MA MA - Ana Walshe, 39, regional general manager of a real estate company, Cohasset, 1 Jan 2023

[PommyMommy]

JAN 8, 2023

Husband of missing Massachusetts woman Ana Walshe arrested

Authorities say Brian Walshe was charged with misleading a police investigation in connection with the disappearance of his wife, a 39-year-old mother of three.

www.wcvb.com

[...]

Sources told NewsCenter 5's Ted Wayman that investigators arrived at the Walshe family's home with a search warrant on Sunday. Detectives were seen wearing protective layers on their shoes as they searched in and around the house.

Video from Sky5 showed that the search appeared to extend to sheds near the home, areas where police had not focused on during earlier searches.

[...]

 

[Elliot_Alderson]

He also has his mother paying the 5k/month rent and she has contributed 500k to him and his legal fees since 12/2021 in addition to 136k directly to him from his mother.
He needs to tell what he knows but sadly I don't think he will.

I'm sure whatever he is missing out on from his dad's estate he is being given by his mom from her portion.

 

[Addicted2Crime]

Would you have to have a safety latch or alarm on the door from the home that was a 'fence side' leading to the pool?

I am in MA with an inground pool. My living room has a slider that leads directly into my pool area and I have three other sides of fence (one having a gate). There’s no laws that require me to have an alarm or safety latch to the pool but I have one because when we bought our house we had a newborn and two year old and we wanted to be as safe as we could.

 

[whitelilac]

I hope the investigators in the house are super thorough (very likely), including checking if there's any trapdoors covered with heavy furniture, or in closets filled with stuff (like mine), that may lead to crawl spaces etc.
Ugh.

 

[Eli9]

Is this their former address?

yes.

 

[Eli9]

What I think is that he needs her more than she needs him. So I just can’t see him doing anything to her. I really think they have, or she has a plan.
And have we learned if she was in Serbia by herself or with her husband and children yet?

I just can't see her risking her kids in all of this but who knows.

 

[forgetmenot]

Eh, the word choice is pretty good perhaps

If Brian and Ana had an argument that turned violent, I wonder when that happened? Wonder where the kids were? Wonder where the live-in MIL was?

I wonder if Brian’s mother changed her story with police, implicating him in Ana’s disappearance.

 

[Addicted2Crime]

I just got caught up on this thread and while I knew where this was going, it still makes me so sad that we are here. I feel so badly for the kids, they are so innocent in all of this.

 

[ifindedout]

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www.facebook.com

Any clues in the map of the search grid?
View attachment 393874

The area is (roughly) bounded by 3A, Sohier St., the railroad, Cushing Rd. and Pond St. It also includes the Stop & Shop, as well as the grounds of the high school and the two elementary schools.

 

[PommyMommy]

I know we've all seen the documents for BW's fraud case but I want to get what I can on here in text form so it's searchable.

JAN 8, 2023

Here's What We Know About Brian Walshe, Husband of Missing Cohasset Woman Ana Walshe

The husband of missing Cohasset, Massachusetts, woman Ana Walshe, was arrested Sunday on accusations he misled authorities during the investigation. NBC10 Boston has learned this is not the first time he’s had a run-in with the law – he pled guilty in 2021 to federal fraud charges.

www.nbcboston.com

The husband of missing Cohasset, Massachusetts, woman Ana Walshe, was arrested Sunday on accusations he misled authorities during the investigation.

[...]

... In 2021, Brian Walshe pled guilty to federal fraud charges. According to court documents, investigators believe he took the authentic paintings from a friend and used photographs of them and their documentation to attempt to sell replicas on eBay.

The case started in 2016 when a buyer saw two Andy Warhol paintings for sale on eBay. The listing, according to prosecutors, included photographs of authentication stamps. The buyer arraigned to buy those paintings, part of the "Shadows" series, for $80,000. However, after having an assistant pick the paintings up, the buyer discovered there were no authentication stamps and that the canvas looked new. This ultimately led to an FBI investigation.

[...]

Brian Walshe was arrested in that investigation in 2018. He would ultimately plead guilty to one count each of wire fraud, interstate transportation for a scheme to defraud, possession of converted goods and unlawful monetary transaction.

