The jury in the high-profile murder trial of Brian Walshe, accused of killing his wife Ana Walshe around New Year’s Day 2023, is set to resume deliberations Monday after a dramatic day in court capped by closing arguments and emotional scenes among friends and family. The case, which has gripped the Boston area and drawn national attention, hinges on a web of circumstantial evidence, digital footprints, and a marriage that friends described as increasingly strained in the final weeks.
On December 12, 2025, after more than three hours of deliberation, the jury of six women and six men adjourned for the weekend, having begun their work at 12:23 p.m. ET. Judge Diane Freniere, who presided over the proceedings, had offered them the option to continue into the evening, but they elected to return at the start of the week. The panel faces the weighty task of deciding between first-degree murder, second-degree murder, or acquittal, with the most severe charge carrying a life sentence without parole.
The prosecution, led by Anne Yas, painted a picture of Brian Walshe as a man who meticulously planned his wife’s murder, motivated by personal and legal troubles. According to CNN, Yas told jurors that Walshe was “cool and calculated” in the aftermath of Ana’s death, highlighting his demeanor in surveillance footage and a series of purchases at multiple Massachusetts pharmacies and hardware stores. Among the items Walshe bought were heavy-duty cleaning supplies, a Tyvek protective suit, a utility knife, hydrogen peroxide, and ammonia—all on the same day Ana was last seen alive.
Prosecutors presented a chilling timeline of early-morning internet searches conducted by Walshe on December 31, 2022, including, “How long before a body starts to smell?” and “Dismemberment and best ways to dispose of a body.” Over the following days, he continued searching for ways to dismember a body with a hacksaw. Prosecutors also detailed how Walshe, despite his claims, did not report Ana missing until January 4, 2023—after her employer began looking for her and contacted police.
Adding to the prosecution’s case were receipts and video evidence of Walshe purchasing items such as a hacksaw, hatchet, mop, and bucket, as reported by Northeastern Global News. Investigators testified that tools recovered—including a hacksaw and a hatchet—tested positive for blood. Items linked to Ana, such as her Prada purse, boots like those she was last seen wearing, her COVID-19 vaccination card, and towels, were found at a trash processing facility near Walshe’s mother’s home. Prosecutors also pointed to a $2.7 million life-insurance policy Ana had taken out, naming Brian as the beneficiary.
Perhaps most damning, according to the prosecution, was the digital trail left by Walshe. His Google search history included queries on how to dispose of a body, clean blood stains from hardwood floors, and even whether a dishwasher could remove DNA from a knife. Yas argued these searches revealed not a man in panic, as the defense claimed, but someone acting with “cool calculation.” She pointed out that Walshe drove an hour to a Lowe’s store to buy supplies, bypassing hardware stores closer to home, and paid in cash while wearing a mask and gloves.
The prosecution further asserted that Brian Walshe was aware of Ana’s extramarital affair with William Fastow. Evidence showed Ana had spent Christmas Eve with Fastow in Dublin, Ireland, and missed Christmas with her family. Yas suggested Walshe lured Ana into a false sense of security around New Year’s Eve as part of his plan, even searching for ideas to create a fake work emergency in Washington, D.C.—the story he later told friends, family, and police to explain Ana’s absence.
In their closing arguments, the defense—led by attorney Larry Tipton—sought to cast reasonable doubt, insisting there was no proof Walshe plotted to murder his wife. Tipton repeated the claim that Brian found Ana inexplicably dead in their bed on January 1, 2023, and panicked, leading him to dispose of her body and lie to police. The defense acknowledged Walshe’s guilt on lesser charges—he pleaded guilty last month to misleading police and improper conveyance of a human body—but argued the prosecution failed to establish motive or direct evidence of murder.
Tipton challenged the significance of the grisly online searches, suggesting they reflected “disbelief and confusion” rather than premeditation. He noted that the searches evolved over time and argued that in thousands of digital records, there was no indication of a murder plan. Addressing the affair, Tipton contended there was no evidence Brian knew about Ana’s relationship with Fastow or that he ever saw incriminating text messages. He also pointed out the lack of biological or blood evidence in the house, with blood found only in the basement, not in the living room or bedroom where the alleged crime would have occurred.
Legal experts weighed in on the defense’s strategy. Daniel Medwed, a professor of law and criminal justice at Northeastern University, told Northeastern Global News that the evidence against Walshe for misleading police and improper disposal of the body was “overwhelming.” Medwed explained that by pleading guilty to these charges, the defense sought to narrow the trial’s focus to the prosecution’s most challenging element: proving that Walshe caused Ana’s death. He noted, “You chop up and discard the body parts of your wife, that suggests you killed her. This idea that he panicked because of some sudden death does not comport with common sense.”
The defense’s decision not to call any witnesses, including Walshe himself, surprised observers. Tipton had previously indicated that Walshe might testify, but ultimately rested without presenting a case. Medwed suggested this may have been a tactical move, as Walshe could have faced devastating cross-examination about his prior art fraud conviction and inconsistent statements to police.
Throughout the trial, the emotional toll on friends and family was palpable. Friends like Alissa Kirby and Gem Mutlu, both of whom testified, were present in the courtroom during closing arguments, offering support and occasionally wiping away tears. Kirby described Ana’s recent weeks as emotionally strained and exhausting, with growing stress about her marriage and travel. Mutlu, who spent New Year’s Eve with the couple, said they appeared “very much in love,” though it later emerged Ana had exchanged messages with another man that night.
The judge’s instructions to the jury were comprehensive, allowing them to consider both first- and second-degree murder. While a conviction on the lesser charge still carries a life sentence, it would permit parole eligibility after a number of years. The jury’s task is further complicated by the absence of Ana’s body—investigators have been unable to determine a cause of death—and the reliance on circumstantial and digital evidence to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
As the jury prepares to resume deliberations, the stakes could hardly be higher. Brian Walshe faces life in prison without parole if convicted of first-degree murder, and up to 20 years on the lesser charges to which he has already pleaded guilty. The case, with its blend of forensic intrigue, digital sleuthing, and human tragedy, stands as a stark reminder of the complexities of modern criminal justice—and the enduring challenge of uncovering the truth when the most crucial witness is forever silent.
