Brian Walshe news — latest: Ana Walshe’s remains thrown in trash bags and incinerated, prosecutors say

The husband of missing Massachusetts mother Ana Walshe allegedly made multiple horrifying internet searches on the day of her disappearance - including “10 ways to dispose of a body”, “how long before a body starts to smell” and “can you identify a body with broken teeth?”.

New details about Brian Walshe’s Google search history were revealed in a criminal complaint on Wednesday as he faced arraignment on charges of murder and improper transport of a body in Quincy District Court. The 47-year-old convicted art fraudster entered a not guilty plea.

An internet search history from his son’s iPad also showed Mr Walshe had looked up “how to stop a body from decomposing”, “dismemberment and the best ways to dispose of a body” and “what happens when you put body parts in ammonia”, in the hours after his wife was last seen alive on 1 January, according to prosecutor Lynn Beland.

After Brian Walshe’s court appearance, his attorney Tracy Miner released a blistering statement accusing prosecutors of leaking evidence to the media.

“In my experience, where, as here, the prosecution leaks so called evidence to the press before they provide it to me, their case isn’t that strong,” Ms Miner said in a statement to The Independent.

“I am not going to comment on the evidence, first because I am going to try this case in the court and not in the media.”

Ms Miner said it was “easy to charge a crime and even easier to say a person committed that crime”.

“It is a much more difficult thing to prove it, which we will see if the prosecution can do.”

“We shall see what they have and what evidence is admissible in court, where the case will ultimately be decided.”

Prosecutors revealed they had recovered Ana Walshe’s Prada purse, rain boots and her Covid-19 vaccination card from trash cans at an apartment where Brian Walshe’s mother lives.

It’s alleged Brian Walshe disposed of several trash bags in a dumpster at his mother’s address in Swampscott, including blood-stained towels and rags, and cleaning products.

Some of the items are consistent with the cleaning products purchased by Mr Walshe at a Home Depot store on 2 January.

Lynn Beland, the Norfolk County district attorney, said DNA testing by the Massachusetts Crime Lab was consistent with Ana Walshe’s.

Ana’s DNA was also found on a Tyvek suit that investigators recovered, that Brian had allegedly purchased on 2 January.

Prosecutors revealed they had recovered Ana Walshe’s Prada purse, rain boots and her Covid-19 vaccination card from trash cans at an apartment where Brian Walshe’s mother lives.

It’s alleged Brian Walshe disposed of several trash bags in a dumpster at his mother’s address in Swampscott, including blood-stained towels and rags, and cleaning products.

Some of the items are consistent with the cleaning products purchased by Mr Walshe at a Home Depot store on 2 January.

Lynn Beland, the Norfolk County district attorney, said DNA testing by the Massachusetts Crime Lab was consistent with Ana Walshe’s.

Ana’s DNA was also found on a Tyvek suit that investigators recovered, that Brian had allegedly purchased on 2 January.

Brian Walshe chose to murder and dismember his wife instead of divorcing her, according to prosecutors as they laid out the case against him in court on Wednesday.

In the lead up to the 1 January murder, prosecutors said that Mr Walshe carried out an internet search about his divorce options.

“Best state for divorce for a man,” he allegedly googled on 27 December.

Five days later, he allegedly beat her death in their home and dismembered her body.

“Rather than divorce, Brian Walshe dismembered Ana Walshe and discarded her body,” the prosecutor said.

A week after Massachusetts mother Ana Walshe vanished, her husband Brian was arrested for hindering the police investigation. Investigators discovered weapons and blood, and a troubling internet search history, and he has been charged with murder.

Graeme Massie reports.