Kennedy Center to be renamed ‘Trump-Kennedy Center,’ White House claims

Kennedy Center to be renamed ‘Trump-Kennedy Center,’ White House claims
Kennedy Center to be renamed ‘Trump-Kennedy Center,’ White House claims
U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the Diplomatic Room of the White House on December 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump would be “addressing the country about all of his historic accomplishments over the past year, and maybe teasing some policy that will be coming in the new year, as well.” (Photo by Doug Mills – Pool/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) — The White House announced Thursday that the board at the Kennedy Center, which President Donald Trump now chairs and is newly filled with his appointees, has voted “unanimously” to rename the building the “Trump-Kennedy Center.”

“I have just been informed that the highly respected Board of the Kennedy Center, some of the most successful people from all parts of the world, have just voted unanimously to rename the Kennedy Center to the Trump-Kennedy Center, because of the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a social media post.

“Not only from the standpoint of its reconstruction, but also financially, and its reputation. Congratulations to President Donald J. Trump, and likewise, congratulations to President Kennedy, because this will be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt attain new levels of success and grandeur,” Leavitt continued.

The move raises legal questions, as it appears congressional approval would be needed to make the name change.

David Super, a professor at Georgetown Law, told ABC News that federal statute (Title 20 of the U.S. Code, section 76i) designates the building “the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.” 

“I suppose he could rename some parts of the building, but he cannot rename the building itself or the center itself,” Super said.

Back in February, Trump fired multiple members from the Kennedy Center’s Board of Trustees and became its chairman. Several of his administration officials were then installed as board members — including White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, second lady Usha Vance, deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino, and U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor.

When asked about the board’s vote to rename the center during an executive order signing in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said he was “honored” and “surprised.”

“Well, I was honored by it. It’s board, it’s a very distinguished board, most distinguished people in the country. And I was surprised by it. I was honored by it,” Trump said.

While Trump and the White House said the vote was unanimous, Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, who sits on the Kennedy Board of Trustees as one of its ex-officio members, said she was muted on the call during the vote and could not voice her opposition to the name change.

Beatty told reporters that “a lot of time was spent praising the president” before a proposal was made to rename the building.

“At that point, I said, ‘I have something to say,’ and I was muted, and as I continued to try to unmute, to ask questions and voice my opposition to this, I received a note saying that I would not be unmuted,” Beatty said. “I was not allowed to vote because I was muted. I would not have supported this.”

Beatty and Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree, the ranking member on the House Appropriations subcommittee on the interior, said they were looking at ways to push back on the change in Congress.

“We also believe this is illegal. This is our living monument to JFK,” Pingree said.

Though Trump said he was “surprised,” he has repeatedly referred to the center as the “Trump-Kennedy Center” before the change was announced on Thursday.

“On Dec. 5 of this year, the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw will take place at the Kennedy Center. Some people refer to [it] as the Trump-Kennedy Center, but we’re not prepared to do that quite yet– maybe in a week or so,” Trump said on August 22.

Trump on Thursday said his administration “saved” the historic arts and culture center.

“We’re saving the building. We saved the building. The building was in such bad shape — physically, financially, in every other way,” he said. “And now it’s very solid and very strong.”

Despite Leavitt and Trump’s claims that he has rescued the building financially, the Washington Post reported in late October that ticket sales have plummeted since Trump’s takeover.

Several high-profile artists and shows have canceled appearances at the venue since Trump became its leader, including actress Issa Rae and the Broadway show “Hamilton.”

ABC News’ John Parkinson contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

HHS proposes actions to limit access to gender-affirming care for minors

HHS proposes actions to limit access to gender-affirming care for minors
HHS proposes actions to limit access to gender-affirming care for minors
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., US secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), during an executive order signing in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. US President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order directing his administration to move cannabis into a less restrictive federal category, setting in motion a regulatory shift that could alter the legal and commercial landscape for the drug nationwide. Photographer: Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomb

(WASHINGTON) — The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on Thursday a series of proposed actions to limit access to gender-affirming care for minors.

It comes after HHS released a final version of its report on pediatric gender-affirming care last month, claiming it found “medical dangers posed to children,” which received pushback from medical groups.

Speaking at press event, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy said doctors providing gender-affirming care for minors are endangering lives and lambasted medical organizations that have supported such care for transgender youth.

