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Criminal Encounters

Criminal Encounters

By: Brandon Bent
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 Criminal Encounters is a gripping true-crime podcast series that goes beyond the headlines to uncover the stories that shape our understanding of justice, danger, and the human psyche. Hosted with a sharp investigative eye and a commitment to clarity, each episode examines high-profile trials, disturbing criminal cases, long-standing mysteries, and the critical details behind both solved and unsolved disappearances.

From courtroom revelations and forensic breakthroughs to missing-persons investigations and deep-dive documentary-style storytelling, Criminal Encounters brings you into the heart of every case. Whether it’s a national media storm or a lesser-known tragedy deserving of attention, the series delivers narrative-driven reporting that is factual, immersive, and always centered on truth. If you’re drawn to real-world crime stories, legal drama, and the relentless pursuit of answers, this is your new essential listening.

Subscribe now and never miss an encounter with the cases that continue to shape public conversation—and haunt those left searching for justice.









Copyright Brandon Bent True Crime
Episodes
  • Brian Walshe Verdict

    Brian Walshe Verdict
    Dec 15 2025
    The Brian Walshe verdict is in.
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    2 mins
  • Brian Walshe Trial Update - Week 2

    Brian Walshe Trial Update - Week 2
    Dec 13 2025
    Brian Walshe Murder Trial OverviewBrian Walshe faces first-degree murder charges for the 2023 death of his wife, Ana Walshe, whose body remains missing; he pleaded guilty to misleading police and improper body disposal prior to trial. Week 2 proceedings in Norfolk Superior Court, Dedham, Massachusetts, featured prosecution evidence on his post-disappearance actions and defense strategy to create doubt.​Key Evidence PresentedProsecutors showed surveillance footage of Walshe buying cleaning supplies like hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, a hacksaw, hatchet, and Tyvek suit at stores including CVS, Walgreens, and Lowe's on January 1, 2023. Forensic testimony linked blood-positive items, including tools and items from dumpsters near his mother's home like towels, Ana's Prada bag, boots, and COVID card, to the Walshes via DNA. Digital evidence highlighted Walshe's searches on body disposal, blood cleanup, and "can you be charged with murder without a body."​Defense ApproachThe defense rested without witnesses on Thursday, December 11, surprising observers as Walshe opted not to testify, conceding he panicked after finding Ana dead post-New Year's but denying murder. They argued her "sudden unexplained death" prompted his lies to protect his family amid his legal issues. No cause of death was established without a body.​Trial ConclusionClosing arguments occurred Friday, December 12, with the jury of six men and six women deliberating over three hours before recessing; deliberations resumed Monday amid Judge Diane Freniere's instructions on premeditation and reasonable doubt. Prosecutors emphasized "consciousness of guilt" from his actions; a guilty verdict means life without parole.​​
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    3 mins
  • Brian Walshe Trial Day 4

    Brian Walshe Trial Day 4
    Dec 5 2025
    On December 4, 2025, the Brian Walshe murder trial in Massachusetts focused heavily on testimony about an affair his wife, Ana Walshe, was having before she disappeared, along with evidence about his conduct after she went missing. The trial is ongoing; there has been no murder verdict or sentencing yet as of that date.​Key developments on Dec. 4
    • Jurors heard from a man who said he was in an “intimate” relationship or affair with Ana Walshe in 2022, including spending holidays together such as Thanksgiving in Dublin and Christmas Eve in Annapolis. He described their relationship becoming more serious over time and acknowledged discussing the impact on their families.​
    • This witness testified that Ana and Brian Walshe argued about her spending Christmas Eve away from her family, with “points of contention” over missed holiday time with their children.​
    • The jury listened to a voicemail Brian Walshe left for the boyfriend on January 4, 2023, asking about Ana’s whereabouts; the witness said he had not seen her since December 25, 2022.​
    Charges and prior pleas
    • Brian Walshe, 50, is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly killing his wife around January 1, 2023, then dismembering and disposing of her body in dumpsters; her remains have never been found.​
    • He has pleaded not guilty to murder but previously pleaded guilty (without a plea deal) to misleading police and unlawfully conveying or disposing of a human body related to Ana’s disappearance.​
    • Sentencing on those lesser charges has been delayed until after the jury reaches a verdict on the murder count, at the judge’s direction.​
    Prosecution vs. defense themes
    • Prosecutors are using evidence such as alleged incriminating Google searches, Ana’s affair, and Walshe’s admitted disposal of her body to argue he planned and carried out her murder.​
    • The defense maintains that Walshe did not kill Ana, asserting in opening statements that he found her dead in bed after a New Year’s Eve gathering, panicked, and then lied to police and mishandled her body.​
    Overall status as of Dec. 4, 2025
    • December 4 marked roughly the fourth day of testimony, with the trial expected to last several weeks.​
    • The jury has not yet heard closing arguments or reached a verdict, and the judge is still ruling on what evidence jurors will hear regarding Walshe’s earlier guilty pleas on the non-murder charges.​
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    4 mins
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