Brian Walshe of Cohasset was indicted by a Norfolk County grand jury on murder charges for allegedly killing his wife, Ana, at their home in January, Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrisey said Thursday.
Walshe, 47, is charged with first-degree murder, obstruction of justice, and improper conveyance of a human body, Morrisey’s office said in a statement. If convicted of first-degree murder, he faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
He allegedly murdered his 39-year-old wife on Jan. 1, before dismembering her body and disposing of it.
Prosecutors alleged that Walshe used his son’s iPad to ask Google two disturbing questions: “How long before a body starts to smell,” and “How to stop a body from decomposing.” He also made other suspicious Internet searches, including “how to embalm a body,” as well as “10 ways to dispose of a dead body if you really need to,” and “hacksaw best tool to dismember,” prosecutors said. Those searches occurred between 4:55 a.m. and 5:47 a.m. on New Year’s Day.
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Police also found blood in the basement of the couple’s home, along with a damaged knife with blood on it.
Walshe was charged with murder and pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned in Quincy District Court in January.
“This indictment moves the case to the Norfolk Superior Court, where it will be arraigned anew in the coming weeks. That date has not yet been set,” Morrissey said.
He remains held without bail.
See previous coverage on this case.
Adam Sennott can be reached at adam.sennott@globe.com.