“They betrayed their Hippocratic Oath to do no harm,” Kennedy said. “So-called ‘gender affirming care’ has inflicted lasting physical and psychological damage on vulnerable young people. This is not medicine. It is malpractice. We’re done with junk science, driven by ideological pursuits, not the well-being of children.”

Kennedy also signed a declaration finding that gender-affirming surgeries do not meet professional recognized standards of health care, with an HHS press release stating that doctors who perform these procedures would be deemed “out of compliance with those standards.” 

The proposed regulations include actions from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Office of Civil Rights (OCR).

CMS will issue a proposal barring hospitals from participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs if they provide gender-affirming to children under age 18.

Another CMS proposal will prohibit federal Medicaid funding for hospitals providing gender-affirming care on children under age 18 and funding from the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Additionally, the FDA is issuing warning letters to 12 manufacturers and retailers for “illegal marketing” of breast binders, a compression garment worn to flatten the appearance of breasts, to children with gender dysphoria.

The agency said the letters will note that the companies are facing significant regulatory violations and how to take corrective action.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary claimed that long-term use of breast binders among children has been linked to pain and compromised lung function. Physicians say chest binding is generally considered safe when practiced with a physician’s guidance.

“Pushing transgender ideology in children is predatory. It’s wrong, and it needs to stop,” Makary said at Thursday’s press event.

The top pediatrician group in the nation reacted to Kennedy’s declaration and the proposed actions, saying they set a “dangerous precedent.”

“Unprecedented actions and harmful rhetoric [took] place today,” the American Academy of Pediatrics said in response to the HHS announcement. They went further, saying that the proposed rules were a “baseless intrusion in the patient-physician relationship.”

Lastly, the HHS announced the OCR will move to reverse a Biden-era rule that included gender dysphoria within the definition of a disability.

November’s HHS report alleged that gender-affirming care — including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and gender-affirming surgeries — caused significant, long-term damage. 

An early version of the report, published in May, referred to itself as a “comprehensive review” of transgender care for children and teens, calling for a broader use of psychotherapy for young people with gender dysphoria rather than gender-affirming medical interventions.

The HHS referred to the final version of the report as “peer-reviewed,” but some of those who reviewed the contents are researchers who have spoken against gender affirming care.

Some major medical groups pushed back, stating that psychotherapy first is the standard approach in gender-affirming care and that additional care, such as hormonal therapies, only occurs after in-depth evaluations between patients and doctors.

“Everyone in this country should have access to the care they need to stay healthy, including transgender and nonbinary young people,” Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, senior vice president of public engagement campaigns at The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focusing on suicide prevention efforts among LGBTQ+ youth, said in a statement.

“Personal medical decisions ought to be made between patients, their doctors, and their families — not through a one-size-fits-all mandate from the federal government,” the statement continued. “The multitude of efforts we are seeing from federal legislators to strip transgender and nonbinary youth of the health care they need is deeply troubling.”

In January, Trump signed an executive order stating the U.S. would not “fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support” gender transition of those under age 19 and would “rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures.”

Transgender adults and youth may experience extreme psychological distress due to a mismatch in their gender presentation and identity, medical groups have said. They experience significantly higher rates of suicide than the general population, but some studies suggest gender-affirming care eases those feelings of distress.

While some individuals and groups have called for a slower approach to gender-affirming care for minors, other pediatric gender care experts and advocates have said ending such care can have a harmful effect on patients’ mental health and well-being.

ABC News’ Youri Benadjaoud contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Trump signs executive order easing marijuana restrictions by reclassifying drug

Trump signs executive order easing marijuana restrictions by reclassifying drug
Trump signs executive order easing marijuana restrictions by reclassifying drug
U.S. President Donald Trump listens during a ceremony for the presentation of the Mexican Border Defense Medal in the Oval Office of the White House on December 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug. 

Currently, cannabis is classified as a Schedule I drug, the most restrictive federal category that includes heroin and LSD.

Under this change, it moves to a Schedule III drug, putting it in the same group as some common prescription painkillers such as Tylenol with codeine. 

The White House is stressing that this change makes it easier for scientists to study marijuana, especially around its potential to treat chronic pain and other conditions

“The executive order the President will sign today is focused on increasing medical research for medical marijuana and CBD,” a senior administration official told ABC News ahead the signing.

