Forensic analyst: Ana Walshe’s DNA found on hacksaw, hatchet and rug at Brian Walshe trial
Massachusetts State Police DNA supervisor Saman Saleem testified that single‑source female DNA matching Ana Walshe was found on a hacksaw (blade and handle), a hatchet (head and handle), pieces of a blood‑stained rug, Tyvek suit pieces, slippers and "unknown tissue," with the hacksaw blade profile described as at least 39 million times more likely to be Ana’s than an unrelated person’s, though Saleem acknowledged DNA could be transferred between items if packed together. Prosecutors say those and other items recovered from trash bags and a Swampscott dumpster — including towels, cleaning agents, a Prada purse, boots matching Ana’s and her COVID‑19 card — support theories that Brian Walshe killed his wife amid an alleged affair and to secure sole custody or insurance proceeds, while the defense says he found Ana dead in bed and denies knowing of an affair; Walshe has pleaded guilty to misleading police and unlawfully conveying a human body and was awaiting sentencing in an unrelated art‑fraud case.
📌 Key Facts
- Massachusetts State Police DNA supervisor Saman Saleem testified that single-source female DNA matching Ana Walshe was found on a hacksaw (blade and handle), a hatchet (head and handle), Tyvek suit pieces, slippers, rug pieces, and 'unknown tissue' recovered from a Swampscott dumpster; Saleem said the hacksaw blade DNA was 'at least 39 million times more likely' to be Ana’s than an unrelated person’s, but acknowledged on cross that DNA could transfer between items if they were packed together.
- Prosecutors say trash and dumpster recoveries near Brian Walshe’s mother’s home included a hatchet, a hacksaw, towels, bloody rug segments, Tyvek suit pieces, cleaning agents, a Prada purse, boots matching those Ana was last seen wearing, Ana’s COVID-19 vaccination card and other clothing/items.
- TJX surveillance and receipts introduced at trial show Brian Walshe bought rugs, towels and bathmats on Jan. 2 and Jan. 4 using store credits traced to returns Ana made in December 2022 in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., linking him to items similar to those recovered.
- Digital-forensics testimony by MSP Trooper Nicholas Guarino and others detailed Google/search history and device data including queries about alleged affair partner William Fastow, searches related to dismemberment/DNA cleanup and other topics prosecutors say support their case.
- Brian Walshe told police in recorded interviews that he 'would never do anything to my wife' and said he last saw Ana on Jan. 1 when she left for a flight; prosecutors played more than an hour of those recordings, but JetBlue and other travel records presented at trial contradict his timeline.
- William Fastow, a Washington, D.C., realtor, testified that he and Ana had an intimate relationship before her Jan. 1, 2023 disappearance, spent holidays together, last contacted her on New Year’s Eve (his Jan. 2 calls went to voicemail), and had planned to meet on Jan. 4 to discuss their future — a central element of the prosecution’s alleged-affair motive.
- Prosecutors have outlined two alleged motives for Ana’s death: anger over the affair and a belief that being sole caretaker of the children could help Brian avoid federal prison; Brian was awaiting sentencing in an unrelated art-fraud case at the time and was later sentenced to more than three years and $475,000 in restitution.
- Separately from the murder charge, Brian Walshe pleaded guilty last month to misleading police and willfully conveying a human body; trial proceedings have included scrutiny of witnesses and law-enforcement conduct (e.g., questioning of Cohasset officers and potential witness issues involving Massachusetts State Police personnel).
📊 Relevant Data
In 2023, the intimate partner homicide victimization rate for Black persons in the United States was 2.0 per 100,000, four times higher than the rate for White persons at 0.5 per 100,000; Black individuals comprise approximately 13% of the U.S. population.
Homicide Victimization in the United States, 2023 — Bureau of Justice Statistics
Disparities in homicide rates between Black and White women in the US are linked to social variables at the county level, including household income, single-parent households, college education rates, and residential segregation, based on a study of 2014-2020 data.
Black Women in the U.S. Murdered Six Times More Often Than White Women — Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
Acculturative stress, the stress of adapting to a new context in the United States, has been demonstrated to be among the strongest predictors of experiencing intimate partner violence among immigrant women.
2 Intimate Partner Violence in Steady State Conditions — National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
📰 Sources (7)
Ana Walshe's DNA found on hacksaw, hatchet, bloody rug, forensic scientist testifies in husband's trial
New information:
- Massachusetts State Police DNA supervisor Saman Saleem testified that single-source female DNA matching Ana Walshe was found on a hacksaw (blade and handle), a hatchet (head and handle), Tyvek suit pieces, slippers, rug pieces, and 'unknown tissue' recovered from trash.
- The hacksaw blade DNA was 'at least 39 million times more likely' to be Ana’s than an unrelated person’s, according to Saleem.
- Ana’s DNA was also found on a blood-stained rug segment and on 'unknown tissue' from a Swampscott dumpster.
- On cross, Saleem acknowledged the possibility of DNA transfer between items if packed together in a bag.
