Karen Read Judge Dismisses Case – NBC Boston

Judge Beverly Cannone, who already presided over one of the most closely watched murder cases in Massachusetts, is no longer in charge of another.

Cannone led 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 scheduled to be retried next year.

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 Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Ricciuti assigned Freniere to the case.

Last month, Brian Walshe, who is being held without bail on charges including murder, misleading an investigation and improper movement of a human body, briefly appeared in court before Cannone, where she allowed the case to continue until Dec. 2. The defense team would have more Time to examine the large amount of evidence in the case.

In the final hearing in the Ana Walshe murder case, Brian Walshe's attorneys discussed a request for information about Michael Proctor, the Massachusetts state trooper who led the investigation and the man who led to Karen Read being charged in John O'Keefe's death .

The Walshe case is one of the most high-profile murder cases in the region in recent years. Just days into 2023, Ana Walshe was first reported missing, and as the search for her became more desperate, her husband Brian was charged. He was initially charged with misleading the police and ultimately with murder. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Would you like to receive up-to-date information on the Walshe murder case as well as detailed background information and analysis? Listen to “The Searches for Ana Walshe” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.

The body of the 39-year-old mother of three was never recovered. Prosecutors alleged Brian killed her early on New Year's Day in her Cohasset home, dismembering her body and throwing it in the trash.

Brian allegedly conducted a series of Google searches on his son's iPad about dumping a body.

The case officer in the Walshe murder investigation was Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor – the police officer who also led the John O'Keefe murder investigation and was suspended without pay for his unprofessional conduct that came to light in the Karen Read trial became. Prosecutors have already announced that Proctor will not testify in the Walshe trial.