DEDHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - The Cohasset man accused of murdering his wife on New Year’s Day 2023 was back in court Wednesday for his latest court appearance.
Brian Walshe appeared in a business suit, rather than a prison jumpsuit as his attorneys sought new evidence from the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office related to State Police Homicide Detective Michael Proctor.
“There is a lot of discovery forthcoming, some of which addresses some of our requests,” said defense attorney Larry Tipton.
Proctor was suspended without pay after testimony in the high-profile Karen Read murder trial and an internal investigation revealed he made degrading comments about Read.
The revelations about Proctor’s actions in the Read case, where he served as a lead investigator, opened the door to defense attorneys like Tipton seeking new information.
Since Proctor also served as the lead investigator in the Walshe case, Tipton is seeking his cell phone records as well as records from other detectives who worked the case.
Though Tipton already has some letters regarding a federal investigation into the Read case, Walshe’s defense is asking for more than 3,000 pages of documents provided by the Department of Justice.
The Norfolk DA asked the court for a protective order which would allow prosecutors to redact sections of text messages uncovered in the Read case, including texted photos of the children victim John O’Keefe was caring for after the death of his sister. The order would also allow the prosecution to redact an autopsy photo and cell phone numbers of people in the Read case.
“We don’t object to the protective order,” Tipton said. “Our understanding is that we can share the information with Mr. Walshe. But we’re not going to give him hard copies of anything just yet. And we don’t object to the redactions here today.”
“We just want to review what we have,” Tipton said. “And then we’ll come back.”
Judge Beverly Cannone, who is also presiding over the Read case, approved the prosecution’s request for a protective order.
Walshe left the courtroom after the short hearing and was taken back to jail.
Prosecutors allege Walshe killed his wife, 39-year-old Ana Walshe, and dismembered her body in the basement of their home. Prosecutors say Brian then disposed of Ana’s body parts.
Prosecutors have indicated they do not plan to call Proctor in Read’s upcoming retrial after her first trial ended without a verdict.
In recent court filings, Walshe’s defense team said they also do not expect the prosecution to call Proctor in their case.
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