COHASSET, Mass — It is a seaside town, a colonial town -- a commuter town. But more than anything else, Cohasset is a small town.
“This is like Mulberry Street,” one resident told Boston 25 News. “Nothing like this ever happens here.”
The latest chapter of ‘what happened here’ unfolded in what seemed another universe. In Quincy District Court, Brian Walshe, 47, was arraigned for the murder of his wife, Ana. She’s been missing since the turn of the year -- and it’s a case that has drawn national attention.
“Just a tragic set of circumstances,” said another resident. “The way it’s all unfolded and some of the evidence. We just heard today all the different social media posts and what he looked up and Googled is just frightening.”
What Walshe is accused of looking up, prosecutors say, are searches regarding the dismemberment and disposal of bodies.
“This town has obviously been super safe for many years,” said resident Cassidy Joslin. “Goes to show that anything can happen in any small town.”
Cohasset is not just ‘any small town.’ It is 10 square miles of affluence and antique structures, wrapped around a quaint, yet vibrant downtown.
“It’s a very small community, we’re a very tight-knit community,” said Devon Noonan, a lifelong resident.” I didn’t know either one of them personally, but I have three small children myself -- two young boys around the same age as their boys -- so it’s very sad and I just hope that the family gets closure.”
Noonan said things are already ‘in the works’ to help the three Walshe children, ages two to six, who are without a mother and, at the moment, a father.
“This community is amazing -- how strong we can be when we come together,” she said.
One thing that seems certain, rare as crimes like murder are in Cohasset, this one will be hard for the community to shake.
“Gonna be, I’m sure, a long time for everybody to put this on the back burner,” one resident said. “Because it’s front and center for everyone right now.”
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