Judge Beverly Cannone in court before reading instructions to the jury in the Karen Read murder trial on Monday, July 1, 2024.
Judge Beverly Cannone, already presiding over one of Massachusetts' most closely watched murder cases, is no longer in charge of another.
Cannone had been presiding over the murder case against Brian Walshe, a Cohasset man accused of killing his wife, Ana, as well as the controversial Karen Read case, which is slated for retrial next year.
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A court spokesman confirmed Thursday that Judge Diane Freniere is now presiding over the Walshe case, Commonwealth v. Brian Walshe. The Boston Globe reported that Superior Court Chief Justice Michael Ricciuti assigned Freniere the case.
Lat month, Brian Walshe, who is being held without bail on charges including murder, misleading an investigation and improperly moving a human body, made a brief appearance before Cannone in court, where she allowed the case to be continued to Dec. 2 so the defense team would have more time to review the large amount of evidence in the case.
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The Walshe case is one of the most high-profile murder cases in the area in recent years. Ana Walshe was first reported missing just a few days into 2023, and as the search for her grew more desperate, her husband Brian began facing charges. He was first charged with misleading police, and eventually murder. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Want updates on the Walshe murder case as they come in, plus in-depth background and analysis? Listen to "The Searches for Ana Walshe" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get podcasts.
The 39-year-old mom of three's body was never recovered. Prosecutors alleged that Brian killed her in their Cohasset home early New Year's Day, dismembered her body and discarded it into the trash.
Brian allegedly made a series of Google searches on their son's iPad that centered around discarding of a body.
The case officer in the Walshe murder investigation was Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor — the trooper who also managed the John O'Keefe murder investigation, and was suspended without pay for his unprofessional conduct that came to light in Karen Read's trial. Prosecutors have already announced that Proctor will not testify in the Walshe trial.