“The President is very focused on the potential medical benefits, and he has directed a commonsense approach that will automatically start working to improve the medical marijuana and CBD research to better inform patients and doctors. That’s the primary goal,” the official added.

The order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to expedite the completion of the process of rescheduling marijuana, according to a senior White House official, who outlined the order on a background call with reporters on Thursday. 

“Nearly one in four U.S. adults have chronic pain; more than one in three U.S. seniors and six of 10 people that use medical marijuana report doing so to manage pain,” the official said. 

By making medical marijuana more accessible, healthcare providers are also hopeful that patients will discuss the risks and benefits and especially what is known about how marijuana may interact with other medications or supplements.

“It’s very important for seniors, especially many of them are on multiple medications, and only 56% of seniors that are using medical marijuana have ever discussed it with their doctor, highlighting a big gap in the quality of care for patients.” 

For the first time at the federal level, the order means the government formally recognizes that marijuana could have medical value. 

“His intent is to remove barriers to research. The president has heard from so many people who have talked about the potential benefits of medical marijuana and CBD use, but he’s also heard from patients and from doctors that there’s not enough research to inform medical guidelines that many patients are using these products without talking to their doctor about them,” the White House official said. 

While this move does not fully legalize marijuana, it could mean some important practical changes, including easier medical access and fewer legal gray areas for consumers and businesses. 

The officials said that this executive order makes good on Trump’s campaign promise. Trump first announced his support for this change in federal policy back on the 2024 campaign trail as he tried to win over young voters. 

Trump has said he’d support research on the medical benefits of marijuana and that individuals should not be arrested or incarcerated for small amounts of marijuana for personal use.

However, this change still means that marijuana is illegal to possess under federal law, the senior official clarified. Changing the federal law would require Congressional approval.

“Anyone possessing marijuana would be in violation of the CSA (Controlled Substances Act) and still remain subject to arrest under federal law. The schedule III change is not changing federal policy regarding that,” the official said.

To date, evidence on how safe or effective marijuana may be for medical purposes is limited due to research restrictions, but nearly all states currently allow some medical use of the drug.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family dead in small plane crash in North Carolina: Officials

Former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family dead in small plane crash in North Carolina: Officials
Former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family dead in small plane crash in North Carolina: Officials
In this July 9, 2022, file photo, Greg Biffle looks on during a heat race at a Camping World Superstar Racing Experience at I-55 Raceway, in Pevely, Missouri. Jeff Curry/SRX via Getty Images, FILE

(NORTH CAROLINA) — Former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and members of his family died when a small plane crashed and caught fire during landing at the Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina on Thursday, according to the family and officials.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol said it is awaiting confirmation from the medical examiner, but “it is believed that Mr. Gregory Biffle and members of his immediate family were occupants of the airplane.”

Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell told ABC News five adults and two children died on the Cessna C550.

“This tragedy has left all of our families heartbroken beyond words,” the Biffle, Grossu, Dutton and Lunders families said in a statement.

“Greg and Cristine were devoted parents and active philanthropists whose lives were centered around their young son Ryder and Greg’s daughter Emma,” the statement said. “Emma was a wonderful human being with a kind soul who was loved by many people. Ryder was an active, curious and infinitely joyful child.”

“Dennis Dutton and his son Jack were deeply loved as well, and their loss is felt by all who knew them,” the statement continued. “Craig Wadsworth was beloved by many in the NASCAR community and will be missed by those who knew him.”

NASCAR said in a statement that it is “devastated by the tragic loss of Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, son Ryder, Craig Wadsworth and Dennis and Jack Dutton.”

“Greg was more than a champion driver, he was a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor, and a friend to so many,” NASCAR said. “His passion for racing, his integrity, and his commitment to fans and fellow competitors alike made a lasting impact on the sport.”

“Heartbreaking news out of Statesville,” North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein wrote on social media. “Beyond his success as a NASCAR driver, Greg Biffle lived a life of courage and compassion and stepped up for western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene. My heart goes out to all those who lost a loved one in this tragic crash.”

The cause of the crash is not known, said John Ferguson, manager of the airport in Statesville, about 50 miles north of Charlotte.

The airport is closed for further notice, Ferguson said, noting that it will take time to get the debris off the runway. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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US launches new strike on alleged drug boat, bringing total death toll to 99

US launches new strike on alleged drug boat, bringing total death toll to 99
US launches new strike on alleged drug boat, bringing total death toll to 99

LONDON — U.S. Southern Command announced on Wednesday that American forces struck another alleged drug vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing four people the command described as “narco-terrorists.”