In court documents detailing the investigation, there were also references to Ana Knipp, who was identified as Brian Walshe's wife.

[...]

State and local police continue to investigate Ana Walshe's disappearance. Friends tell NBC10 Boston that Walshe, a wife and mother to three young boys, would not go days without communicating with her family.

Earlier Sunday, Cohasset police referred all questions to the DA's office after investigators returned to the Walshe family home, less than 12 hours after state and local police said they had wrapped up their search efforts that were concentrated near the couple's house off Chief Justice Cushing Highway.

[...]

 

[Stunned]

I just can't see her risking her kids in all of this but who knows.

I edited to add, that as usual I was wrong!

 

[Auntie Cipation]

Belgrade is in the Central European time zone, 6 hours ahead of Mass.

Understood. I wasn't clear -- although it's probable, I was declining to automatically assume Ana made that call at 1am Belgrade time, which would be late afternoon 12/31 Massachusetts time. It's also possible she made the call at 1am her own time, which would be 7am in Belgrade, early enough that it's still possible mom was asleep, but still seems like a more reasonable time to call one's mom unless she expected mom to be up celebrating after midnight.

Just trying to narrow down what seems like it was perhaps/IMO her last day alive. Hearing that Ana called mom, sister AND godmother makes me wonder if that was normal holiday phone behavior for her, or whether she might have been "wanting to talk" or wanting to tell someone she trusted about some concern she was having. All MOO.

 

[Colorado303]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1612206163906396172

https://twitter.com/x/status/1612208000852283392

Is there a probable cause affadavit for his arrest?

 

[PommyMommy]

Is there a probable cause affadavit for his arrest?

We haven't seen it. It's been mentioned that we may hear more tomorrow when he makes his court appearance. MOO

 

[keek]

I am so hoping so much that they had a 'plan'. Of course there is so much legal/possible jail time etc / fines coming to him. Not her as far as I saw. Does she want to be stuck and stigmatized and ABSOLUTELY never trusted by others in her business ventures? She is appearing on top of the world or could of been. The main thing she has three little sons. Please let that be the priority here and she had a plan with him to get away for now. He's done and was done business wise with his name, but he did have a lot along with her little money making type of offshoot businesses.. and issues with them. SO much keeping the MASSIVE DOLLAR NO MATTER WHAT. Sounds like a lifelong mindset and to think he may of had business talent to use in a legal way at one time. Also a terribly entitled mind wheeling and dealing and it NEVER working out for long. Hoping he mislead does not mean the worst in a fit of anger and financial loss to come.

 

[blackbeary]

I know we've all seen the documents for BW's fraud case but I want to get what I can on here in text form so it's searchable.

JAN 8, 2023

Here's What We Know About Brian Walshe, Husband of Missing Cohasset Woman Ana Walshe

The husband of missing Cohasset, Massachusetts, woman Ana Walshe, was arrested Sunday on accusations he misled authorities during the investigation. NBC10 Boston has learned this is not the first time he’s had a run-in with the law – he pled guilty in 2021 to federal fraud charges.

www.nbcboston.com

The husband of missing Cohasset, Massachusetts, woman Ana Walshe, was arrested Sunday on accusations he misled authorities during the investigation.

[...]

... In 2021, Brian Walshe pled guilty to federal fraud charges. According to court documents, investigators believe he took the authentic paintings from a friend and used photographs of them and their documentation to attempt to sell replicas on eBay.

The case started in 2016 when a buyer saw two Andy Warhol paintings for sale on eBay. The listing, according to prosecutors, included photographs of authentication stamps. The buyer arraigned to buy those paintings, part of the "Shadows" series, for $80,000. However, after having an assistant pick the paintings up, the buyer discovered there were no authentication stamps and that the canvas looked new. This ultimately led to an FBI investigation.

[...]

Brian Walshe was arrested in that investigation in 2018. He would ultimately plead guilty to one count each of wire fraud, interstate transportation for a scheme to defraud, possession of converted goods and unlawful monetary transaction.

In court documents detailing the investigation, there were also references to Ana Knipp, who was identified as Brian Walshe's wife.

