Husband of missing Cohasset woman arrested and charged with misleading police

COHASSET − The husband of a Cohasset woman who has not been seen since early in the morning on New Year's Day is in custody.

Brian Walshe, 46, was arrested on a charge of misleading a police investigation in connection with the disappearance of his 39-year-old wife, Ana Walshe, according to the Norfolk County district attorney's office.

Ana Walshe was last seen by a family member in her Cohasset home between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. Jan. 1, Cohasset Police Chief William Quigley said. He said Walshe's cellphone, as well as her credit and debit cards, have been inactive since New Year's Day.

Ana Walshe was reported missing Wednesday, simultaneously, by Brian Walshe and her employer, the Washington, D.C.-based real estate company Tishman Speyer.

The district attorney's office has taken the lead on the investigation after Cohasset police, the Massachusetts Special Emergency Response Team, the Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council and other agencies searched around the Walshe family's home off Chief Justice Cushing Highway (Route 3A) from Friday through Sunday.

Marked and unmarked police cruisers arrived at the Walshes' home at about 9 a.m. Sunday, less than 16 hours after State Police and Cohasset police said the ground search would not resume unless they developed new information that would warrant a renewed search.

Investigators were seen walking around the home and taking photographs throughout the day Sunday, and went inside the house.

"Police developed probable cause to believe that (Ana Walshe's) husband, Brian Walshe, had committed the crime of misleading police investigators," a statement from the district attorney's office said.

Young children were led out of the house Sunday morning. Ana and Brian Walshe have three boys between the ages of 2 and 6.

A red truck pulled up to the home earlier Sunday morning and dropped off an older woman, who spoke with an investigator for a few minutes. The woman later appeared to leave the home with the children in a different vehicle. A man left the home in a separate vehicle shortly thereafter.

Brian Walshe is expected to be arraigned Monday morning in Quincy District Court, and the district attorney's office said more facts might be entered into the record at that time.

Sunday’s unexpected mobilization follows a decision Saturday night by State Police and Cohasset police to end a two-day ground search for Ana Walshe.

In a joint statement, the State Police and Cohasset police said their ground search for Walshe ended at about 5:15 p.m. Saturday.

On Friday, the State Police Special Emergency Response Team and a regional police team had spent much of the day searching the area near Walshe's home. The search was called off for the night at about 6:30 p.m. after officers covered an area of about 1 square mile.

The search for Walshe in that area resumed between 9:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. Saturday.

Authorities said 20 troopers from the State Police Special Emergency Response Team, which is trained in search-and-rescue operations, as well as three K-9 teams and the State Police Air Wing Unit searched wooded areas near Walshe's home off Chief Justice Cushing Highway (Route 3A) for the second straight day.

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State Police divers also searched a small stream and a pool, according to authorities.

At about 1:45 p.m. Saturday, Sky5 spotted a group draining and cleaning out the swimming pool at Walshe's Cohasset home. At least one police officer appeared to be digging up old leaves that were along the bottom of the in-ground pool.

A family member told police Walshe was supposed to take a ride-share to Boston Logan International Airport on Jan. 1. Officials confirmed with the airlines that Walshe did not board a plane last week.

"It's been reported that she was called to D.C. to handle some type of emergency at one of the properties that she manages. That's why she was attempting to go to D.C. (on New Year's Day)," Quigley said. "She did have a flight booked for Jan. 3, but she never got on that flight."

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Quigley said the Walshe family owns a townhouse in Washington, D.C.. He said the Metropolitan Police Department searched the home and found no sign of Walshe there.

"She does work in D.C., and it's not abnormal for her to work long hours and not contact the home," Quigley said.

A Cohasset Police Department spokesperson said Cohasset and State Police detectives arrived in Washington early Saturday morning as part of the investigation.

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Friends said Walshe commutes to Washington during the week for work at the real estate company, Tishman Speyer, a job she started last year. She's active on social media, but friends say those accounts went silent Sunday when she was due to catch a flight.

"She's a loving and loyal wife and mother of three beautiful boys," Alissa Kirby, a friend, said. "She loves her family, and I know in my heart that of her choice, she would not go a day without speaking to her husband and her kids."

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While law enforcement searched for Walshe on Friday, a fire broke out in her former home at 725 Jerusalem Road in Cohasset. Officials said the current residents of the home called 911 when the fire began.

That address is where Ana Walshe lived until recently. Zillow shows the property was sold on March 17, 2022.

Three adults and a baby all got out of the home safely, officials said.

Quigley said any possible connection between Walshe's disappearance and the fire would be investigated.

On Saturday, a spokesperson for the state fire marshal's office said the fire started in the area of damaged piping that is connected to a natural gas fireplace insert. In their joint statement, State Police and Cohasset police said the fire was accidental.

Police said Walshe is 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs 115 pounds. She has brown hair, brown eyes and an olive complexion. Walshe speaks with an eastern European accent, police said.

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Anyone with information about Walshe's whereabouts is asked to contact Detective Harrison Schmidt at 781-383-1055 Ext. 6108 or email hschmidt@cohassetpolice.com. Cohasset police have also set up a new email for tips at tips@cohassetpolice.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Ground search suspended in case of missing Cohasset woman Ana Walshe