Wednesday’s strike was the 26th since such operations began on Sept. 2. The total death toll as reported by the Pentagon now stands at 99 people.

SOUTHCOM said the “lethal kinetic strike” was launched at the direction of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Joint Task Force Southern Spear.

“Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” the statement added. “A total of four male narco-terrorists were killed, and no U.S. military forces were harmed.”

A video posted alongside the statement showed a vessel in motion before it was hit by an explosion. The video then cut to show a stationary vessel on fire.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

House Democrats release another batch of Epstein photos

House Democrats release another batch of Epstein photos
House Democrats release another batch of Epstein photos
In this handout, the mug shot of Jeffrey Epstein, 2019. Kypros/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — One day before the deadline for the Justice Department to release its files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Thursday publicly disclosed another batch of photographs provided by the late financier’s estate in response to Congressional subpoenas.

The cache of about 70 photos includes include heavily redacted photos of women’s passports, images of famous men who associated with Epstein, and “concerning text messages about recruiting women for Jeffrey Epstein,” according to a statement from Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the ranking Democrat on the committee.

“Oversight Democrats will continue to release photographs and documents from the Epstein estate to provide transparency for the American people,” Garcia said in the statement. “As we approach the deadline for the Epstein Files Transparency Act, these new images raise more questions about what exactly the Department of Justice has in its possession. We must end this White House cover-up, and the DOJ must release the Epstein files now.”

The photos released Thursday are from a larger batch of more than 95,000 images turned over last week by the Epstein estate. The photos were provided to Congress without context, timing, or locations. The images are therefore “presented as received,” the Democrats said.

One image shows billionaire Bill Gates standing with a woman — whose face is concealed — in what appears to be a hotel lobby.  Another shows the philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky aboard an airplane chatting with Epstein.

The appearance of the men in the photos is not evidence of wrongdoing.

Another photo shows a woman’s lower leg and foot on what looks like a bed, with a paperback copy of Vladimir Nabokov’s “Lolita” in the background.  On the woman’s foot is a handwritten quote from the controversial 1955 novel about a professor’s obsession with a young girl.

“She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock,” the quote reads.

Other images include a heavily redacted Ukrainian passport of a woman, with all the identifying information covered with black boxes to protect her identify.  After Epstein’s 2006 arrest and jail sentence in Florida for solicitation of a minor, he was alleged to have turned his focus to recruiting young women from Eastern European countries.

Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019.

A screenshot released Thursday of a text message chat — whose participants are not revealed — seems to involve a discussion about recruiting an 18-year-old woman to meet Epstein.

“I will send u girls now,” the message says.  “Maybe someone will be good for J?”

A redacted description lists the woman’s name, age, height, weight and physical measurements. The message indicates the woman would be traveling from Russia.

Last week, House Democrats made public another selection of photos from the Epstein estate.

The House Oversight Committee is conducting a broad inquiry into the federal government’s handling of investigations into Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.  The committee’s efforts are separate from — though at times overlapping — the new law that requires the DOJ to make public its files on Epstein by Friday.

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Funeral held for 10-year-old Matilda, the youngest Bondi Beach victim

Funeral held for 10-year-old Matilda, the youngest Bondi Beach victim
Funeral held for 10-year-old Matilda, the youngest Bondi Beach victim
A portrait of 10-year-old Matilda, victim of the Bondi Beach shooting, sits on a flower memorial beside Bondi Pavilion on December 17, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. James D. Morgan/Getty Images

(SYDNEY) — Hundreds of mourners gathered in Sydney, Australia, on Thursday for the funeral of 10-year-old Matilda, who was the youngest victim of this weekend’s mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach.

A tiny white coffin was slowly carried out of the synagogue as people sobbed, hugged, clutched teddy bears and held colorful, heart-shaped balloons.

Matilda’s family moved from Ukraine to Australia “for a good life,” a rabbi told The Associated Press.

Matilda’s mother told ABC News that this photo of Matilda in a yellow dress with her face painted was taken on the day she was killed.

In an online fundraiser, a teacher wrote that she knew Matilda — whose last name has not been released — as a “bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to everyone around her.”

