Friend who spent New Year's Eve with Ana Walshe said there was 'no indication' of tragedy
BOSTON - A man who celebrated New Year's Eve with Ana and Brian Walshe is speaking out. Gem Mutlu was one of the last people to see Ana before she disappeared.
Mutlu described the night at Walshe's home as "festive" and said Brian made an "elaborate meal.".
"We hugged and celebrated and we toasted just what you do over new year's," Mutlu told WBZ-TV's Juli McDonald. "There was a lot of looking forward to the new year. There was no indication of anything other than celebrating the new year, problems on hold."
A phone call on Wednesday from Brian Walshe, left Mutlu in shock. "I said what's wrong? Is there something wrong? He said yeah Ana is missing," Mutlu said.
They had only just hugged goodbye, after leaving the Walshes' New Year's Eve party around 1:30 in the morning Sunday.
"She was texting with friends," Mutlu said. "She was sitting next to me at the barstool at their kitchen. There was absolutely no indication that any modicum of a tragedy, of disappearance, or anything else could have happened that night."
Ana was reportedly last seen leaving her home around 4 a.m. on January 1. A middle of the night work emergency, with no cell or bank activity since - never made sense for Gem. He met Ana through Brian. Despite their friendship, his fears grew.
"Both Ana and Brian have been individually and together very impactful on my life. A part of me had this suspicion all along that there may have been foul play and that somehow just the story just wasn't adding up," Mutlu said.
Those suspicions painfully confirmed by Brian Walshe's arrest Sunday evening for misleading police and chilling evidence presented in court.
Prosecutors said a bloody knife was found in the basement of the Walshes' home and Brian allegedly purchased hundreds of dollars in cleaning supplies after Ana's disappearance.
Mutlu said Ana and Brian had been living in separate homes. "My biggest fear had shifted towards the children," Mutlu said. "I wondered if the children were safe."
Ana and Brian's three young boys are in state custody.
Mutlu said he has been in close contact with police.