In the US, a man suspected of murdering his wife saw his defense undermined when his internet browsing history was revealed in court.
When a man is betrayed by his history… Brian Walshe is accused of killing his wife, Ana, in the United States. As CNN reports, the man allegedly dismembered her and dumped her remains in garbage containers in suburban Boston. Brian Walshe, 47, pleaded not guilty and his lawyer suggested the evidence against him was not strong.
Except for one: the suspect’s Google history. Especially his research after January 1, the date from which his wife gave no sign of life. Thanks to the searches, prosecutors have updated research on the dismemberment and disposal of a corpse or on divorce and inheritance. Some of his research would even have been done from his son’s iPad…
Here’s a timeline of Google searches as they were mentioned in court, along with what prosecutors say he was doing at the time:
What is the best way for a man to break up?
Brian and Ana Walshe went to bed around 1 or 1:30 a.m. after celebrating New Year’s with a friend. He told police that his wife left early in the morning for work in Washington DC, but there is no evidence that she left the house.
4h55 – How long before a body starts to smell?
4h58 – How do you prevent a body from breaking down?
5:47 – 10 ways to get rid of a dead body if you really need to
6:25 – How long does it take to inherit from someone who has disappeared?
6:34 – How do you get rid of body parts?
9:29 – What does formaldehyde do?
9:34 – How long does a DNA trace remain?
9:59 – Can partial remains be identified?
11:34 – Dissection and the best ways to dispose of a corpse
11:44 – How do you clean blood from a wooden floor?
11:56 – Luminol to detect blood.
13:08 – What happens when you put body parts in ammonia?
13:21 – Is it better to get rid of the crime scene clothes or to wash them?
Also, according to prosecutors, Brian Walshe went to a Home Depot and paid $450 in cash for supplies: a bucket, goggles, tarps, an ax and baking soda.
12:45 – Hacksaw best tool for disassembly.
13:10 – Can you be accused of murder without a body?
13:14 – Can a body be identified by broken teeth?
13:02 – What happens to the hair on a corpse?
13:13 – What is the rate of decomposition of a body found in a plastic bag compared to a surface in the forest?