New judge appointed to case charging Massachusetts man with wife’s murder

Court officials appointed a new judge Wednesday. To case against Cohasset man who allegedly dismembered his wife, replacing the judge who was supposed to preside over the hearing retrial of Karen Reed next year.

State Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael D. Ricciuti said in his ruling that Judge Diana K. Frenier is now assigned to hear the case against Brian Walshwho is there held without bail on charges of murdering his wife, Ana Walshat their home in the early morning hours of January 1, 2023, before dismembering her body and disposing of her remains in multiple locations. Her remains were not found.

Brian Walsh has pleaded not guilty in Norfolk Supreme Court to charges of murder, improperly transporting a body and lying to investigators. A trial date has not yet been set, and the next hearing in the case is scheduled for December 2.

Frenier comes on as a substitute. Judge Beverly J. Cannon in action. Cannon presided over Reed’s first murder trial. ended in July with a jury verdict. Cannone will have to oversee the retrial, which is currently scheduled to begin in January, although prosecutors and defense attorneys I recently asked for an extension until April. Cannone did not rule on the request.

In Walsh’s case, prosecutors said at his August 2023 arraignment that he was the sole beneficiary of a $2.7 million life insurance policy his wife took out.

Prosecutors said he closely followed the Instagram page of a man with whom he believed his wife was having an affair. When Walsh lost contact with Ana Walsh for about 24 hours before Christmas 2022, he asked his mother to hire a private investigator to follow her in Washington, D.C., where she had taken a new job with a real estate company, according to court documents.

On New Year’s Eve 2022, the couple hosted Ana Walsh’s former employer at their home, who left around 1:30 a.m.

By 4:50 a.m., authorities say 39-year-old Ana Walsh was dead and her husband’s Internet searches had disturbing overtones. He allegedly used his son’s iPad to do searches such as: “How long will it be before the body starts to smell?” and “How long will someone be out of the inheritance?”

Over the next few days, Walsh allegedly dismembered his wife’s body in the basement and disposed of her clothing and other evidence in a liquor store dumpster near his mother’s home in Swampscott. He also allegedly disposed of her remains in dumpsters at apartment complexes in Abington and Brockton.

This report incorporates material from previous Globe articles.

Travis Andersen can be reached at [email protected].