“Barbaric and Incomprehensible”: The Sentencing of Brian Walshe

Summary

Podcast Summary: “Barbaric and Incomprehensible”: The Sentencing of Brian Walshe

Podcast: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present (iHeartPodcasts)
Air Date: December 18, 2025
Hosts: Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes

---

Episode Overview

This emotionally-charged episode covers the dramatic sentencing of Brian Walshe, convicted for the murder and dismemberment of his wife, Ana Walshe. Amy and T.J. break down the day’s courtroom proceedings: the victim impact statements, the judge’s striking condemnation, and the heartbreak Ana’s family continues to endure, especially her three young sons who remain without closure. The hosts reflect on both the gravity of the crime and the resonance of the sentencing for everyone who loved Ana and followed the case.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Sentencing Day Atmosphere

• Expectations vs. Reality:
  • Everyone expected life without parole, yet the day was laden with “high drama, high tension and, yes, high emotion.” (TJ Holmes, 02:56)
• Final Moment with Brian Walshe:
  • “That might be the last time we hear from him.” (Amy Robach, 03:30)
  • Hope among Ana’s loved ones that “not only do we never see Brian Walshe’s face again, we never have to hear his name uttered again.” (Amy Robach)

2. Powerful Victim Impact Statements

• Ana’s Sister, Alexandra:
  • The sole family member to speak in court, her words were “incredibly powerful” and highlighted painful losses beyond the headlines—most heartbreakingly, the inability to bury Ana, robbing the family of any possibility for cultural or religious closure. (Amy Robach, 04:19)
  • “They have never been able to and will never be able to bury Ana Walshe...You’re able to say your goodbyes, you’re able to visit, whether it’s a grave site or a place of internment... Brian Walsh took that away from her family in addition to taking her away from them.” (Amy Robach)
• Quotable Moment:
  • “I struggle with the grief that comes without warning, hoping every morning that this is just a terrible dream. The most painful part of this loss is knowing that her children must now grow up without a mother’s hand to hold. They now face a lifetime of milestones, big and small, where her absence will be deeply and painfully felt.” (Alexandra, Ana’s sister, 08:17–09:15, as quoted by Amy Robach)

3. The Fate and Well-being of Ana’s Children

• Children’s Ordeal:
  • Heartbreak that “the two youngest will never even remember being with their mother.” (Amy Robach, 09:59)
  • There was an impact statement submitted by the Department of Child Services on the children’s behalf—raising questions about their current situation, with the family’s privacy tightly protected. (12:04)
• Legal and Practical Complications:
  • The absence of a body means no official death certificate—which delays burial and complicates everything, including potentially unlocking life insurance for the boys. (Amy Robach & TJ Holmes, 11:38)

4. The Judge’s Condemnation

• Harsh Yet Controlled Words:
  • The judge, while measured in tone, delivered a searing rebuke:
    • “She called what he did barbaric and incomprehensible.” (Amy Robach, 23:58)
    • Emphasized “the life trauma you inflicted on your children.” (Judge, recounted by Amy Robach, 23:18)
  • The judge stressed her role to “make sure [the sentence is] a deterrent for others.” (TJ Holmes, 23:17)
• Sentencing Details:
  • Life without parole for first-degree murder;
  • Maximum available, consecutive sentences for lying to police (19–20 years) and dismembering/disposing (almost 3 years):
    • “On the lying to police, she said no less than 19 years, up to 20 years max... on the dismemberment charges... she gave him no less than two years and 364 days or three years.” (Amy Robach, 25:10)

5. Brian Walshe’s Demeanor and Defense

• Courtroom Behavior:
  • “He wasn’t dressed formally… it was almost like, yeah, I know what's happening and I'm cool with it.” (Amy Robach, 06:46)
  • Both spotted possible “smirks,” unshaven appearance, body language described as disrespectful and detached. (06:46–07:34)
• Defense Arguments:
  • Defense called consecutive sentencing “inhumane” and insisted, “he is a human being”—prompting outrage and rejection from both the judge and the hosts. (22:28–22:58)
    • “Honestly, I’m going to say that’s a preposterous statement given what he is convicted of and what he's even admitted to… disgusting. And the judge definitely took issue with that.” (Amy Robach, 22:28)

