‘She was falling out of love’: Ana Walshe’s friends take the stand in murder trial

Prosecutors rested their first-degree murder situation against Brian Walshe after calling two dear friends of his wife Ana to the stand Wednesday Jurors in Norfolk County Superior Court heard testimony from Gem Mutlu a friend of the couple and former employer of Ana as well as Alyssa Kirby a friend Ana became close with after taking a job and moving part-time to D C The friends testimony took up the bulk of the prosecution s last day presenting their circumstance against Walshe who they say killed and then dismembered Ana in January Walshe pleaded guilty to lying to police and mishandling Ana s body last month but maintains that he did not kill his wife Instead his defense association indicates she had a sudden unexplained death Prosecutors solicited the onlookers to try to speak to their last conversations and moments with Ana before she disappeared including what Ana recounted them about her relationship with Walshe Mutlu who initially met Ana through Walshe at a leadership class they attended called her the sister I never had and an exceptional human being He revealed they often shared confidences and in a conversation on Dec Ana talked with him about missing her children while she worked in D C and continued issues with Walshe s federal fraud event Ana invited him over for New Year s Eve at her and Walshe s rented Cohasset home an evening Mutlu described as festive and joyful Ana s whole family Brian and their three kids were very close to Mutlu I saw them as my own he stated his eyes starting to water on the stand as he talked about the Walshe s oldest son greeting him and making him a necklace on Dec Mutlu testified that he saw Ana texting her lover William Fastow who he only knew to be a friend of Ana at the time while they sat at the kitchen island and Walshe served wine and food All three signed a champagne bottle box and Ana s message read Wow What a year And yet we are still here and together Let s make the best one yet We are the authors of our lives Courage love perseverance compassion bliss Love Ana Mutlu left around a m Jan and never saw Ana again A inadequate days later when Brian called him to say Ana was missing Mutlu was shocked I didn t understand how Ana could be missing and we could not know about this since the first day of January he disclosed on the stand We had not known about this for three days and the tone of Brian s voice was not panicked After Mutlu s testimony and before Kirby s jurors saw more footage of Walshe buying cleaning supplies and home decor as well as disposing of something in a Brockton apartment complex s dumpster They also heard from Walshe s probation officer who explained that Walshe was supposed to be under home confinement meaning he could only leave the house for set scheduled pursuits like picking up his kids from daycare and seeing his mother Kirby s tearful testimony finished the day and the Commonwealth s event On the stand Kirby described becoming best friends with Ana after she moved to D C We just kinda clicked like sisters she announced saying they spoke and or saw each other about once a week Prosecutors published a photo of Kirby and Ana together on Dec the same day as Ana s conversation with Mutlu and Kirby burst into tears The two friends had gone out that night for drinks karaoke and dancing but Kirby reported that Ana didn t act like herself She was kinda latest down Kirby announced That was strange for her Ana was tired sad and complained about the toll advance the federal fraud affair and even a lack of intimacy was causing in her marriage with Walshe Their marriage had been really strained for a long time Kirby mentioned and Ana recounted her that she was hoping Walshe would take responsibility for the federal charges he had pleaded guilty to even if that meant jail time she just demanded her family to be together Kirby announced she hadn t known about Ana s affair only that she had a crush on Fastow but Ana had advised Kirby that Walshe s mother had spoken to a psychic who explained Ana was cheating Ana disclosed the situation was weird and scary Ana also advised Kirby that Walshe rarely informed Ana he loved her but often inquired Ana how much she loved him Ana had just now replied not as much because of everything that was going on in their lives She was falling out of love Kirby revealed Ana reported her and Walshe Related Articles Watch live Brian Walshe murder trial Day Lawyers break down DNA evidence on Brian Walshe trial day Watch Live and updates Brian Walshe murder trial Day Without a body Brian Walshe prosecutors turn to blood Watch Live Day The murder trial of Brian Walshe Now that the Commonwealth has called all its viewers to the stand the defense will start presenting its scenario in court on Thursday