Revere tenants say Ana and Brian Walshe were selling off assets
REVERE - A Revere couple says Brian Walshe and his wife Ana were more than landlords but trusted friends. That was, they say, until several days ago. "Brian was very professional. He had me thinking he was an investor, he was always looking at the stock market," said Mike Silva.
As a contractor, Silva poured thousands of his own money into the unit he rented with his fiancée Mandi for the past four years, and says they were promised by the Walshes they could eventually buy it.
But it all changed with a heated conversation December 29 when the couple realized the unit had been sold for cash to other buyers and they said Ana's demeanor changed. "It was out of character the way Ana was acting. She was being protective, targeting us personally. She said she should have done a background check, checked out our credit," said Mandi Silva.
They say the Walshes owned a number of properties that Mike Silva worked on including Lynn, Marblehead and Cohasset and were told the Walshes were recently selling off assets which Mike Silva thought was strange. "I'm totally shocked, things that didn't add up are starting to add up," he said.
He had texted the couple wishing them a happy new year, and finally got an answer from Brian Walshe on January 2. "It said 'happy new year, sorry for the delay. I misplaced my phone and my son just found it.'"
There was no mention of Ana who was reported missing January 4. The couple says they felt betrayed by the Walshes, and now with Brian facing charges of misleading the investigation, and evidence uncovered at their home and at a landfill, they're not sure what to think. "I can't take that argument back with Ana. I feel guilty that I stuck up for me and my family only to have that woman to missing," said Mandi Silva.
Former federal prosecutor Brian Kelly says it's likely a grand jury will review the case, and even if Ana isn't found, further charges against her husband could come with a strong circumstantial case.
"Reports are that he's not exactly a master criminal," Kelly said. "He was googling on how to dispose of a body. That's a strong piece of circumstantial evidence, especially coupled with the knife with potentially her blood on it."
