A Massachusetts man accused of murdering and dismembering his wife after New Year’s Eve 2023 has been found competent to stand trial, according to a state judge.
Brian Walshe50, is accused of the murder of his wife, Ana, 39, and will be tried on December 1, as Judge Diane Freniere ruled this Friday, according to media such as The Boston Globe and NBC Boston.
Ana, a successful real estate executive, disappeared on January 1, 2023 from her home in Cohasset, a Boston suburb. Her boss reported her missing on January 4, after she didn’t show up for work in Washington, D.C.
Her husband, Brian, pleaded not guilty to the murder charges that were later brought against him.
This occurred after it was accused of obstructing the investigation into Ana’s whereaboutsa charge to which he also pleaded not guilty, as previously reported by People magazine.
His murder trial was due to begin in October of this year, but just before jury selection, Judge Freniere ordered him admitted to Bridgewater State Hospital for a mental health evaluationas reported by FOX News.
During Friday’s hour-long hearing, Freniere testified that he received a full report from the hospital, which concluded that Brian was competent and ready to stand trial. He had also requested a change of venue for his trial, a request that the judge denied.
Questions about the man’s competency to stand trial arose on September 11, after he was stabbed at the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Correctional Facility in Dedham, MassLive reported.
His lawyers argued that The assault affected his mental health and his ability to participate in his own legal process.according to NBC Boston.
Brian “received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries following the assault in one of the facility’s housing units,” the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office stated in a news release following the attack. “He returned to our facility overnight.”
The other person involved was subdued by officers and an improvised blunt weapon was recovered, according to the statement.
Previously, in February 2024, Brian was sentenced to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in a complex art fraud scheme that spanned years and involved two alleged Andy Warhol paintings, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts reported.
He was also ordered to pay restitution of $475,000.
In April 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of interstate transportation for fraudulent purposes, and one count of unlawful monetary transaction.
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