The Murder of Ana Walshe: Fake Warhols, Forged Wills, & Lies
What happened in during those three days?...
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Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/17/brian-walshe-charged-with-murdering-his-missing-wife-in-massachusetts
https://people.com/crime/ana-walshe-husband-once-sold-fraudulent-andy-warhol-paintings/
https://people.com/crime/ana-walshe-search-hatchet-hacksaw-bloody-rug/
https://www.waaytv.com/news/a-timeline-of-the-missing-massachusetts-mother-ana-walshe-and-her-husband-brian-walshe/article_cafbdbce-d103-5867-8763-a32d7f11f1a1.html
https://www.courttv.com/news/court-docs-reveal-suspicious-ransom-note-affair-in-brian-walshe-case/
https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending/ana-walshe-disappearance-court-records-shed-light-brian-walshe/EKUF4VAKPVFMZGFZ33JJERSEZE/
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Zevon Odelberg is a true crime podcast host and disability advocate. Zevon has cerebral palsy and he wants Kinda Murdery to be welcoming community for people with disabilities and for people living with challenges of any kind. Life can be hard, but being together makes it better.
Warning, Kind of Murdery contains adult themes, explicit language, and descriptions of
violence. It is not suitable for anyone, and we recommend you stop listening
now. I'm Zevan Odelberg, and this is kind of murdery. Today's story
is taken from an article written for CNN by Eric Levinson, Amanda Wattson Holly
Yan on April twenty eight, twenty twenty three. As always, all my
sources are in the show notes. Anna Walsham, Massachusetts, mother of three,
has not been seen since January first of this year. Prosecutors say her
husband, Brian Walsh, killed her, dismembered her, and disposed of her
remains, though as of yet nobody has been found. Brian Walsh told police
that he last saw Anna on New Year's Day, when she left their home
and Cohasset for a flight to Washington, d C. For her job,
but authorities accused him of misleading in estigators and charged him with Anna's murder.
Bryan has pleaded not guilty to the charges. His defense attorney noted that nobody
has been found and that there is no indication of if Anna died, how
she died, and no murder weapon or motive has been established. We'll have
to see if you agree with Brian's attorney. Please join me as we uncover
what truths we can and solve what mysteries we may kind of murderies, baked
warholts, forged wills, and the snowball of lies that swallowed in a Walsh
starts now to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of Massachusetts mother Anna Walsh.
We look to her husband, Brian, a man to whom lies and fraud
appear to have been second nature until they snowball and ultimately crushed his wife Anna.
And when the bill came due for Brian's many deceits, the price was
Anna's life, or if it was not, at the very least we know
that Anna has disappeared, and if there's any hope of finding out what happened
to her, her husband Brian is where we must begin. Brian Walsh's father,
doctor Thomas Walsh, died in September twenty eighteen, and left nothing to
Brian, leading to a protracted legal fight over his estate. According to court
documents filed in Plymouth Probate and Family Court in Massachusetts, doctor Walsh's will noted
that he was not in contact with Brian, to whom he bequeathed only his
best wishes and nothing else from his estate. Brian Walsh unsuccessfully contested the will
and suggested his father's signature on the document was a possible forgery. Affidavit's in
opposition to Brian Walsh's petition, said he had been estranged from his father and
detailed years of swindling and manipulation. He had a severe falling out with his
son, wrote Andrew Walsh, the States executor and one of doctor Walsh's nephews.
Brian ran off with a significant amount of his money, and Brian had
almost zero contact with doctor Walsh over the last ten plus years. One month
later, in October twenty eighteen, Brian Walsh was indicted on federal fraud charges
for allegedly selling fake Andy Warhol artwork online. FBI investigators alleged Brian or Anna
Walsh, his wife, used her eBay account to sell the paintings in November
twenty sixteen, less than a year after they were married. Anna Walsh was
not charged with wrongdoing, but she apparently spoke to the person who purchased the
fakes after the buyer learned the paintings were not authentic and located her work number.
Brian Walsh is alleged to have taken real artwork from a friend to sell,
but never did. He also did not compensate the friend for the art.
In November twenty eighteen, he pleaded not guilty to wire fraud Interstate Transportation
for a scheme to defraud possession of converted goods unlawful monetary transaction. Then two
and a half years later, in April of twenty twenty one, Brian Walsh
pleaded guilty to three of the four counts in exchange for a recommended sentence of
incarceration, supervised release, fines, restitution, and forfeiture. He also agreed
to either return the artworks or pay for them. As part of his pre
sentencing probation, Brian Walsh was placed on monitoring and house arrest. He could
request to leave home, but was required to detail the specific locations, times
and reasons. Approximately a year after this agreement, in December of twenty twenty
two, it became evident that Brian Walsh suspected Anna of having an affair.
