Crime Stories with Nancy Grace
Episode: "Accused Killer Husband Brian Walshe 'Shanked' Behind Bars"
Date: November 8, 2025
Podcast: Crime Stories with Nancy Grace – iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline
Overview
In this gripping episode, Nancy Grace and her expert panel dissect the disturbing case of Anna Walsh, a Massachusetts mom who vanished on New Year's Day, allegedly at the hands of her husband, Brian Walshe—a convicted art thief now accused of murdering and dismembering his wife. Just before his murder trial, Brian Walshe himself was stabbed in jail, an attack that opens the door to tough questions about justice, forensic evidence, and domestic violence. The panel analyzes the timeline of Anna's disappearance, Brian’s suspicious behavior, the digital forensic trail, and the chilling Google searches that play a central role in the prosecution's case.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Disappearance of Anna Walsh
[01:35]–[03:55]
- Anna Walsh, a devoted mother of three, went missing on New Year's Day.
- Her husband, Brian Walshe, claimed she left early to catch a flight from Boston to D.C., but no airline, rideshare, or credit card activity backed this up.
- Anna's employer reported her missing—her family did not, raising suspicions.
“Just a loving wife and mother... Three beautiful boys who she loves so much. Three little boys wondering where is mommy?” – Nancy Grace [03:55]
2. Suspicious Behavior and Early Investigation
[05:22]–[11:01]
- Anna had recently started a property management job in D.C., splitting her time between cities.
- On the morning of her disappearance, Anna reportedly hosted a New Year’s party that finished late.
- Discussion about the oddness of her leaving suddenly for an alleged work emergency.
- Investigators quickly debunked that she had flown, using modern TSA and flight records.
“This stinks to the high heavens. It really does.” – Tom Ruskin, PI [10:12]
3. Delays in Reporting and Initial Red Flags
[09:13]–[10:12]
- Anna’s employer, not Brian, contacted the police for a welfare check.
- Her last known phone ping was at 3:14 am near her home, after which there was no activity.
4. Brian Walshe’s Demeanor and Actions
[15:18]–[19:08]
- Voicemails reveal Brian reaching out to Anna’s friends after being prompted by her employer’s call.
- He claimed to have left his phone at home (unusual given the circumstances) and referenced getting lost en route to his mother's house due to lack of GPS, mentioning a "pirate ship" as a landmark.
- Surveillance showed Brian making multiple suspicious trash dumps at different locations hours after Anna went missing.
“How many people really leave home these days without their phone? It’s improbable.” – Karen Stark, Psychologist [19:54]
5. The Dumpster Trail and Possible Evidence Disposal
[20:31]–[26:53]
- Surveillance captured Brian dumping heavy garbage bags at several apartment complex dumpsters.
- Shortly after, those dumpsters were incinerated, likely destroying Anna’s remains.
- Other items (hatchet, hacksaw, bloody rug, Anna’s boots and personal effects) were later found in a landfill on the North Shore, near his mother’s home.
“Those trash bags that he was struggling with... contained the dismembered remains of his wife, Anna Walsh.” – Bob Ward, Reporter [25:16]
6. Forensic Advances and Digital Evidence
[16:40]–[17:58], [33:17]–[34:55]
- Digital records easily traced Anna’s lack of airline and rideshare use.
- Discussion about the ability to extract data from phones, apps, and even a car’s navigation or infotainment system.
- Attention to the “EXIF” data in photos and how syncing personal devices with cars can unwittingly provide forensic evidence.
7. Brian’s Damning Internet Searches
[37:02]–[43:18]
- Brian used his son’s iPad to Google:
- “How long before a body starts to smell?”
- “How to stop a body from decomposing?”
- “10 ways to dispose of a dead body if you really need to.”
- "How long for someone to be missing to inherit?"
- "Can you throw away body parts?"
- "Dismemberment and the best ways to dispose of a body."
- "How to clean blood from wooden floor," among many more.