6. The Search for Closure

• Public and Family Closure:
  • While nothing can bring Ana back, both hosts reflect that the ceremony of justice—sentencing, the chance to speak, public acknowledgment of loss—offers a measure of closure and healing for Ana’s family and everyone following the case. (Amy Robach & TJ Holmes, 13:43, 26:49)
• The Judge’s Final Words:
  • After issuing the sentence, the judge read a letter from Walshe’s mother requesting leniency, ultimately concluding:
    • “While I appreciate basically what your mother said, I cannot reconcile what she said about you with the man who is standing before me. That was powerful.” (Amy Robach, 25:38)
  • The last in-court words to Walshe after formal sentencing: “You’re all set, Mr. Walshe.” (Clerk, 26:22; discussed by hosts as a moment of finality and closure)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Ana’s Children:

• “They now face a lifetime of milestones, big and small, where her absence will be deeply and painfully felt.”
  — Ana’s sister Alexandra (as quoted by Amy Robach, 08:17–09:15)

On Justice and Closure:

• “It felt like you were watching closure and maybe even a little bit of healing happen...getting some sort of justice and having that moment in court, being able to speak for Ana when she couldn’t speak, being able to speak for those boys.”
  — Amy Robach (13:43)

On Brian Walshe’s Demeanor:

• “He wasn’t dressed formally… it was almost like, yeah, I know what's happening and I'm cool with it.”
  — Amy Robach (06:46)

On the Judge’s Condemnation:

• “She called what he did barbaric and incomprehensible. So to talk about he's a human being or having it be inhumane, what he did was inhumane. What he did was barbaric. What he did was incomprehensible.”
  — Amy Robach (23:58)

On the Limits of the Law:

• “The dismemberment charge also is shockingly little—it's only a mandatory three year sentence for dismembering a body… That’s mind-boggling to me.”
  — Amy Robach (24:37–24:58)

The Final Moment in Court:

• “And this clerk… she announced it to the courtroom, this very official thing, and she closed with, ‘You’re all set, Mr. Walsh.’ And that was it.”
  — TJ Holmes (25:59)

---

Important Timestamps

• 02:56 – Opening reflections and framing the sentencing day
• 03:30 – Brian Walshe’s final courtroom appearance
• 04:19–09:59 – Ana’s sister’s victim impact statement and hosts’ reaction
• 11:38 – Complications caused by absence of body/death certificate
• 13:43 – Reflections on courtroom atmosphere and closure
• 20:53–21:50 – Sentencing details and legal strategy
• 22:28–23:58 – Defense’s argument, judge’s fiery condemnation
• 24:37 – Surprising details of criminal sentencing
• 25:38–26:49 – The judge and clerk’s final words, Walshe’s exit
• All throughout: – Repeated focus on the trauma and resilience of Ana’s family, especially her children

---

Tone & Style

The podcast maintains a somber, respectful tone, with bursts of outrage at moments of perceived injustice or disrespect from the defense. The hosts are empathetic and at times personally affected by the raw emotion in the courtroom, particularly when discussing the future now faced by Ana’s children.

---

Episode Takeaway

The episode provides a detailed, compassionate, and at times emotional look into the sentencing of Brian Walshe, illuminating both the legal processes at play and—more importantly—the incalculable pain of Ana Walshe’s family, whose search for closure continues. The judge’s words, and the episode’s title, “barbaric and incomprehensible,” sum up both the legal and moral verdict rendered on this harrowing case.

Transcript

[Amy Robach]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Kalpen (Cal) Penn]

Guaranteed Human hey audiobook lovers. I'm Kalpen, I'm Ed Helms. Ed and I are inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've ever heard with our new podcast, Irsay The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.

[Ed Helms]

Each week we sit down with your favorite iHeart podcast hosts and some very special guests to discuss the latest and.

