Early 2000s

• Ana Ljubičić emigrates from Serbia to the U.S.
• She begins working at the Inn at Little Washington (Virginia) as a housekeeper and server.
• Marries a chef, and the couple later moves to Lenox, Massachusetts, for work at the Wheatleigh Hotel.

2008

• Ana meets Brian Walshe while working as a reservations manager at the Wheatleigh.
• Ana and her then-husband later relocate to Washington, D.C., where Ana begins working at the Willard InterContinental Hotel, advancing from assistant front-office manager to operations manager.

2011

• Brian Walshe visits a friend (later identified as a victim) in South Korea and offers to sell the friend’s art collection, including two original Andy Warhol “Shadow” paintings.
• The victim agrees, and Walshe takes the Warhol pieces and other artwork.
• Later in 2011, Walshe sells the authentic Shadow paintings to a U.S. gallery. These paintings are then resold multiple times and eventually end up outside the U.S. The originals are never recovered by authorities.
• Also around 2011, Walshe obtains replica Shadow paintings from an unwitting artist, who is unaware of Walshe’s intent to pass them off as originals.

2013

• Ana began dating Brian Walshe

2014:

• Ana’s divorce is finalized. Around this time, Ana texts a friend of Brian’s stating that he “is violent with me.”
• Ana reports to police that her “boyfriend from Boston” threatened to kill her and her friends. She does not name Brian and does not pursue formal charges.

2015

• Walshe sells the replica Shadow paintings to a buyer in France, misrepresenting them as authentic.
• December, 2015 – Ana and Brian marry in a private ceremony at L’Espalier in Boston.Reception is held at the InterContinental Hotel where Ana now works as front-office director.
• Ana moves in with Brian and his mother at 225 Beacon Street, Boston.

2016

• July 2016: Their first son, Thomas, is born — named after Brian’s father.
• The couple begins flipping or renting properties:
• Moves to Lynn, then purchases a home in Marblehead.
• Later relocates to Jerusalem Road in Cohasset, a wealthy seaside area.
• Ana’s professional reputation grows. She transitions from hospitality to real estate, joining the Mutlu Group, led by Gem Mutlu, specializing in luxury homes.
• According to neighbors, Ana is seen as the more accomplished and composed partner.
• November 2016: A buyer discovers two Andy Warhol “Shadow” paintings for sale on eBay, listed by Brian Walshe. The listing includes a photo of an invoice showing a $240,000 purchase price and Warhol Foundation numbers. Walshe lists the artwork for $100,000.
• November 3–5, 2016: The buyer contacts Walshe and agrees to purchase the paintings directly from him (outside eBay) for $80,000. A contract is signed, giving the buyer three days to return the artwork for a full refund if deemed unsatisfactory.
• November 7, 2016: The buyer’s assistant travels to Boston to retrieve the paintings. The assistant gives Walshe a cashier’s check for $80,000. Walshe deposits the check into a bank account he controls and begins withdrawing funds—$33,400 withdrawn over the next two weeks.
• November 8, 2016: The buyer removes the paintings from their frames and discovers:
• No Warhol Foundation authentication stamps
• New-looking canvas and staples
• Discrepancies between the delivered artwork and the eBay listing photos
• The buyer concludes the paintings are inauthentic and attempts to contact Walshe.
• Walshe initially does not respond, then provides delaying excuses and refuses to refund the money.

2018

• September 2018 Brian Walshe’s father, Dr. Thomas Walshe, died in September 2018 and left nothing to Brian, leading to a protracted legal fight over his estate, according to court documents filed in Plymouth Probate and Family Court in Massachusetts.
• October 2018, Brian is arrested for selling fake Andy Warhol paintings; pleads guilty in April 2021, remains under house arrest awaiting sentencing .
• Ana becomes a regional general manager for Tishman Speyer in February 2022, splitting time between Cohasset, MA, and Washington, D.C.

2021

• April 2021: Walshe pleaded guilty to three of the four counts in exchange for a recommended sentence of incarceration, supervised release, fines, restitution and forfeiture, court documents show. He also agreed to either return the artworks or pay for them.

2022

• February 2022: Ana begins her role as a regional general manager at Tishman Speyer in Washington, D.C., commuting weekly from Cohasset to work in the capital
• March 17, 2022: She sells the family home on Jerusalem Road in Cohasset for $1.385 million, marking a strategic move
• March 18, 2022: Ana closes on the purchase of a townhouse in Chevy Chase, D.C., in the $1.3 million range—creating a new base for her and the children during the workweek .
• Post-March 18, 2022: Brian and their sons remain in Cohasset, living in a rental property on Chief Justice Cushing Highway, while Ana splits her time between D.C. during the workweek and Cohasset on weekends
• November 2022: Ana Walshe was having an affair with a man in DC and spent Thanksgiving with him in Dublin, Ireland, according to court documents.
• December 25, 2022: Ana sent a message from Cohasset to her mother in Serbia requesting she come to Boston the next day, saying, “Please, mama. Come tomorrow.”
• December 27, 2022: Brian Walshe Google searched, “What’s the best state to divorce for a man,” according to prosecutors.
• December 28, 2022: During dinner with a friend in DC, Ana Walshe “became uncharacteristically upset and told her friend she believed that Mr. Walshe was going to be incarcerated as a result of his federal case, and that she was prepared to leave him and take the children to Washington
• December 30, 2022: Ana Walshe flew home to Massachusetts to be with her family during for the holiday weekend and was not expected to return to DC.
• December 31, 2022: Brian and Ana Walshe hosted a New Year’s Eve dinner with friend “Gem”; Ana last seen around 1 a.m. .

