Ana Walshe, a 39-year-old mother-of-three, was last seen at her family's home in Massachusetts on January 1. Her husband Brian Walshe has been charged with her murder.
Ana Walshe spent Thanksgiving in Dublin, Ireland with a man who says they were in a relationship, recently released court documents show.
The Washington, DC-based man said he and Ana had been dating for a number of months and that their relationship had started to become "serious."
Ana and the man also spent Christmas Eve together and were planning on a belated New Year's Eve celebration on January 4 in Washington, DC, where Ana had accepted a job earlier in 2022.
Ana had been commuting to Washington, DC from Massachusetts where she lived with her husband Brian Walshe and their children.
Ana was last seen alive at the Walshe family home in the early hours on January 1.
Despite Ana's body not being found, Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey announced on March 30 that Ana's husband Brian Walshe was being charged with the murder of his wife, for misleading a police investigation/obstruction of justice, and for the improper conveyance of a human body.
Authorities believe Ana's affair could have been Brian's motive, but Brian's attorney alleges that he didn't know about the affair.
In court on April 27, Norfolk Assistant District Attorney Greg Connor explained how Ana had taken a new job based in Washington, DC earlier in 2022. The Walshes sold their family home and purchased a new home in Washington, DC, but due to Brian's pre-trial conditions from a separate federal fraud case, he could not leave the state. The family was renting in Cohasset, Massachusetts at the time of Ana's disappearance.
Connor said that in December 2022, “it had become evident that Mr. Walshe was suspecting his wife of having an affair.
“He was routinely visiting the Instagram page of one of her male friends. And on December 26th, his mother – with his input and direction – obtained and hired a private investigator to surveil Ana Walshe in Washington, DC.
"On December 27, the oldest son's iPad was used to research 'best states to get divorced in' and 'worst states to get divorced in.'
"On December 28, Ana Walshe had dinner with a friend in Washington, DC and became uncharacteristically upset and told her friend that she believed that Mr. Walshe was going to be incarcerated as a result of his federal case and that she was prepared to leave him and take the children to Washington, DC."
Ana flew home to Massachusetts on December 30 and was not expected to return to Washington, DC until January 3, Connor said.
On December 31, the Walshes hosted friends for a New Year's Eve party. Ana was last seen alive by a family friend at about 1:30 am on January 1.
A few hours later, "problematic" Google searches appeared on the oldest child's iPad, including 'how long does it take for a dead body to smell' and 'how long does it take for somebody to be missing to be declared dead.'
Speaking in court, Brian Walshe's attorney Tracy Miner said: "There's no motive. The government suggests that Brian Walshe suspected his wife of an affair, but there's no evidence of that."
Miner added: "Mr. Walshe had no idea that his wife was having an affair until he learned it in discovery in this case."
Brian Walshe is being held without bail. His pre-trial conference is scheduled is scheduled for August and his pre-trial hearing is scheduled for November.
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