[Kalpen (Cal) Penn]

Greatest audiobooks from audible, listen to Earsay on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow Earsay and start listening on the free iHeartradio app today. So you're telling me that the AI that's meant to make everyone's job easier to manage just adds more to manage? On top of the thousands of apps the IT department already manages? Funny how that works. Any business can add AI. IBM helps you scale and manage AI to change how you do business. Let's create Smile to Business. IBM.

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

Make their holiday unforgettable with a gift that says it all from Pandora Jewelry. A gift that tells a story and shows you know theirs that doesn't just sparkle, but speaks. From new festive charms to forever rings and personal engravings, this season, give a gift that's perfectly theirs. Whether you're shopping for a shiny surprise for your significant other, matching bracelets to celebrate your friendship, or a heartfelt gift for a family family member. Say more this holiday season with Pandora. Shop [e-mail] or visit your closest Pandora store.

[Amy Robach]

A GLP one helped you lose weight, but now you're noticing unwanted facial changes.

[TJ Holmes]

Yeah, the weight came off, but facial volume loss and dull sagging skin are making you look older. That's where the next phase of your weight loss journey comes in.

[Amy Robach]

There's before weight loss, after weight loss, and then the after after.

[TJ Holmes]

Yeah, help restore and refresh your facial skin and reclaim your natural looking youthful glow.

[Amy Robach]

To learn more, visit faceafterweightloss.com that's faceafterweightloss.com.

[Sophie Cunningham]

This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something. Do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA in adults with obesity? They may be happening to you without you knowing. If anyone has ever said you snore loudly, or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability and concentration issues, it may be due to osa. OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, which may cause breathing interruptions and oxygen deprivation. Learn more at don'tsleep on OSA.com this information is provided by Lilly, a medicine company.

[TJ Holmes]

Hey there, folks. It is Thursday, December 18th. There wasn't supposed to be a lot of drama at the sentencing for Brian Walsh. We knew he was going to get life without the possibility of parole, but that didn't mean it was not full of high drama, high tension and, yes, high emotion. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ Ropes. You said before we came on here, we were talking about. Because we, you said this might be the last time we hear from him.

[Amy Robach]

Yes.

[TJ Holmes]

As we saw him walk out of the courtroom with that life without parole sentence. And you said that might be the last time we hear from him.

[Amy Robach]

And I bet anyone who loved Ana and who was seeking justice hopes not only do we never see Brian Walsh's face again, we never have to hear his name uttered again. We never have to hear anything about that man again. Given the sentence he was just handed.

[TJ Holmes]

He was just handed. And the judge was, she kept the same tone, but she was very harsh in her words that she had for him. Today we will get into that. Also, victim impact statements, there were a number of them, but they were all submitted by via letter. Someone submitted on behalf of the children. Some family members, some friends submitted letters. Only one person today, I, I didn't know this ahead of time, but only one person spoke in court today. And it was some, some tear jerking and very difficult stuff to hear.

[Amy Robach]

It was incredibly powerful. We heard from Ana's sister and she spoke from the heart. And, you know, I hadn't really considered how incredibly painful it is for the family of Anna Walsh. Take a take. Put the, the murder and the dismemberment and the headlines and all put that all aside. They have never been able to and will never be able to bury Anna Walsh. They will never be able to go through the customs and the closure that having a memorial service or a funeral gives the family. No, it doesn't bring your loved one back, but you're able to say your goodbyes, you're able to visit, whether it's a grave site or a place of internment where you can go and be with or feel close to the person you lost. Brian Walsh took that away from her family in addition to taking her away from them. And that really hit me when I heard her, her sister's name is Alexandra. When I heard her talk about that.

[TJ Holmes]

We said some of the attorneys we were talking through throughout this were talking about, you can't put him on the stand because the first thing they're going to say is ask him, is the prosecution, where's the body? Does he even know? Right. He chopped her up and put her in different places. Is it now an impossibility? No matter what he said? Is it impossible to find a trace of this woman at this point?

[Amy Robach]

I would imagine if he put them in dumpsters that went into incinerators or went into some place where they literally burned the trash that, no, there is no chance of them finding on a Walsh's body.

[TJ Holmes]

But even a landfill after all these years, like, even if he decided to speak, which he did not, we should mention he did not. And he was not asked or given the opportunity necessarily today by the judge, maybe they knew ahead of time. But even if he spoke and said, this is what happened, this is where I put this, how can they even recover her body?

