Ana Walshe's friend thought disappearance was a 'cruel joke' as she had just finalized property sale
COHASSET, MASSACHUSETTS: Ana Walshe, the 39-year-old real estate manager and mother of three who went missing in the first week of January, reportedly had plans to sell some of her assets and reinvest the proceeds into a house she wanted to acquire. A source close to the family claimed there was nothing unusual about the deal as it was a common practice among realtors.
Ana disappeared in the early hours of New Year's Day but wasn't reported missing until January 4. Her husband Brian Walshe was arrested on January 8 for misleading the investigation. Several details of his past crimes have since come up, with rumors rife that he had motive to kill Ana. However, cops are yet to confirm if Brian had a definitive role in his wife's disappearance. As the search for the Massachusetts mom continues, a source close to the family revealed they first thought her disappearance was a "cruel joke," Fox News reported.
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Fox News quoted the source as saying that Ana had an "optimistic, captivating personality" and had been around and in contact with them in the days and weeks prior to her disappearance. The source further claimed that they had not seen any behavioral changes in Ana in the preceding months. "The Ana I recently collaborated with didn't seem to be any different from the Ana I first met. Not from the standpoint of altering behavior," Fox News quoted the source.
Ana frequently commuted to Washington, DC for work, and had recently completed the sale of an apartment she had owned in Revere, Massachusetts, for years. She had investment properties, including the apartment in Revere, although she resided with her family in Cohasset. The source quoted by Fox News said that Ana did not receive any of the money from the sale of the Revere condo since it was going to another investment property. They clarified that the process of selling assets to acquire others is "not unusual in any way" for someone in the real estate business. The source added they were in absolute disbelief when they heard the news, especially considering their last meeting was only days before the disappearance. "I thought it was a cruel joke at first," they said.
Ana, a mother of three young boys, went missing on January 1 while allegedly trying to use a ride-sharing service to get to a nearby airport before a trip to Washington, DC. Her husband Brian Walshe is a known fraudster and had in the past pleaded guilty to selling fake copies of Andy Warhol paintings on eBay. He reportedly tried to sell the paintings for about $100,000 each.