“His Google searches were damning. I mean, what an idiot. I just can’t stress this enough.” – Nancy Grace [37:02]
“That first search: how long before a body starts to smell? — is at 4:55 am. Anna Walsh was alive at one o’clock in the morning, and at 4:55 am she’s gone and that search is done.” – Bob Ward [43:59]
8. Expert Forensic Commentary
[39:44]–[43:14]
- Dr. Kendall Crowns, Medical Examiner, answers Brian’s search queries on decomposition, DNA, formaldehyde, and body disposal.
- E.g., “You can find DNA on surfaces for years.” – Dr. Crowns [42:48]
9. The Motive and Final Events
[46:15]–[49:52]
- Panel explores motive; Brian was the sole beneficiary on a $2.7 million insurance policy.
- Domestic violence history surfaces, including a past threat and an old photo of Anna with a bruise.
- A poignant note from Anna on a New Year's champagne box surfaces:
"To Brian, we made it through 2022. It was a tough year, but 2023 is going to be a great year. Love you, Anna." [46:31]
- Indictments: murder, misleading investigators, improper disposal of a body.
“The depravity of this case... is really just off the charts.” – Bob Ward [45:21]
10. Jail Assault and Public Perception
[01:35], [37:02]
- Brian Walshe was stabbed in jail before trial; panel speculates motive—possibly related to other inmates’ reaction to the details of his alleged crime.
“Do you blame the inmates for being angry with Brian Walsh?” – Nancy Grace [49:52]
Memorable Quotes & Timestamps
- “Just a loving wife and mother... Three little boys wondering where is mommy?” — Nancy Grace [03:55]
- “This stinks to the high heavens. It really does.” — Tom Ruskin, PI [10:12]
- “How many people really leave home these days without their phone? It’s improbable.” — Karen Stark [19:54]
- “Those trash bags that he was struggling with... contained the dismembered remains of his wife.” — Bob Ward [25:16]
- “His Google searches were damning. I mean, what an idiot.” — Nancy Grace [37:02]
- “That first search: how long before a body starts to smell? …Anna Walsh was alive at 1 o’clock in the morning, and at 4:55 am she’s gone and that search is done.” — Bob Ward [43:59]
- "To Brian, we made it through 2022. It was a tough year, but 2023 is going to be a great year. Love you, Anna." — Bob Ward (reading Anna’s note) [46:31]
- “The depravity of this case... is really just off the charts.” — Bob Ward [45:21]
Important Timestamps
- 01:35 – Overview of Anna’s disappearance
- 05:22 – Suspicions about Anna’s sudden “emergency” trip
- 09:13 – Employer requests welfare check, not family
- 16:40 – Digital forensic trail: phone and rideshare tracking
- 20:31 – Brian visiting dumpsters, surveillance details
- 25:16 – Description of critical evidence found/disposal timeline
- 37:02 – Brian Walshe’s incriminating Google searches
- 43:59 – Timeline: Last party sighting, Google searches begin
- 46:31 – Anna’s loving New Year’s note to Brian
- 49:52 – Closing question: Inmate attack and public outrage
Panel of Experts
- Nancy Grace – Host, former prosecutor
- Bob Ward – Reporter, Boston 25 News
- David Stoddard – Former Atlanta PD officer, now lawyer
- Karen Stark – Psychologist
- Tom Ruskin – Private Investigator
- Julie Lewis – President/CEO, Digital Mountain, Inc. (digital/data forensics)
- Dr. Kendall Crowns – Chief Medical Examiner
Tone and Style
Nancy Grace leads the discussion with high emotion and sharp directness, refusing to sanitize the horror or tragedy of Anna’s fate. The panel matches her intensity, providing clear, expert-driven analysis while expressing disbelief and outrage at Brian Walshe’s actions. The emotional impact is heightened by the focus on the children left behind, the callousness of the alleged crime, and the grim competence of law enforcement and forensic experts reconstructing the events.
Final Thoughts
The episode provides a thorough, emotional, and analytical breakdown of the Anna Walsh case—from the chilling disappearance, the digital and physical evidence, to the psychology behind the crime and the devastating aftermath for the family. Nancy Grace and her panel expose how thorough investigative work—from TSA records to Google search histories to forensic science—close the net around suspects, even in the absence of a body. The episode closes with the haunting reality of three boys without a mother and a community waiting for justice.