[Amy Robach]

It was interesting that there was no mention of him getting an opportunity to speak. I actually forgot about that until that very moment. You just mentioned it because we thought, I think, leading into this sentencing hearing that he would or could have the opportunity to say something if he so choose. But there was never a moment where the judge offered him that opportunity.

[TJ Holmes]

You know, let me ask you, we were in two different rooms when this started. We weren't watching it together. I haven't had a chance to discuss with you until now. What did you make of him in court today? We've watched him every single day. What did you make of his Everything, his appearance and everything.

[Amy Robach]

First of all, it was the first time we actually got a good shot of his face. We've been looking at kind of the side of his face or the. I actually got. We got to see his full face with the cameras, the way they were positioned this time around. And I just thought even his choice of clothing was disrespectful. It was casual. It was like a Sunday morning going out for a stroll to get coffee. He wasn't dressed formally. He wasn't dressed. It was almost like, yeah, I know what's happening and I'm cool with it.

[TJ Holmes]

It was almost a. It was a cool golf outing outfit. Like the quarter zip.

[Amy Robach]

I was saying he had like a quarter or a half zip. Like black, like Marino wool with a little white shirt underneath it. He was kind of leaned back and just showed zero emotion per usual.

[TJ Holmes]

Not as clean shaven today. Did you notice that? I thought.

[Amy Robach]

No, I didn't notice.

[TJ Holmes]

Oh, he wasn't as clean shaven. And I swear to God. God, I saw smirks at time on his face as he sat there.

[Amy Robach]

I saw a smirk, okay? I saw a smirk when the judge was talking to him. Really Yes, I saw. And I actually thought it was a little small, subtle movement of his mouth, but he was irritated by her chastising him.

[TJ Holmes]

Wow. And she absolutely did. But before we got to the judge chastising him, the sister got up. What a sweet little lady. She walked up there, polite, fairly thick accent, but, you know, she didn't want to be there. But a little lady. She spoke. And you know what? I appreciate it, Robes. She didn't direct anything to him. She spoke about what all of this did to her, but she didn't mention him by name, and she just spoke about the impact. And she was. From start to finish, you had tears in your eyes.

[Amy Robach]

Listening to this woman, listening to her talk about losing her sister, the. The person she grew up with, the person who understood her more than anyone else, the person who knows things about her that no one else does. I mean, that's such a conn. That she talked about, But I really got choked up when she talked about the impact on honest children. That really got me. I actually have part of the quote of where she said the milestones, right? Yes. Yes. She said, I struggle with the grief that comes without warning, hoping every morning that this is just a terrible dream. The most painful part of this loss is knowing that her children must now grow up without a mother's hand to hold. They now face a lifetime of milestones, big and small, where her absence will be deeply and painfully felt. Her even just putting that imagery in my head of little boys not having a mother's hand to hold, that got me.

[TJ Holmes]

It gets every parent, and I don't know, I assume she spoke from the heart, and she. These were all her words. But that was incredibly impactful. When she said milestones, big and Small kids were 2, 4, and 6. They're 4, 6, and 8 now. But you talk about sometimes a milestone is the first day of kindergarten or.

[Amy Robach]

Losing your first tooth.

[TJ Holmes]

All of those little things that your mama helped you through. When you think about that, I think about all those things, and the first thing a man or woman, to this day, you think about the times you needed to be comfort or nurtured. Has your heart broken for everybody. Is mama. Is Mama. And she. I thought that was a brilliant way. Yes. We think about graduations, we think about weddings. We think about. They have a lifetime of this stuff, Those little boys.

[Amy Robach]

The two youngest will never even remember being with their mother.

[TJ Holmes]

Oh, yeah.