- TJX loss-prevention manager Michael Roddy presented surveillance and receipts showing Brian Walshe bought rugs, towels and bathmats on Jan. 2 and Jan. 4 using store credits traced to returns Ana made in December 2022 in Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
Testimony at Brian Walshe murder trial details affair his wife was having before she vanished
New information:
- Court played a voicemail from Brian Walshe to William Fastow in which Walshe said Ana hadn’t been in touch for a few days, asked if Fastow had heard from her, and apologized for the call, delivered in an upbeat tone.
- Fastow testified he and Ana Walshe spent Christmas Eve together and planned to meet on Jan. 4 to discuss their future.
- Fastow said the relationship included dinners, bars, time on his sailboat, overnight stays at his home, and a Thanksgiving trip to Ireland.
- Fastow’s last contact with Ana was a New Year’s Eve text; on Jan. 2 his calls to her went straight to voicemail.
- Fastow and Ana discussed telling Brian Walshe about the affair, with Ana insisting he should hear it from her.
Brian Walshe murder trial: Slain wife Ana's lover takes the stand
New information:
- William Fastow, a D.C. realtor and Ana Walshe’s alleged lover, testified they began an intimate relationship before her Jan. 1, 2023 disappearance.
- Fastow said he helped Ana secure a Washington, D.C., townhouse where she set up rooms for her three children, anticipating a move.
- Fastow detailed a Thanksgiving trip to Dublin with Ana and said they spent Christmas Eve together in Washington; Ana later visited Serbia.
- Fastow testified that Ana wanted her husband to hear about the affair directly from her if he ever found out.
- He said Ana told him the children stayed in Cohasset because Brian Walshe’s federal home confinement required him to be their primary caretaker.
- Prosecutors showed jurors a saw and hatchet recovered from a dumpster near Brian Walshe’s mother’s home, along with Ana’s COVID-19 card, clothing, and bloody towels.
- Prosecutors outlined two alleged motives: anger over the affair and a belief that being the sole caretaker would help Brian avoid federal prison.
- Defense denies Brian Walshe knew of the affair, though he referenced Fastow to detectives and allegedly searched him online before Ana’s disappearance.
Brian Walshe told cops his missing wife left for a flight on Jan 1, JetBlue records keeper says otherwise
New information:
- JetBlue records keeper Thomas Menino testified that Ana Walshe’s Dec. 25 flight was refunded, she flew D.C.–Boston on Dec. 30, was a 'no show' for a Jan. 3 return to D.C., and missed four additional January flights previously booked.
- Cohasset Police Officer Gregory Lowrance testified Brian Walshe told him on Jan. 4 that he last saw Ana on Jan. 1 when she left for a Boston-to-Washington flight, a claim contradicted by JetBlue records.
- CBP agent William Foley testified briefly about Ana’s recent air travel in the weeks before she vanished.
- K-9 Sgt. Patrick Reardon testified his search with K-9 Einstein on Jan. 5, 2023 around the Walshe home found nothing notable.
- MSP Trooper Nicholas Guarino’s testimony highlighted additional search history items (e.g., Porsches, diamond jewelry sales, a pornographic video about a cheating wife, and searches for alleged affair partner William Fastow) alongside prior dismemberment/DNA-cleanup queries.
Recordings of Brian Walshe played as prosecutors outline alleged love triangle murder
New information:
- Prosecutors played more than an hour of Walshe’s interview recordings on Monday and plan about 40 additional minutes of excerpts on Tuesday.
- In the recordings, Walshe told police, "I would never do anything to my wife. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with my wife."
- Cohasset Police Sgt. Harrison Schmidt is being further questioned as part of the recordings’ presentation.
- Massachusetts State Trooper Nicholas Guarino, a digital forensics expert, is expected to testify next about alleged Google searches, including the name of the man tied to an alleged affair and disposal of remains.
- A Washington, D.C., realtor alleged to have been involved with Ana Walshe is expected to take the stand Thursday (Fox identifies him by name).
- Defense opening argued Walshe found his wife dead in bed, denied knowing of any affair, and framed the death as potentially sudden and unexplained.
- Prosecutors outlined two motive theories: discovery of an alleged affair and a belief that sole custody of the children could help Walshe avoid prison in a federal art-fraud case.
Brian Walshe defense says he found wife dead in bed, denies uncovering affair as murder trial begins
Brian Walshe goes on trial in death of wife who disappeared more than 2 years ago
New information:
- Prosecutors say Ana Walshe held a $2.7 million life insurance policy naming Brian Walshe as sole beneficiary.
- Detailed items prosecutors say were recovered from trash bags: a hatchet, a hacksaw, towels, a Tyvek suit, cleaning agents, a Prada purse, boots matching those Ana was last seen wearing, and her COVID-19 vaccination card.
- Brian Walshe pleaded guilty last month to misleading police and willfully conveying a human body in violation of state law (separate from the murder charge).
- At the time of Ana’s disappearance, Walshe was awaiting sentencing in an unrelated art-fraud case; he was later sentenced to more than three years in prison and $475,000 restitution.
- Potential witness issues flagged: Massachusetts State Police’s Michael Proctor (linked to the Karen Read case) could affect trial dynamics; he was fired over offensive texts.