[...]

State and local police continue to investigate Ana Walshe's disappearance. Friends tell NBC10 Boston that Walshe, a wife and mother to three young boys, would not go days without communicating with her family.

Earlier Sunday, Cohasset police referred all questions to the DA's office after investigators returned to the Walshe family home, less than 12 hours after state and local police said they had wrapped up their search efforts that were concentrated near the couple's house off Chief Justice Cushing Highway.

[...]

So, whatever happened to the real Andy Warhol paintings ? Did they really exist? Someone retrieved the rest of the art collection from the original owner.
M00

 

[Snoop Sister]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1612210657750917120

Poor little boys now in state custody!

 

[audge86]

I'd like to know in what time zone the "hour after midnight" call to Belgrade was made. Assuming Massachusetts time, but would be good to clarify

She also called her sister, who lives in the same timezone as Ana, so i think 1 am her time is most likely. Probably called after their friends left.

IMO

Hopefully her sister is able to come help with the poor children.

 

[charminglane]

Understood. I wasn't clear -- although it's probable, I was declining to automatically assume Ana made that call at 1am Belgrade time, which would be late afternoon 12/31 Massachusetts time. It's also possible she made the call at 1am her own time, which would be 7am in Belgrade, early enough that it's still possible mom was asleep, but still seems like a more reasonable time to call one's mom unless she expected mom to be up celebrating after midnight.

Just trying to narrow down what seems like it was perhaps/IMO her last day alive. Hearing that Ana called mom, sister AND godmother makes me wonder if that was normal holiday phone behavior for her, or whether she might have been "wanting to talk" or wanting to tell someone she trusted about some concern she was having. All MOO.

I wonder if Ana left them messages? Or did someone make those calls to those people using Ana's phone, hanging up before they were answered?

 

[Choochoobella]

Thank you to everyone who has posted so much excellent information and interesting commentary in the short time we have been watching this situation. I've read every post, but did some volunteer work today and didn't have a chance until now to make a couple of observations.

Ana probably told Brian she was done with their marriage over the holidays. I think Ana tolerated Brian for many years because he did contribute to their marriage financially, albeit through illegal means - art fraud and plundering his wealthy, deceased father's estate. Furthermore, Brian Walshe's cousin said it was "common knowledge among friends and family members that Brian absconded with almost $1 million from his father in prior years" before his dad wrote him out of the will. Brian also seemed adept at getting large sums of money from his mother. He had gotten over a half-million dollars in attorney fees from his mom, not to mention she was paying the rent on the current Massachusetts house.

However, Brian's house of cards finally fell and Ana knew he'd be nothing but a liability going forward. Brian was initially cut a big break in the art fraud case against him. As of June 2022, he wasn't going to have to serve jail time, so at least he could be at home to take care of the kids while Ana worked in DC and paid the bills.

However, the feds found out Brian plundered his deceased father's assets while he was on probation and they reassessed his sentence, now recommending Brian serve 30 months in prison. He also had restitution to pay to the victims of his art fraud crimes. Even though Brian knew he was disinherited by his father, he got access to his dad's house after his father died and fraudulently helped himself to over $100,000 in cash; he also took paintings by Miro and Dali, pottery and art glass and a car from his dad's estate, selling them all.

Ana didn't leave Brian while he was acquiring money through fraud and from his parents. She was partly complicit in Brian's illegal behavior. The feds said Ana participated in the communications with the purchaser and sale of the fraudulent Warhol paintings. According to the court document of June 7, 2022, "the defendant's wife benefitted from the fraud here, which took place before they were married but were together: the defendant transferred approximately $115,000 directly to or for the benefit of his wife from funds provided by the victims."

Brian was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and clearly liked the finer things in life, but he seemed to have little motivation to work towards obtaining the wealth himself. In the link below, it was said that Brian Walshe “once bought every ounce of [Boston restaurant Deuxave’s] white truffles and every wine from his birth year during dinner.” It seems that sense of entitlement extended to Ana. If she wasn't going to support him, who would?

Mom of Three Mysteriously Vanishes After Leaving for D.C. Real-Estate Job