[Amy Robach]

And that is horrific. Ugh. So, yes, she was poised. She was in control. And I actually felt her strength because it had to have taken so Much courage for her to get up. She not only spoke for herself, but she spoke on behalf of her mother, too, who is ill and unable to travel, but talked about her mother's grief and her mother's severe depression because she lost a daughter. So she stood up there in front of Brian Walsh on behalf of her entire family, on behalf of Anna Walsh's three little boys, and spoke to the impact that Brian Walsh's disgusting actions led to all of this pain. And I just, I, I felt her strength because that had to take. I cannot imagine getting up and, and staring down and facing the person who took my sister away.

[TJ Holmes]

She had a sweet little voice. I don't think she cracked that much.

[Amy Robach]

But she, she didn't.

[TJ Holmes]

She. I, I was so impressed by her. And for whatever reason, robes at the end, for her to think, to thank the prosecution. Yes, she thanked and said they actually have surrounded them and given them some type of support. Support during this grief. I appreciated what. I didn't even consider this, and I don't think it came up. You remind me if it happened during the trial. But she never got the proper cultural, religious burial because there's no body. And they said the death certificate, because there is no official death certificate that the medical examiner will give, that. That has complicated them. Giving the proper burial they want or proper remembrance religious and cultural, that they, that their religion and culture allows for.

[Amy Robach]

Right. So, yes, they need a death certificate for a lot of things, and they don't have one yet because her body has never been found. Yes, I did not consider any of that. And just even, I imagine even the life insurance money, those types of things that those boys should obviously be privy to, I'm sure that would be of great help.

[Sophie Cunningham]

I.

[Amy Robach]

We don't know who was raising them. I'm. I mean, I can just say I'm hoping it's on a Walsh's family, but they has. That has not been disclosed.

[TJ Holmes]

But the thing that stood out to me and it. Oh, my God, it made my shoulders freaking tense up. There was an impact statement on behalf of the boys from the Department of Child Services. They submitted one on the kids behalf. So I don't know what's going on with the kids, but it didn't sound.

[Amy Robach]

Like they're with family. It could be that they're overseeing them and they're, you know, they're, they're, they're the, the voices of the boys. So we don't know. But. And I'm sure that's by design. This has been a highly publicized case. They don't want people to know where these children are. But my heart goes out to them and to the family and just, just the lives, so many lives shattered.

[TJ Holmes]

And it does. It seems like we were talking about. I remember them saying that about the letter submitted, but the family, the sister got up there and spoke about the kids in such a way that it sounded like the family was together.

[Amy Robach]

It did. And that's why I had like a glimmer of hope in that moment because we hadn't heard that maybe they are there and, And a bright part of those boys lives. I just, you know, her memory lives on through them, period.

[TJ Holmes]

And credit too. This is what I was getting to there, that they, the prosecution said they are actually working with the medical examiner. They're trying to get this corrected and get this done for the family so they can move forward. Look, everybody we saw in there. And did you hear the prosecutor gave great compliments to the defense attorneys. Yes, at one point. These are decent folks doing their job in the most horrific of. Of circumstances in this case. But to see them today, I appreciate it, frankly. There's been a tension. Like there was a tone in the courtroom today that was decent, if you will, as crazy as that sounds, because it's been so tense the whole time.

[Amy Robach]

I think this, it felt like you were watching closure and maybe even a little bit of healing happen because you. For a lot of. I don't know what it's like to be a survivor of or have lost someone to violence, but you'll never be fully healed. But getting some sort of justice and having that moment in court, being able to speak for Ana when she couldn't speak, being able to speak for those boys, being able to actually say out loud in a public forum, the impact of all of this, that has to be cathartic and hopefully heals a little part of that massive wound that he inflicted.

[TJ Holmes]

Heal. She used that word. Unfinished grief. Said by doing what he did, he. This is unfinished grief because we can't. We can't bury her. It was tough to listen to today. All that stuff we listened to today might have been the most difficult part. Something I didn't think of when you heard the prosecutor. Prosecutor say this. We know the case at this point inside and out. But he was making a point of why the, the, the sentence didn't need to be so harsh. And he brought up this point ropes January one, when she died. But then he said, remember the videos and the shopping he did January 2nd and 3rd. He said, this means her body stayed in that basement while his kids were.

[Amy Robach]

In the house, while his babysitter.

[TJ Holmes]

All this was going on and it added an extra element of to me that I hadn't considered before that he.

