(NewsNation) — Brian Walshe was sentenced to life without parole Thursday morning after being found guilty earlier this week for the murder of his wife, Ana Walshe.
The judge also sentenced Walshe to 19 to 20 years for lying to police and to no less than two years and 364 days and no more than three years, the statutory maximum, for improperly disposing of a body. The sentences are to be served consecutively.
Aleksandra Dimitrijevic, Ana Walshe’s younger sister, gave a victim impact statement on behalf of herself and her mother, asking the court to impose a sentence that reflects the gravity of the loss they experienced.
Other victim impact statements, including one on behalf of the Walshe’s children, were submitted in writing to the judge.
When presenting their recommendation, prosecutors emphasized the way Brian Walshe disposed of his wife’s body, dismembering her and throwing away body parts in various dumpsters.
Prosecutors noted that doing so deprived Ana Walshe’s family of having any funeral customs and left them with no grave to visit and mourn.
The defense argued against the prosecution’s recommendation for consecutive sentences, including life without parole, saying it was inhumane and excessive.
The defense called no witnesses and did not dispute the dismemberment allegations, but said he did so because he panicked after finding her dead.
Walshe pleaded guilty to improperly disposing of his wife’s body and lying to police, but pleaded not guilty to murder.
Ana was reported missing by her employer in 2023, but at the time, her husband told police she had left to handle an emergency at work.
While Ana’s body was never found, prosecutors had evidence Walshe purchased hundreds of dollars in cleaning supplies and searched online for ways to dispose of a body.
Brian was also the beneficiary of a life insurance policy on his wife that would have paid out $2.7 million.
Steph Whiteside contributed to this report.