Crime

What Brian Walshe bought after his wife disappeared, according to prosecutors

Walshe, who is charged with his wife's murder, allegedly bought hundreds of dollars of hardware and cleaning supplies in the days after she was last seen.

Brian Walshe, accused of killing wife Anna who disappeared on New Year's Day 2023, appears for his arraignment on Thursday, April 27, 2023, in Dedham. Greg Derr / The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool

By Abby Patkin

April 27, 2023

1 minute to read

More on the Ana Walshe case:

In the days after his wife Ana Walshe was last seen, prosecutors say Brian Walshe visited a handful of stores around the Greater Boston area and bought hundreds of dollars of cleaning products and hardware supplies — including a hacksaw and hatchet.

The Cohasset man is accused of murdering his wife, dismembering her body, and disposing of the evidence across several dumpsters. He pleaded not guilty in Norfolk Superior Court Thursday to charges of first-degree murder, misleading police, and improper conveyance of a human body.

In court, Norfolk Assistant District Attorney Greg Connor gave an account of Walshe’s actions following his wife’s disappearance, including trips to multiple home improvement stores.

Among the items he allegedly purchased:

Jan. 1

Lowe’s, Danvers

Five five-gallon buckets
A LENOX high tension handsaw
48 terry cloth towels
A framing hammer
A Tyvek full-coverage suit
Shoe guards
A mop
Snips (cutting tool)
200 disposable rags
Trash bags
Murphy Oil Soap
Other cleaning products

CVS, Danvers

13 different types of hydrogen peroxide

Stop & Shop, Swampscott

Three 64-ounce jugs of ammonia

Jan 2

HomeGoods, Norwell

Three area rugs
Scented candles

Home Depot, Rockland

Three five-gallon buckets with leak-proof lids
A hatchet
Plastic sheeting
24 pounds of baking soda
A Tyvek suit

When investigators searched a dumpster in Swampscott, they found Ana Walshe’s COVID-19 vaccination card, clothing and accessories that matched the outfit she was last seen wearing, and several items identical to the ones Brian Walshe purchased at Lowe’s and Home Depot, prosecutors said.

Abby Patkin

Staff Writer

Abby Patkin is a general assignment news reporter whose work touches on public transit, crime, health, and everything in between.

What Brian Walshe bought after his wife disappeared, according to prosecutors

Walshe, who is charged with his wife's murder, allegedly bought hundreds of dollars of hardware and cleaning supplies in the days after she was last seen.

More on the Ana Walshe case:

A suspected affair, a private investigator, and a $2.7 million life insurance payout: Prosecutors lay out alleged motive in Brian Walshe case

The murder case against Brian Walshe, according to prosecutors

A timeline of major events in the Ana Walshe case