[Amy Robach]

Was able to have the upstairs being operating business as usual and downstairs literally have just the a horror show going on.

[TJ Holmes]

All right, well, folks, the defense did get up and they did have an argument to make and pleaded with the the judge to not impose a particular type of sentence. She did not listen to them. Stay here. We will explain just how harsh the words were that the judge had for Brian Walsh today.

[Kalpen (Cal) Penn]

Hey, audiobook lovers. This week on the podcast, I'm sitting down with musician, producer and walking encyclopedia Questlove. We're talking about Mark Ronson's memoir, Night how to be a DJ in 90s New York City. All right, like we talked about before, Mark Ronson found sanctuary in the DJ booth. What's a tool or piece of equipment in the studio or on stage that gives you the most control?

[Ed Helms]

So I have two microphones on stage. We have the microphone that you hear as the audience. Then we have a second microphone in which we communicate with each other. I feel like that second microphone kind of saved all of our friendships. No band likes each other after 20 years or 25 years. The Beatles broke up in seven and a half years and we're going on 35.

[Kalpen (Cal) Penn]

Listen to earsay the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcast.

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

I don't know about you guys, but I love to buy gifts. I love it so much. I love it so much more than getting gifts. But the one thing that I do love, especially when it comes to my daughter, is getting matching things. I know it's such a cliche, but I love it so much. So I have the perfect brand for you. Pandora Jewelry can make their holiday unforgettable with the gift that says it all from Pandora Jewelry. A gift that tells a story and shows you know theirs that doesn't just sparkle, but speaks. From new festive charms to forever rings and personal engravings, this season, give a gift that's perfectly theirs. Whether you're shopping for a shiny surprise for your significant other, matching bracelets to celebrate your friendship, or a heartfelt gift from for a family member. Say more this holiday season with Pandora. Shop [e-mail] or visit your closest Pandora store.

[Amy Robach]

A GLP one helped you lose weight, but now you're noticing unwanted facial changes.

[TJ Holmes]

Yeah, the weight came off, but facial volume loss and dull sagging skin are making you look older. That's where the next phase of your weight loss journey comes in.

[Amy Robach]

There's before weight loss, after weight loss, and then the after after.

[TJ Holmes]

Yeah. Help restore and refresh your facial skin and reclaim your natural looking youthful glow.

[Amy Robach]

To learn more, visit face after weight loss.com that's face after weight loss.com hey.

[Ryan Seacrest]

It'S Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. The holiday season can be exhausting with all the parties and the end of year celebrations, but don't forget to take care of yourself by stocking up on your favorite nutritional products. Now through December 30th. Shop in store and online and save on items like Cliff Snack Bars, Luna Bars, Boost Nutritional Energy Drinks, Premier Protein Shakes, Z Bar Variety Packs, Open Nature Powder and Body Fortress Protein powder offers end December 30th. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

Get festive with Fossil this holiday season.

[Amy Robach]

As a proud sponsor of Jingle Ball, Fossil has unforgettable gifts for everyone on.

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

Your list, including a limited edition watch.

[Amy Robach]

Collection with Nick Jonas plus statement jewelry.

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

Giftable leather goods and of course, timeless watches.

[Amy Robach]

From elegant Raquel for her to rugged.

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

Machine for him, there's nothing like a Fossil watch and there's a style for.

[Amy Robach]

Everybody and a personal touch.

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

Customize their gift with free engraving and embossing.

[Amy Robach]

Shop it all now@ fossil.com. Welcome back on sentencing day for Brian Walsh and it was almost, I, I think it's fair to say it was the most emotional day in court that we have seen throughout this entire trial because we got to feel and really, really understand the impact of Brian Walsh's horrific I don't even know the words to describe. I guess maybe the judge's words are best barbaric acts by and to hear from Ana's sister and to hear her pain and her suffering, talking about those boys, talking about her own mother's grief and then hearing the judge finally getting to have her say she's been sitting through this entire trial and obviously she has taken in all the evidence. She has read all of the victim impact statements. We only got to hear and watch Ana's sister take the stand today to address the court. But there were many, many letters that actually the judge referenced that she read through and one of them even on behalf of Brian Walsh himself, his own mother.

