A Massachusetts man accused of murdering his wife and dismembering her body appeared in court Monday afternoon, as a judge set a trial date for October next year.
Ana Walshe, a mother of three young children and a real estate professional working in Washington, DC, disappeared on New Year's Day 2023 and was reported missing a few days later. His body was never found.
Prosecutors and investigators allege her husband, Brian Walshe, killed Ana, 39, in January 2023 and misled authorities about her disappearance.
UPDATED TIMELINE WITH DETAILS OF ANA WALSHE'S DISAPPEARANCE AND BRIAN WALSHE'S ARREST
Brian and Ana Walshe pose at the Boston Public Gardens in Boston on their wedding day, Monday, December 21, 2015. Brian is accused of murdering Ana in January 2023. (Sourced by Fox News Digital)
Judge Diane Freniere on Monday set Walshe's trial date for October 21, 2025 during a hearing in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham. The judge said he expected the trial to take no longer than four weeks.
Walshe appeared in court on Monday wearing glasses, a blue suit with an aqua tie, and a white dress shirt, with his hands in handcuffs.
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During the hearing, the defense attorney asked that prosecutors look into any possible police bias, as the lead investigator in Walshe's case was Trooper Michael Proctor, who was also the lead in the Karen Read case, which ended in a mistrial. his came out during the testimony.
Proctor was suspended without pay after admitting to unprofessional conduct in that position, including disparaging comments about Read.
The prosecutor agreed to ask investigators if they know of any records such as emails or text messages from law enforcement that could show bias when it comes to the handling of Walshe's case, and whether any information was lost or destroyed.
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Ana Walshe holds her three children in an October 2022 Instagram post. (Ana Walshe/Instagram)
Walshe was charged in March 2023 with murder, misleading the police and improperly transporting a human body. He pleaded not guilty to charges of beating his wife to death in their Cohasset home, dismembering her body and disposing of her.
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Store footage shows Walshe at Home Depot, buying various items, including three mops and brushes, two unidentified glasses and a knife, which investigators believe he used to dispose of her body, according to court records.
Authorities also searched garbage cans and dumpsters in areas where Brian Walshe went following Ana's disappearance.
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Brian Walshe, accused of murdering wife Ana, who disappeared on New Year's Day 2023, walks into court for his trial, Thursday, April 27, 2023 in Dedham, Massachusetts. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
Left, Brian Walshe in Quincy County Court on Jan. 18, 2023. Ana Walshe, right, on her wedding day at Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Newbury Street in Boston on Monday, Dec. 21, 2015. (Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool; Acquired by Fox News Digital)
During the search for Ana, investigators found a chainsaw with “a small piece of bone” in it in a dumpster across the street from Walshe's mother's home. Other evidence found in the dumpster included Ana's COVID vaccination card, a Hermes watch and a Gucci necklace she was known to wear, Hunter boots, a black Prada purse, and a short black coat, according to court records.
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Walshe allegedly used his son's iPad to conduct more than 10 Google searches in the days after his wife's disappearance, focusing on disposing of the body, prosecutors said.
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A hearing on the motion regarding the DNA testing is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2025.
Fox News' Chris Eberhart contributed to this report.