Matilda was among the 15 people killed when two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration this weekend in what officials called an antisemitic terror attack. More than 40 others were wounded.

One gunman was killed at the scene and the second is in custody and facing charges.

ABC News’ Nataliia Popova contributed to this report.

 

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Luigi Mangione’s pretrial hearing concludes as judge says he’ll issue ruling on evidence in May

Luigi Mangione’s pretrial hearing concludes as judge says he’ll issue ruling on evidence in May
Luigi Mangione’s pretrial hearing concludes as judge says he’ll issue ruling on evidence in May
Luigi Mangione appears for a suppression of evidence hearing in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan Criminal Court on December 18, 2025 in New York City. Curtis Means-Pool/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — The evidence suppression hearing in the case against accused CEO killer Luigi Mangione concluded Thursday after the defense signaled it would call no witnesses.

“The defense rests,” defense attorney Karen Agnifilo said after prosecutors indicated they, too, rested.

The nine-day hearing will determine what evidence will be used against Mangione when he goes on trial on charges of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk last year.

The defense has argued the officers violated Mangione’s constitutional rights against illegal search and seizure because they lacked a warrant when they searched his backpack after Mangione was apprehended in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s five days after the shooting.

New York Judge Gregory Carro gave the defense until Jan. 29 to make its final argument about the evidence in writing.  Prosecutors have until March 5.  The defense then has two weeks after that to submit a reply.

Carro said he expected to issue his decision about what, if any, evidence to exclude on May 18, at which point he would also set a date for trial.

Prosecutor Joel Seidemann pushed for the case to move toward trial, noting that Thompson’s mother is 77 years old and is waiting for the case to reach a conclusion.

The suppression hearing included testimony from 17 witnesses and produced new information about the case that the Manhattan district attorney’s office is building against Mangione.

Higher-quality surveillance video of Thompson’s murder that was played in court shows Thompson buckling against the side of the Hilton facade, the suspect calmly walking by the victim and bystanders pointing in the suspect’s direction.

Multiple body-worn camera videos of the hour-long encounter at the McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, show officers approaching Mangione, placing him under arrest and searching his backpack.

The body camera footage shows officers collected more evidence from Mangione than previously known, including handwritten notes that prosecutors characterized as a “to-do” list, as well as possible “escape routes.” One of the notes included a reminder to “pluck eyebrows.”

Prosecutors played several 911 calls, and Pennsylvania correction officers testified that Mangione made statements about health care, how he was being perceived in the media, and about a 3D-printed gun.

Defense attorneys highlighted how Mangione was not read his rights until 19 minutes after officers first approached him. Officers testified they believed Mangione was the suspect in the New York shooting and were trying to confirm his identity without raising his suspicions because they were under a “high level of threat.”

Altoona Patrolman Stephen Fox testified that Mangione saw the crowd of media gathered outside for his arraignment and quoted him saying, “All these people here for a mass murderer, wild.”

Fox also testified that Mangione, after tripping on his shackles, said, “It’s OK, I’ll have to get used to it.” 

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Bondi Beach survivor recalls getting shot while running toward his family

Bondi Beach survivor recalls getting shot while running toward his family
Bondi Beach survivor recalls getting shot while running toward his family
Community members gather outside of Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach on December 15, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Audrey Richardson/Getty Images)

(SYDNEY) — When shots rang out at a Hanukkah celebration on Australia’s Bondi Beach, Arsen Ostrovsky said he thought it could’ve been balloons popping.

“Because it was the carnival, there were clowns and children’s activities,” he told ABC News. “But then it was just non-stop, relentless — so I knew that we were under attack.”

As Ostrovsky ran toward his wife and her children, who were exposed and closer to the shooting, he said he felt a bullet strike his head.

“I fell down and I remember saying, ‘I’m hit, ‘I’m hit,’ and the blood just started gushing,” Ostrovsky said, with part of his head still bandaged up.

Fifteen people were killed — including a 10-year-old girl named Matilda and an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor — and more than 40 others were wounded in last weekend’s mass shooting at Bondi Beach.

The two gunmen — who officials say appeared to have been inspired by ISIS — were allegedly father and son. The father, Sajid Akram, was killed by police at the scene, and the son, Naveed Akram, was wounded and taken into custody. He faces charges, including committing a terrorist act and 15 counts of murder.