[TJ Holmes]

Yeah, I don't know what impact that could have had. And before she imposed her sentence and gave her words, look, both sides had a chance to make arguments. Yes, it seems weird to make an argument when we know I mean, it's mandatory. The judge didn't have a choice. Mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole. But she had discretion on the lesser charges, the two charges of lying to investigators. And the other charge of dismembering was.

[Amy Robach]

A conveying a body.

[TJ Holmes]

A body like you actually do wonder. That's a good question. Who gives a damn he's going to life in prison without parole. But there's a very good reason why they were fighting over this today in court.

[Amy Robach]

Yes. So it is possible through appeals that Brian Walsh could potentially have this conviction for murder in the first degree vacated or commuted, whatever there is. That's always possible. Some sort of technicality. So these other two charges, charges that he pleaded guilty to, they needed, or at least the prosecution wanted the maximum sentence to be imposed on Brian Walsh so he can't get out of jail. So just say that first degree murder sentence got vacated. If he didn't have these other two charges, he potentially could be let out while his case was being reviewed. So this ensures that Brian Walsh stays behind bars for as long as possible in case his first degree murder charged something happened to him.

[TJ Holmes]

He. Okay, this is one. We talked about how the defense overstepped. Maybe in the closing talking about how loving the relationship was. I thought it was a weird way to go in an overstep in calling it inhumane to sentence him consecutively instead of concurrently. So they're, they're attacking the art. The defense was arguing, do not do this consecutively, meaning once, once sentence ends, the other one starts, that one ends, then the next one starts. Meaning they're back to back to back. Instead of you serving them all at one time. They thought that was inhumane. They kept using that word. He is a human being.

[Amy Robach]

It's like, guys, when, when, when the defense attorney said he is a human being to the judge, I really, I actually felt myself physically be angry. Like I felt it was not the right call. That is that. Honestly, I'm going to say that's a preposterous statement given what he is convicted of and what he's even admitted to means. I had nothing el disgusting. And the judge definitely took issue with that. It had zero impact on her decision and probably pissed her off a little bit because it certainly, I think pissed off just about anybody who heard it. Watch this trial.

[TJ Holmes]

She kept her tone throughout, but her words were very harsh. Call it a murderous act of the pain you inflicted on your own children.

[Amy Robach]

Yes.

[TJ Holmes]

And she hit that point a bunch about what you did to your kids. She also I thought it was interesting she said this sentence I'm about to impose. I need to make sure it's a deterrent for others.

[Amy Robach]

Yes, she did say that.

[TJ Holmes]

Right?

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Amy Robach]

And when she talked about the. What he inflicted on her on his own children, she called it the life trauma you inflicted on your children. I thought that was such an effective way to put it. This is a lifelong trauma you have now imposed on your children.

[TJ Holmes]

She was very complimentary today to Ana Walsh. Said just from what she knows, she was a bright light to so many people. She talked about her in a very complimentary way today that I thought was. I thought was nice. And she didn't do this throughout, but this, this, we've seen this plenty of times. This is the moment judges get. They've been quiet and they let loose what they actually think. And she did today, but she did it in a tone that I didn't sound. Vindictive, mean, vengeful, nothing.

[Amy Robach]

No, she just, she just very even keeled. She said it, as you point, not emotionally, but directly. And she said, yeah, she called what he did barbaric and incomprehensible. So to talk about he's a human being or having it be inhumane, what he did was inhumane. What he did was barbaric. What he did was incomprehensible.

[TJ Holmes]

So, yes, we knew he was going to get life in prison without the possibility of parole. But then on count two and count three, I was, to be honest with you, I was kind of surprised at just how harsh the punishment can be for the charge of lying to police.

[Amy Robach]

That actually threw me too.

[TJ Holmes]

Wait, what?

[Amy Robach]

The dismemberment charge also is shockingly low small. It's only a mandatory three year sentence for dismembering a body, for basically disposing of a body in the way he did. That's a three year sentence.

[TJ Holmes]

That's the cap. That's the moment. 20 years for the lying, three years for the dismembering and disposing of a body.

