[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Investigators have been combing through nearby debris There’s Walshe‘s home in Cohasset, Massachusetts while they continue to determine the circumstances behind her disappearance.
Now, according to a source who spoke CNN, the police believe they have found key pieces of evidence that can be linked to the missing woman. And the police have also made a big step in the case: they arrested her husband on charges of obstructing the investigation into her status as a missing person.
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As previously reported, the mother of three went missing over a week ago from the small coastal town of Cohasset. Ana (pictured above, inset) was reportedly supposed to fly from Boston to Washington, DC on New Year’s Day, but never showed up on the plane. He was reported missing by his friends three days later, on January 4. That must have led the detectives to wonder what happened during that time. The police immediately questioned his wife Brian Walsh (pictured above during his arrest this week) and began looking for evidence.
Brian drew attention to the case after learning that he pleaded guilty in 2021 to selling two fakes. Andy Warhol painting to an unsuspecting buyer for $80,000. He is awaiting an upcoming sentencing hearing in a federal fraud case, which is unrelated to this situation.
But now, according to law enforcement sources, the situation has changed. According to a report published by CNN Friday, police investigators in the city of Peabody store found materials including “a hacksaw, fabric material torn-up and what appears to be bloodstains” in the city’s trash. According to the outlet, the material was found at a local waste processing plant as well as a public transport transfer station in the city, north of Boston. Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey also independently confirmed that “some items” of interest were found in the search. It is currently being processed and tested by forensic investigators.
In addition to the discovery of these items, law enforcement sources confirmed Brian already has now been arrested in this case. According to the news outlet, he was arrested on charges of “misleading a police investigation.” According to the source, he has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Brian’s attorney declined comment when pressed CNN on Tuesday afternoon.
Also new on Tuesday, sources said CNN that investigators move to collect blood samples from Ana’s child. They hope to do this so they can have a “direct blood line” to compare the blood trail found in the couple’s basement along with the “bloody knife” found in the house.
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In light of all these new discoveries, police in Cohasset took a closer look at Brian’s behavior the day before a missing person’s report was filed. In particular, a source told a national news outlet that Brian’s internet records allegedly showed searches for “how to destroy a body” and “how to dispose of a 115-pound female body.” That, combined with the “bloodied knife” reportedly found in front, has the police pressed hard for what he knows where Ana is also.
Scary AF…
Police have not revealed much about Brian’s arrest. However, in his affidavit on the matter, he noted his statements about Ana that he sent to detectives were “dishonest.” That has spurned other questions from the investigators, who apparently felt they were enough to charge him.
In the statements before the police, Brian claimed Ana kissed him goodbye early in the morning from January 1. Then, he said, he was told to go back to sleep as he was leaving on a shared ride to the airport to fly to Washington for a “work emergency.” But the police found no evidence that Ana had ever boarded the morning train. In addition, prosecutors said, her phone rang near the family home later on January 1 and again on January 2.
In Brian’s arrest affidavit, police noted:
“The fact that he was asked a specific question and he gave an incorrect answer that led investigators out of the area caused an obvious delay in the search for the missing person, Ana Walshe.”
Brian had previously been ordered to house arrest pending a sentencing hearing in the aforementioned art fraud case. He was ordered by a judge to wear an ankle bracelet after the conviction, according to several media reports. He was also told to leave the house if he got permission specific activities at a set location and time.
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However, the arrest affidavit claims Brian made “several unauthorized trips” out of the house during the week his wife disappeared. On one of those trips, he was shown on security camera footage Home Depot. Once there, prosecutors said he bought a surgical mask, surgical gloves, and “about $450 for cleaning,” including buckets, mops, and tarps.
Ugh…
Now, when Brian is facing misleading charges, his bail has been set by the judge at $500,000. The next court hearing in the case is scheduled for February 9.
Meanwhile, the couple’s three children – ages 2, 4, and 6 – are being held in custody Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, according to a spokesperson for the organization. Ana’s friends are trying to hold on to the hope that her mother will be found safely. In the statement to CNNa family friend Peter Kirby said:
“We are devastated. Ana was a beacon of love and Joy. She lit up every room. We miss her and are doing everything we can to support our 3 beautiful children.
It’s so sad.
Here’s the latest on Brian’s arrest and the search for Ana (below):
We sincerely hope that the police will be able to carry out this investigation.
It was a terrible situation for Ana and the three children. Our hearts are broken…
[Image via WCVB Channel 5 Boston/YouTube]