Why Brian Walshe's Smartphone or Apple Watch Could Be Crucial to Solving Case

Police searching for missing wife Ana Walshe may turn to personal-tracking technology as they focus on her husband's movements—after accusing him of lying about his whereabouts, a former FBI agent claims.

Brian Walshe, 46, was wearing an electronic ankle tag when his wife vanished on New Year's Day because he was under house arrest over a fraud conviction at the time.

But the device wasn't equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS), which means investigators can't use it to work out his movements around the time of the 39-year-old's disappearance.

He reportedly claimed to have taken his son out for ice cream on January 2, but police say he was instead seen on surveillance footage buying more than $400 worth of cleaning supplies from a local Home Depot.

Officers arrested him on suspicion of misleading the police investigation into the disappearance of his wife—charges he has denied. Prosecutors went on to claim that blood and a damaged knife had been found in the basement of the family home, while an internet search carried out at the property allegedly queried how to dispose of a woman's body.

It has also emerged that Ana Walshe, who lived with her husband and their three children in Cohasset, Massachusetts, had previously called the police telling officers she was in fear for her life after Brian Walshe allegedly threatened to kill her and her friend. The incident happened almost a decade ago, in Washington D.C. in 2014 before the couple were married, but the charges were dropped when she later refused to cooperate with the investigation.

As investigators have increasingly turned their attention to Brian Walshe, tracking his movements over the time period that Ana Walshe vanished has become of paramount importance. And in the absence of geographical data that the ankle tag could have provided, detectives will look to other types of devices, an expert claims.

Former CIA and FBI agent Tracy Walder, who has been following the case closely but is not directly involved, spoke to anchor Natasha Zouves of NewsNation about the latest development. She said officers need to focus on Brian Walshe's alleged "violent tendencies" but added: "I also think that the digital trail that he left is going to be important... We know his ankle monitor did not have GPS. So that might not be helpful, but I assume he would have a phone, an Apple watch, any kinds of those devices—I think that's what is going to be most telling in a case like this."

Cellphones, Apple watches, fitness trackers and other smart devices often record or transmit data about their user's location. Police will be hoping for a break that will allow them to track Brian Walshe's movements at key times.

Newsweek has reached out to Cohasset Police for further information about their investigation.

After Brian Walshe's arrest, it emerged he had been convicted of art fraud and had been accused of other financial crimes involving his late father's will. A friend of his father alleged in 2019 court documents that Brian Walshe was "a sociopath but also a very angry and physically violent person."

Beside the arrest over allegations Brian Walshe misled police about his whereabouts, he hasn't been charged with anything else in connection with his wife's disappearance and she remains missing. A judge ordered Brian Walshe held in lieu of $500,000 bond and his next court date was set for February 9.

The investigation continues.