2023

January 1, 2023

• 4–6 a.m.: Ana is last seen. Brian tells police she left via rideshare to catch a work emergency flight to D.C., but investigators found no such ride or airport boarding .
• Brian claims he spent the day visiting his mother in Swampscott and running errands at CVS and Whole Foods locations with no surveillance or receipt evidence .
• 4:55 a.m. – 1:20 p.m.: Brian Walshe conducts 20 graphic Google searches about body decomposition, dismemberment, disposal, embalming, cleaning blood, handling remains, etc.

January 2, 2023

• Ana’s phone “pings” near the Cohasset home.
• Brian seen in Home Depot in Rockland wearing gloves and mask purchasing $450 in cleaning supplies (tarps, mops, tape, hatchet, gloves) using cash .

January 3, 2023

• Ana’s unused flight booked for Jan 3 confirmed; she never boards .
• Surveillance shows Brian disposing of heavy trash bags at three apartment complex dumpsters (Abington & Brockton); retrieved items include bloodstained materials and a hatchet/hacksaw .

January 4, 2023

• Ana Walshe’s employer, the real estate company Tishman Speyer, called police to report she did not show up for her job. Police welfare‑check reveals plastic liner in Brian’s Volvo; later blood detected in the vehicle .

January 5, 2023

• Public appeal issued; police search local woods and review video evidence .

January 6, 2023

• Search efforts include K‑9 teams and State Police air units. Additionally, Ana’s former Cohasset residence catches fire determined accidental .

January 7, 2023

• Investigators received an email saying “we have her here with us” and that Ana Walshe would not be returned until she paid $127,000

January 8, 2023

• Brian arrested for misleading investigators; warrant executed, uncovering blood and a bloody knife in basement .

January 9, 2023

• Arraigned in Quincy District Court; pleads not guilty, held on $500K bail. Investigators find trash bags with DNA-matched evidence at Peabody and Swampscott facilities Source
• The bags contain:
• Bloodstained towels and rugs
• Ana’s boots, handbag, and necklace fragment
• A hacksaw
• Cleaning supplies
• – Ana’s COVID-19 vaccine card

January 17, 2023

• Murder warrant issued for the death of his wife and improper disposal charges . Source

January 18, 2023

• Formal arraignment on murder and body-disposal charges.
• Brian Walshe was arraigned in Quincy District Court on charges of murder and disinterring of a body without authority.
• Walshe entered a plea of “not guilty”, speaking only to respond “I do” when asked if he understood the charges .
• Assistant District Attorney Lynn Beland detailed Brian’s online searches, starting at 4:55 AM on January 1, including terms like “How long before a body starts to smell,” “How to stop a body from decomposing,” and “10 ways to dispose of a dead body if you really need to,” among others .
• Prosecutors also presented evidence of blood and a broken knife found in the basement, trash surveillance, and items recovered from a Swampscott dumpster .
• Walshe was held without bail, though he was already in custody under a $500,000 bond from earlier misleading investigation charges

March 30, 2023

• Grand jury indicts Brian on first-degree murder, misleading police, and improper conveyance of a body .

April 27, 2023

• Brian Walshe was arraigned in Norfolk County Superior Court and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
• The judge ordered Brian Walshe to be held without bail

August 23, 2023

• next pretrial conference

November 2, 2023

• The next pretrial hearing is set for.

December 2023

• Brian Walshe lost his private attorney after he could no longer afford legal representation. A public defender has since been appointed to handle his defense in the murder case.

2024

• February 2024, Walshe was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $475,000 in restitution.

2025

June 2025:

• Brian Walshe defense team files a motion to suppress the Google search history, arguing it was obtained without proper legal consent or a warrant.

October 20, 2025

• Trial is scheduled to begin in Norfolk Superior Court, Dedham, MA.

Legal Battles & Pretrial

• Ongoing pre-trial hearings were held debating admissibility of Brian’s Google searches and forensic evidence (blood, DNA, saws, etc.).
• Motions: Defense motions challenge searches obtained without proper consent or warrant, citing Riley v. California .
• Art fraud conviction (2024) highlights a documented pattern of deception and lawbreaking.
• Digital evidence (Google searches) suggests premeditation and intent related to Ana’s disappearance.
• Forensic discoveries (blood, tarps, tools, personal items) strengthen the circumstantial case.
• Legal motions are expected to shape trial strategy — especially concerning device search privacy.
• Expert context: Massachusetts permits no‑body murder convictions if the circumstantial evidence is compelling
• Controversy: Controversy surrounds lead investigator Trooper Michael Proctor, whose texts in an unrelated case raised misconduct allegations defense seeks access and potential impact on credibility

Records