He was routinely visiting the Instagram page of one of her male friends and on
December twenty sixth, his mother, with his input in direction, obtained and
hired a private investigator to surveil Anna Walsh in Washington, d C. On
December twenty seventh of that same year, Brian Walsh google search to quote what's
the best state to divorce for a man? One day after that, on
the twenty eighth, during a dinner with a friend in d C, Anna
Walsh became uncharacteristically upset and told her friend she believed that Brian was going to
be incarcerated as a result of his federal fraud case, and that she was
prepared to leave him and take the children to Washington, d C. On
December thirtieth, twenty twenty two, Anna flew home to Massachusetts to be with
her family for the holiday weekend and was not expected to return to DC until
January third. The next day, the Walshes hosted a New Year's Eve dinner
at their home with a friend named Jim Brian and Anna went to bed shortly
after the friend left, around one or one thirty am. Brian would later
tell police that Anna Walsh said she had a work emergency and needed to fly
to Washington for her job. The next morning. In the early morning hours
of New Year's Day, Anna got ready and kissed Brian goodbye and told him
to go back to sleep. She usually took an uber a lift or a
taxi to the airport and left the house between six and seven am. Although
Brian was asleep again at that time, he assumes this is what Anna did,
according to prosecutors, Later on New Year's Day, Brian Walsh made a
series of Google searches on his son's iPad, including quote how long before a
body starts to smell? Ten, ways to dispose of a dead body if
you really need to, how long for someone to be missing to inherit?
And how to clean blood from a wooden floor. Walsh told police that a
babysitter arrived in the afternoon and he left home to get groceries at about three
pm. He then went to see his mother around four pm and Swampscott,
about an hour's drive from Cohasset, but did not have his cell phone and
got lost, making the trip longer than usual. He said. He left
his mother's home within about fifteen minutes of arriving to run errands for her at
Whole Foods and CVS. He eventually returned home to Cohasset at about eight PM.
That's Brian's story, but prosecutors say that the evidence from January first tells
a far different story than what Walsh claims. Brian Walsh told the babysitter and
a family friend that he had lost his phone, but subsequent analysis of his
phone determined that it was actually plugged in on the morning of January first.
However, while his phone stayed at the house, the oldest Walsh child's cell
phone did not. Cell Phone data from January first showed the oldest child's device
had traveled to two stores. Surveillance videos showed Brian Walsh walking into those same
stores by himself around five to thirty p m. Surveillance video showed Walsh and
his vehicle going to a dumpster in the parking lot of a liquor store and
disposing of items before returning to his car. Afterwards, the device traveled to
the dumpster at an apartment complex where Brian Walsh's mother lived. The phone then
traveled to a Low's store, where Walsh is also seen on surveillance footage.
He purchased five five gallon buckets. A hack saw forty eight terrycloth, towels,
a full coverage suit, two hundred disposable rags, trash bags, and
cleaning products. The phone then traveled to a CBS store, where Walsh was
seen on surveillance purchasing thirteen different types of hydrogen peroxide. Anna's cell phone pinged
in the area of their cohasse at home on January first and second, Brian
told investigators that he took one of his children for ice cream at a juice
bar in Norwell on January second, while the babysitter watched his two other kids.
Investigators have confirmed that this trip occurred. He then went to home goods
and purchased three rugs. Just after noon on January second, Brian Walsh made
several more Google searches, including quote hacksab best tool to dismember unquote, can
you be charged with murder without a body? And can you identify a body
with broken teeth? According to surveillance video, Brian Walsh traveled to a home
depot in Rockland wearing a surgical mask and gloves and made a cash purchase.
There, Walsh bought four hundred and fifty dollars of cleaning supplies, including mops,
a bucket, tarps, goggles, a matchet, and baking soda.
The next day, on January third, he allegedly made more Google searches,
including quote what happens to hair on a body? What is the rate of
decomposition of a body found in a plastic bag compared to on the surface in
the woods? And can baking soda mask or make a body smell good?
Quote? Cell phone data tract Brian Walsh's whereabouts to an apartment complex in Abington,
Massachusetts at four twenty seven pm on January third. Surveillance video shows he
exited his car with a heavy garbage bag and put it into a dumpster.
At four forty eight, he traveled to another apartment complex in the same town,
and at five ten he went to an apartment complex in a different town,
where he again discarded items in a dumpster. These garbage bags were taken
away and incinerated by the time police tracked them down. On January fourth,
Brian visited Home Goods and TJ Max to buy towels and bath mats, and
visited Lows to buy squeegees and a trash can. An A. Walsh had
been expected back in DC at work on January third, and on January fourth,
her employer, the real estate company Tishman Speyer, called police to report
that she did not show up for her job. According to Brian Walsh's defense
attorney, he called her workplace to ask whether they knew of Annah's whereabouts before
the employer called police. Cohassett police went to Anna Walsh's home for a well
being check, and Brian spoke with investigators multiple times and provided a timeline for
his actions and whereabouts on January first and second. During the well being check,
police noticed that Brian Walsh's vehicle had the backseats down and a plastic liner
in the back of the car. Law enforcement returned to the Walsh home on
January fifth. The next day, Anne noticed that the plastic liner was gone
from Brian Walsh's vehicle and the carpet of the car showed fresh vacuum streaks.
