The husband of a Massachusetts woman who went missing around New Year’s Day performed more than a dozen disturbing Google searches, including «10 ways to dispose of a dead body if you really need to» and «how to keep a body from decomposing.» in the minutes. before he originally told police he last saw his wife, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Prosecutors presented the evidence against Brian Walshe, 47, in Quincy District Court after issuing a murder warrant Tuesday in the death of his wife, Ana Walshe, 39.
In addition to being accused of assaulting and beating his wife with the intent to kill her, Brian Walshe is accused of moving her body or remains, according to the criminal complaint. She pleaded not guilty to the charges.
More coverage of the disappearance of Ana Walshe
Evidence presented by prosecutors in court offered disturbing new details about Brian Walshe’s actions in the hours before and after he claimed he had last seen his wife.
In the early morning hours of January 1, an hour before Brian Walshe originally told investigators that Ana Walshe had left her home in wealthy suburban Cohasset, he did the following Google searches from the iPad from your child: «how long before a body starts to smell», «how to prevent a body from decomposing», «10 ways to dispose of a dead body if you really need it», «how long until someone inherits and «can you throw out the body parts?»
Later that morning, Brian Walshe’s Google searches included: «how long does DNA last?», «can you make an ID on partial remains?», «dismemberment and the best ways to dispose of a body,» «how to clean blood from hardwood floors,» and «what happens when you put body parts in ammonia?»
On Jan. 2, Internet searches for Walshe included «the best dismemberment tool,» «they may charge you with murder without a body,» and «they may identify a body with broken teeth,» prosecutors said.
The probable cause affidavit and arrest warrant, which would normally include the above details, are seized until March 10, according to a court order.
Brian Walshe entered the courtroom shortly before 9:20 am, wearing a gray shirt and handcuffed, standing behind a glass partition. Throughout the above, Brian Walshe looked around the room but showed little to no emotion.
He only spoke once when asked by Judge Mark Coven if he understood the charges. «Yes,» Walshe replied.
In a lengthy statement, Brian Walshe’s lawyer, Tracy Miner, claimed that the media «has already tried and convicted Mr. Walshe.»
“It is easy to accuse a crime and even easier to say that a person committed that crime. It’s a much more difficult thing to prove, we’ll see if the prosecution can do it. I am not going to comment on the evidence, firstly because I am going to deal with this case in court and not in the media. Second, because the prosecution has not provided me with any evidence,» Miner said.
Miner asked the court to have Brian Walshe released from custody, where he has been since his arrest on January 8 on charges of misleading an investigation, which the judge denied.
Brian Walshe is being held without bail pending arraignment. He is next due to appear in court for a status hearing on February 9.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or the threat of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline for help at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or go to www.thehotline.org for anonymous and confidential online chats, available in English and Spanish. Individual states often have their own domestic violence hotlines as well.
Advocates at the National Domestic Violence Hotline receive calls from both domestic violence survivors and people who are concerned they may be abusive to their partners.