[Amy Robach]

That's mind boggling to me.

[TJ Holmes]

But then get that. So you hear that, folks? The other two, you could get 20 years max for lying. You could get three years for dismembering. I like how she with him on this.

[Amy Robach]

Right? Yes. So on the lying to police, she said no less than 19 years. Up to 20 years max. But this was kind of my favorite one on the dismemberment charges, on conveying a body, she said, so the year it's three years max, she gave him no less than two years and 364 days or three years.

[TJ Holmes]

Okay. We like the judge throughout. That was. That was a. That was a nod. She's saying, I am giving you everything I possibly can.

[Amy Robach]

Yes.

[TJ Holmes]

And to the day.

[Amy Robach]

Yes. And right before she delivered the sentence, I do like what she said. Reading through his mother's, I guess, letter to try and probably ask for some sort of leniency from the judge. She said, while I appreciate basically what your mother said, I cannot reconcile what she said about you with the man who is standing before me. That was powerful.

[TJ Holmes]

And for whatever reason, the final words he heard in court today or from the clerk, who, after the judge imposed sentence, you have to some formalities and said to the clerk, you can now do your thing and announce these sentences. And this clerk, this woman we've been hearing, she announced it to the courtroom, this very official thing, and she closed with, you're all set, Mr. Walsh. And that was it.

[Amy Robach]

And maybe. And maybe that's why my thought was, and maybe we'll never see his face or hear his name again after today.

[TJ Holmes]

Tone her tone. You're all set, Mr. Walsh.

[Amy Robach]

Meaning like, goodbye, see you never again.

[TJ Holmes]

Right then. Oh, that was just.

[Amy Robach]

It was effective.

[TJ Holmes]

For whatever reason, that was an effective moment. They put the cuffs on him and he walked out through probably one of the larger crowds we've seen in that courtroom. No one said a word. They were all standing. He was escorted out, and that's the end of the.

[Amy Robach]

It's closure. It's not. It's not ever going to bring Anna Walsh back. But at least justice was served and we were here for it all. And we appreciate you listening to us, taking you along with us in that courtroom. And so for now, I'm Amy Robach alongside TJ Holmes. We'll talk to you soon.

[Sophie Cunningham]

This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something. Do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, or osa, in adults with obesity? They may be happening to you without you knowing if anyone has ever said you snored loudly, or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability and concentration issues, it may be due to osa. OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, which may cause breathing interruptions and oxygen deprivation. Learn more at don'tsleep on OSA.com this information is provided by Lilly a medicine company.

[Kalpen (Cal) Penn]

Hey, audiobook lovers. I'm Cal Penn.

[Ed Helms]

I'm Ed Helms.

[Kalpen (Cal) Penn]

Ed and I are inviting you to join the Best Sounding Book club you've ever heard with our new podcast, Irsay the audible and iPhone iHeart audiobook club.

[Ed Helms]

Each week we sit down with your favorite iHeart podcast hosts and some very special guests to discuss the latest and.

[Kalpen (Cal) Penn]

Greatest audiobooks from audible, listen to Earsay on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow Earsay and start listening on the free iHeartradio app today.

[Amy Robach]

Okay, only 10 more presents to wrap. You're almost at the finish line. But first.

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

There the last one.

[Amy Robach]

Enjoy a Coca Cola for a pause that refreshes.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Running my small business was like playing basketball. Five on one and I was the one. Now QuickBooks gives me access to a team of AI agents and trusted experts. For the assists, I need nothing but.

[Amy Robach]

Nick outdoit with intuit. QuickBooks feature availability varies by product.

[Ed Helms]

Amazon 5 Star Theater presents real customer reviews performed by Ed Helms tonight's review tactical jacket I was living a simple life. Didn't get out much. Then I bought this jacket and everything changed. Women came flocking to me from lands domestic and foreign. On the 245 day sailboat voyage home, I was attacked by a shark. I knew it was the jacket he was after, giving up the jacket in exchange for my life. 5 stars Amazon Customer 69 Shop the perfect Gift this Holiday on Amazon this.

[Amy Robach]

Is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.