Brian told police that he threw the liner in the trash. Cell Phone data
showed that Brian Walsh went to Swampscott on the fifth and traveled to the corner
of an apartment complex where the was a dumpster. Ten trash bags that originated
from this dumpster contained bloodstains, cleaning materials, a hacksaw, a hatchet,
as well as a purse and boots worn by Anna Walsh, and her COVID
nineteen vaccination card. Following this dumpster find of Anna's personal items, Cohasset Police
announced that she was missing and asked the public to come forward with any information.
Police announced that Anna had been last seen shortly after midnight on New Year's
Day. In the following days, they launched a massive search for her that
included canine officers and search and rescued teams in the wooded areas near her home.
At least six investigators were tasked with driving to the north shore of Massachusetts
and watching surveillance video in an attempt to verify Brian Walsh's timeline of events.
Investigators did not observe Brian Walsh on video at the Whole Foods or the CVS
in Swampscott on January first, even though he stated that he had visited both
places on behalf of his mother. On January seventh, Cohasset Police and Massachusetts
State Police announced that the search for Anna Walsh had ended. Investigators then obtained
a search warrant for the Walsh's Cohasset home and found blood and a bloody knife
in the basement. Brian Walsh was arrested and charged with misleading the police and
an investigation. On January ninth, Brian was arraigned in court and pleaded not
guilty to the charge of misleading the police. The prosecutors said that investigators had
found no evidence of Anna Walsh taking a ride share from the couple's home on
January first, and that Brian's statements that she did so caused a delay in
the investigation. The judge set bail at five hundred thousand dollars cash, and
the next hearing was scheduled for February ninth. The police released an affidavit in
support of the criminal complaint of misleading the investigation that laid out the authority's timeline
of the prior week. It describes Brian Walsh's statements to authorities as a clear
attempt to mislead and delay investigators, and outlined several trips Brian made that were
not requested and approved beforehand that may represent violation of the terms of his fraud
probation. Investigators conducted searches north of Boston and collected a number of items that
were processed and tested, and the DA publicly called Anna Walsh's disappearance suspicious.
According to a source with direct knowledge of the investigation, investigators put crime scene
tape around dumpsters near the home of Brian Walsh's mother in Swampscott and dug through
the trash at a transfer station in Peabody, both locations north of Boston.
Law enforcement officers found a haxaw, torn up material, and what appears to
be bloodstains at the Peabody site, and that evidence was sent for testing.
On January seventeenth, and arrest warrant charging Brian Walsh with murder was issued for
the death of his wife Anna, This according to Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey,
and the next day, on January eighteenth, Brian Walsh was arraigned in
Quincy District Court on charges of murder and disinterring of a body without authority.
The prosecutor has accused Brian of dismember his wife and disposing of her remains in
dumpsters. She also laid out some of the evidence that led to the charges,
including the discovery of Anna Walsh's belongings and blood in the garbage and Brian
Walsh's Google searches. A not guilty plea was entered on Brian Walsh's behalf.
His attorney issued a statement suggesting that the evidence against him was not strong.
Said Brian's attorney quote, in my experience, whereas here the prosecution leaks so
called evidence to the press before they provided to me, their case isn't that
strong. When they have a strong case, they give me everything. As
soon as possible. We shall see what they have and what evidence is admissible
in court, where this case will ultimately be decided. On March thirtieth of
this year, twenty twenty three, a grand jury indicted Brian Walsh on charges
of murder, misleading investigators and improperly conveying a human body. The indictment moved
the case from Quincy District Court to Norfolk County Superior Court, and on April
twenty seventh, Brian Walsh was arraigned in court and pleaded not guilty to the
charges. The prosecutor offered new details from the investigation, Among them, Anna
Walsh had taken out approximately two point seven million in life insurance on herself,
where Brian Walsh was the sole beneficiary. She also had a life insurance policy
through her employer. The defense countered the prosecution's notion that Walsh was trying to
cash it on his wife's life insurance policies by saying there is no evidence mister
Walsh was in the least bit needing of money, noting that his mother is
wealthy. The judge ordered Brian Walsh to be held without bail and set his
next pre trial conference for August twenty third, and the next hearing for November
second. So maybe we'll have an update pretty soon. Hey, before I
let you go, I'd like to remind you, as I often do,
of the free three digit lifeline number nine to eighty eight that you can call
anytime, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week to receive free
professional counseling for mental health, substance use, or suicidal So if you find
yourself in a dark place and you need to connect with someone, please do
remember ninety eight. Program it into your phone now, and please please always
remember that you are loved and the world is a better place with you in
it. Now. I'm not qualified to help you if you're really in dire
straits, but if you'd just like to connect with someone, share what you're
going through, share a story of overcoming a disability, or share your own
kind of Murdery story that could inspire an episode of the show. Then please
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Until next time, I'm Zevan Odelberg, and this has been kind of Murdery.
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