Massachusetts
Watch Live: Brian Walshe due in court for competency hearing in delayed Massachusetts murder trial
Brian Walshe, the Massachusetts man accused of killing his wife Ana and dismembering her body, is due in court for a competency hearing today that has delayed the start of his upcoming murder trial.
Last month, Judge Diane Freniere ordered Walshe to be hospitalized for 20 days at Bridgewater State Hospital to determine if he is competent to stand trial. If Walshe is found to be competent, jury selection in his trial could start next week.
You can stream the court hearing live from Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham when it begins Friday morning on CBS News Boston or in the video player above.
The Ana Walshe case
Ana Walshe, 39, was last seen early on the morning of Jan. 1, 2023, after the couple hosted a friend at their Cohasset home for a New Year’s Eve dinner.
Brian Walshe told police that she left the house early in the morning to get a ride to the airport and fly to Washington, D.C. for a work emergency, but there’s no record of her being picked up by a car or boarding a plane.
Investigators allege that Brian Walshe made gruesome internet searches on his son’s iPad around the time of her disappearance, including “10 ways to dispose of a dead body if you really need to.” Prosecutors also say surveillance video from Home Depot in Rockland shows him buying large amounts of cleaning supplies including mops, a bucket, tarps and drop cloths.
Walshe was arrested after detectives found blood as well as a bloody and damaged knife in the basement of their home. Her body has not been found.
Brian Walshe defense
Brian Walshe has suffered from fear and anxiety since he was stabbed in jail in September, his lawyers previously said.
“The defendant is not functioning at the level he was functioning prior to the violent assault and importantly, not functioning in a manner required of any defendant facing a complex trial,” the defense wrote in a filing.
The defense has asked for a change of venue outside Norfolk County, or for jurors to be selected from outside the county. They claim he can’t get a fair trial in the area because of pretrial publicity and media coverage.
Walshe’s lawyers have argued that the government obtained the alleged Google searches illegally. They’ve also sought texts and emails from former Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator who was fired for his handling of the Karen Read case.
Walshe was sentenced last year to three years in prison in a separate case after pleading guilty to art fraud charges.
Massachusetts
A magical holiday village is tucked inside Massachusetts’ most famous candle store
Yankee Candle is a staple in the Bay State, famous for its colorful jars full of fragrance and warm light.
And while its candles can essentially be bought from anywhere, the mothership of the iconic candles lies in South Deerfield at Yankee Candle Village.
The flagship store, known for its ginormous collection of Yankee Candle scents and retail goods, is a winter holiday destination for those in New England.
- This is the most popular candle scent in Massachusetts, according to The Loupe
Leading up to Christmas, the store turns into a complete holiday stop.
Now on prominent display are the brand’s many different winter scents, including such classics as Red Apple Wreath and Balsam & Cedar, and such holiday scents as Christmas Cookie and North Pole Greetings.
Bavarian Christmas Village, arguably the most festive room in Yankee Candle Village, is Christmas all year. Guests will stroll through an enchanted forest featuring a 25-foot-tall Christmas tree, nutcrackers, winter village displays and even indoor snow that falls every 4 minutes.
- ‘Disneyland’ Leverett estate of Yankee Candle founder Michael J. Kittredge II for sale at $23 million
But scattered throughout the flagship store are hints of Christmas and a winter wonderland — from the home section filled with holiday kitchen decor to the Toy Shop filled with jolly trinkets.
Santa even pays a visit to the Yankee Candle Village, hosting a storytime with kids every Monday through Thursday at 11:30 a.m.
And if the shopping and holiday joy become overwhelming, the store even has cafes that offer a bite to eat. Guests can also indulge in sweet treats in its candy store or try freshly made fudge.
Yankee Candle Village is located at 25 Greenfield Road in South Deerfield. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Yankee Candle will close 20 stores; parent to lay off 900 employees
Massachusetts
Two stranded dolphins rescued from Massachusetts marsh
It swims in the family.
A mother and calf wandered off the beaten path and got stranded in a Massachusetts marsh, forcing an emergency mammal rescue crew to save the wayward dolphin pair.
On Dec. 8, the Wareham Department of Natural Resources responded to a report of two stranded dolphins in the area of Beaverdam Creek off of the Weweantic River, a 17-mile tributary that drains into Buzzards Bay, which directly connects to the Atlantic Ocean.
When crews arrived, two common dolphins were located alive and active, but partially out of the water stranded in the marsh, according to the Wareham Department of Natural Resources.
Responding authorities alerted the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Marine Mammal Stranding Response Team, based in Cape Cod.
IFAW team members put the dolphins on stretchers and brought them to safety, where they conducted preliminary tests on the wayward dolphins.
“Our teams were easily able to extract the animals and transport them via our custom-built rescue vehicle,” Stacey Hedman, senior director of communications for IFAW, said.
The dolphins were weighed; the smaller of the two weighed approximately 90 lbs, and the larger mammal around 150 lbs.
Upon further analysis, it was revealed that the dolphins were an adult female and a socially-dependent juvenile female, a mother and calf pair.
According to Hedman, IFAW had some concerns over the mother’s decreased responsiveness and abnormal blood work, though it was deemed the pair was healthy enough to release back into the ocean at West Dennis Beach in Dennis, Mass.
“By releasing them into an area with many other dolphins around, this would hopefully increase their chances of socialization and survival. Both animals have satellite tags that are still successfully tracking,” Hedman said.
Massachusetts
Man seriously injured after being thrown from moving vehicle during domestic dispute
A 19-year-old Massachusetts man was seriously injured after he was thrown from a moving vehicle he had grabbed onto during a domestic dispute Thursday morning.
Duxbury police said they responded to a report of an injured male who might have been struck by a vehicle on Chandler Street around 5:22 a.m. and found a 19-year-old Pembroke man lying in the roadway with serious injuries.
Through interviews with witnesses, officers learned that the man had gone to his ex-girlfriend’s residence on Chandler Street to confront her current boyfriend. An altercation ensued, during which police said the 19-year-old appears to have jumped on the hood of a vehicle and was then thrown from the moving vehicle.
The incident remains under investigation, police said. At this time, they said no charges have been filed.
-
Alaska6 days agoHowling Mat-Su winds leave thousands without power
-
Politics1 week agoTrump rips Somali community as federal agents reportedly eye Minnesota enforcement sweep
-
Ohio1 week ago
Who do the Ohio State Buckeyes hire as the next offensive coordinator?
-
Texas6 days agoTexas Tech football vs BYU live updates, start time, TV channel for Big 12 title
-
News1 week agoTrump threatens strikes on any country he claims makes drugs for US
-
World1 week agoHonduras election council member accuses colleague of ‘intimidation’
-
Washington3 days agoLIVE UPDATES: Mudslide, road closures across Western Washington
-
Iowa5 days agoMatt Campbell reportedly bringing longtime Iowa State staffer to Penn State as 1st hire