The husband of a missing Massachusetts mother-of-three has been arrested. The arrest of Brian Walshe is one of the latest developments in the search for Ana Walshe.
Mother-of-three goes missing on New Year’s Day
Ana Walshe went missing on New Year’s Day. She was last seen by a family member at the couple’s home in Cohasset around 5 a.m. on Jan. 1, according to Cohasset police Chief William Quigley.
The 39-year-old mother-of-three was expected to take a rideshare service to Logan International Airport in Boston – roughly 20 miles from her home. She was scheduled to fly to Washington, D.C. – where she works for real estate company Tishman Speyer. She allegedly left her house earlier than anticipated due to “some type of emergency” at work, police say.
Walshe never boarded her flight. It is not clear if she made it to the rideshare vehicle.
Quigley said, “It’s been reported that she was called to D.C. to handle some type of emergency at one of the properties that she manages. That’s why she was attempting to go to D.C. (on New Year’s Day). She did have a flight booked for Jan. 3, but she never got on that flight.”
Despite being missing since the early hours of that Sunday, Ana wasn’t reported missing to the authorities until Wednesday by both her husband, Brian Walshe, and her employer.
Multi-state search for missing Cohasset mother
The Walshe family also owns a townhouse in Washington, D.C., but there were reportedly no traces of Ana there.
Police said Walshe’s cellphone and credit cards have been inactive since New Year’s Day. Walshe – who is active on social media – has not posted anything on the internet since her disappearance.
In the past week, dozens of police officers have searched the wooded areas near the Walshe family home. The search included three K-9 units, the State Police Air Wing, and the Massachusetts Special Emergency Response Team. State Police divers searched a small stream nearby and an in-ground pool on the property.
The Massachusetts State Police and Cohasset Police Department announced on Saturday evening that their ground search “for Ana Walshe or evidence related to her disappearance is concluding.”
However, investigators returned to the couple’s home around 9 a.m. on Sunday. The Patriot Ledger reported, “Investigators were seen walking around the home and taking photographs, as well as going inside the house.”
The couple have three children – boys between the ages of 2 and 6.
Alissa Kirby, a friend of Ana’s, said, “She’s a loving and loyal wife and mother of three beautiful boys. She loves her family, and I know in my heart that of her choice, she would not go a day without speaking to her husband and her kids.”
Husband of missing mother-of-three arrested
On Sunday, Brian Walshe was arrested and charged with misleading a police investigation in connection with the disappearance of his wife, according to the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office. The 46-year-old was taken into custody and will be arraigned at Quincy District Court on Monday.
“During the course of that investigation, police developed probable cause to believe that her husband Brian Walshe had committed the crime of misleading police investigators,” the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
Walshe has a previous criminal history as an alleged art swindler.
In 2021, Walshe pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to wire fraud and other charges. He dealt fake Andy Warhol paintings of the “Shadows” abstract series from 1978, according to the Boston Herald. Walshe reportedly started selling replica Andy Warhol paintings on eBay for $100,00 in 2016. He purportedly took photographs of authentication stamps from real paintings and used them to fool buyers into purchasing the forgeries. One buyer noticed that the canvas appeared to be new and contacted the FBI. Walshe was arrested in 2018.
The Daily Beast reported, “He was looking at a no-jail sentence but prosecutors switched gears and are seeking 30 months after he was accused of embezzling funds from his father’s estate while he was out on bail.”
Police ask the public for help to find Ana Walshe
Police are still conducting “various investigative actions” to find Walshe.
Police have asked the public for help in locating the missing Cohasset mother.
Law enforcement said Ana Walshe is 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs 115 pounds. The missing mother has brown hair, brown eyes, and an olive complexion. Walshe speaks with an eastern European accent.
Anyone with information about Walshe’s whereabouts should contact Detective Harrison Schmidt at 781-383-1055 Ext. 6108 or email hschmidt@cohassetpolice.com.
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