Brian Walshe will go on trial next fall in Cohasset, Massachusetts, for the murder of his wife Ana

DEDHAM – Brian Walshe, the man charged with murdering his wife in their Cohasset, Massachusetts, home, will stand trial on murder charges next fall.

Brian Walshe murder trial

Norfolk Superior Court Judge Diane Freniere set the trial date for October 20, 2025.

Brian Walshe faces first-degree murder, misleading a police investigation and other charges in connection with his wife’s death. Ana Walshewhose body was never recovered. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Walshe appeared in court on Monday dressed in a suit and with his wrists handcuffed.

Walshe’s defense team is seeking documents related to Norfolk County investigators’ handling of two other cases – including the murder trial of Karen Read and the alleged murder of Sandra Birchmore by a detective from Stoughton, Massachusetts, Matthew Farwell.

Freniere did not rule on Monday.

Michael Proctor connection

Defense attorneys are specifically looking for emails and text messages from the lead investigator in the case, Trooper Karen Read Michael Proctorwho led the investigation that led to the arrests of Walshe and Read.

Proctor, who was relieved of duty, revealed that he had sent vulgar text messages to colleagues and family members in which he called Read a “complete idiot” and told his sister he wished Read would “kill himself.” He said his emotions overwhelmed him.

Prosecutors have said some of the information sought by defense attorneys is privileged or exempt because of a pending federal prosecution.

Murder of Ana Walshe

Ana Walshe, originally from Serbia, was last seen early on Jan. 1, 2023, after a New Year’s Eve dinner at her Massachusetts home with her husband and a family friend, prosecutors said.

Brian Walshe said she was called back to Washington, D.C., on New Year’s Day for a work emergency. He did not contact her employer until January 4th. The company – which was the first to notify police about Ana Walshe’s disappearance – said there was no emergency, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said that beginning Jan. 1 and for several days thereafter, Brian Walshe conducted multiple online searches for “dismemberment and the best ways to dispose of a body,” “how long does it take for a corpse to start smelling,” and “hacksaw, the best tool for dismemberment.”

Prosecutors also said Ana Walshe took out a $2.7 million life insurance policy and named her husband as the sole beneficiary.

Brian Walshe art fraud

Walshe was too Sentenced earlier this year to more than three years in prison for an unrelated art fraud case involving the sale of two fake Andy Warhol paintings. He was ordered to pay $475,000 in restitution.

Walshe’s scheme began with the sale of the two original Warhol paintings to a gallery in 2011, according to prosecutors. From there, he obtained replicas of the paintings in 2015 and sold them to a buyer in France before attempting to sell the two fake abstracts on eBay.

Associated Press writer Steve LeBlanc contributed to this report.