admitted to.

Freniere told the court on Tuesday that Ana’s family members have requested to speak before sentencing.

Walshe was deemed competent to stand trial last week. Had Walshe been found not competent, his charges may have been suspended indefinitely or even dismissed if his competency could not have been restored.

Last month, lawyers for Walshe asked Freniere to change the venue of his trial due to concerns over finding a “fair and impartial” jury. Freniere denied that motion on Friday, ordering the trial to go on as planned in Dedham.

This all comes after Walshe was stabbed inside the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Correctional Center in September.

Walshe is accused of killing and dismembering Ana with a hacksaw and disposing of her remains, which have never been found, after using his son’s iPad to Google the best ways to get rid of a body.

0 of 49

In March 2023, a Norfolk County grand jury indicted Walshe on a charge of murder, misleading a police investigation/obstruction of justice, and improper conveyance of a human body in connection with his wife’s death.

Ana, a mother of three young children and a real estate professional who worked in Washington, D.C., vanished on New Year’s Day 2023 and was reported missing a few days later, authorities said.

Prosecutors have alleged that Walshe killed his wife in their Cohasset home on New Year’s Day. The couple’s three young boys were reportedly home at the time.

Days after Ana’s disappearance, a hacksaw and a blood-soaked rug believed to contain biological evidence were recovered from their home by investigators.

0 of 9

Police later searched trash bins, dumpsters, trash trucks, and trash facilities in the areas where Brian Walshe traveled following her disappearance.

Prosecutors have also previously said that a broken knife with blood on it was found in the basement of the Walshe family home.

Walshe is currently serving a three-year prison sentence for selling fake Andy Warhol paintings. He has been held without bail since his arrest.

Opening statements and testimony in the trial are scheduled to begin on December 1.

The trial is expected to take up to three weeks.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

©2025 Cox Media Group