When asked if he has anything to say to the gunmen, Ostrovsky — who was in Israel during Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, 2023 — said he hopes they face justice and understand they will never succeed in taking away his humanity.

“We’ve seen the horrors of the last two years in Israel, thinking that we would be coming here to a safe place, and then having to flee for our lives,” Ostrovsky said.

Ostrovsky said the actions of people at Bondi Beach, like Ahmed al-Ahmed — a bystander who was seen on video jumping in and wrestling a gun away from one of the attackers — and other members of the public who ran toward the danger, have helped him see humanity in the darkness.

People were “running from the surf, coming from shops, running from a beach to help,” he said.

“That’s what I choose to take,” he said.

ABC News’ Karson Yiu and James Gillings contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Brian Walshe sentenced to life in prison for murdering and dismembering wife

Brian Walshe sentenced to life in prison for murdering and dismembering wife
Brian Walshe sentenced to life in prison for murdering and dismembering wife
Brian Walshe, accused of murdering wife Ana Walshe on Jan. 1, 2023, is lead into his hearing at Norfolk Superior Court. (Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)

(DEDHAM, Mass.) —Brian Walshe was sentenced on Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a Massachusetts jury found him guilty of killing and dismembering his wife, the mother of their three children, with the judge calling his acts “barbaric and incomprehensible.”

His wife, Ana Walshe, went missing on Jan. 1, 2023, at the age of 39. Her body has not been found.

Brian Walshe, 50, pleaded guilty last month to improperly disposing of her body and lying to police following her disappearance. He had changed his plea on the two charges before jury selection got underway for the trial, while maintaining that he did not kill her.

A Norfolk County jury found Brian Walshe guilty of first-degree murder on Monday, after deliberating for approximately six hours over two days.

He faced a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole after being convicted of first-degree murder.

Judge Diane Freniere said that the sentence, the only appropriate sentence under the law, is “immensely appropriate and just, given your murderous acts and the life trauma that you’ve inflicted upon your own children.”

She said that because of his lies to police, “thousands of hours of investigative resources were wasted, diverted from other deserving cases,” and that his “acts in dismembering your wife’s body and disposing of her remains in multiple area dumpsters can only be described as barbaric and incomprehensible.”

“You had no regard for the lifelong mental harm that your criminal acts inflicted on your then 2-, 4- and 6-year-old sons,” she said, noting that they will “never being able to properly grieve that loss to say goodbye to their mom.”

She handed down consecutive sentences on the three counts, with up to 20 years for lying to police and up to three years for illegally conveying his wife’s body.

Ana Walshe’s sister addressed the court ahead of sentencing, saying the “incomprehensible act” has left her and their mother with an “unbearable emptiness.”

Her sister, Aleksandra Dimitrijevic, asked the court to consider the “long-lasting” impact her murder will have on her children in handing down the sentence.

“The most painful part of this loss is knowing her children must now grow up without their mother’s hand to hold,” she said. “They now face a lifetime of milestones, big and small, where her absence will be deeply and painfully felt.”

The Commonwealth argued that each of the three charges “calls for a harsh penalty” and asked that he be sentenced consecutively, while the defense responded that consecutive sentences would be “inappropriate and inhumane.”

Prosecutor Greg Connor suggested the word inhumane “describes the defendant’s actions and the depravity of his actions, of murdering his wife, dismembering her and getting rid of her remains by throwing her away like garbage.”

Connor said those actions deprived Ana Walshe’s family of a grave and memorial.

The judge said she had received and reviewed sentencing memorandums from prosecutors and the defense, as well as multiple written victim impact statements. One submitted on behalf of Ana Walshe’s children from the Massachusetts Department of Children and Family Services relayed the “devastating impact on her children,” the judge said.

“It’s clear to me that Ana was a bright light in the lives of many people. She lifted people up,” the judge said.

Freniere said she also considered a letter submitted by Brian Walshe’s mother on his behalf, but she said she “simply cannot reconcile the person Diana Walshe describes in her letter with the person who stands before me for sentence.”

“Mr. Walshe, you will live with the guilt and burden of Ana Walshe’s death for the rest of your life,” Freniere said before sentencing him to life in prison.

Brian Walshe did not testify during the two-week trial in Dedham, and the defense did not call any witnesses.

Defense attorneys said during the trial that Brian Walshe did not kill his wife but found her dead in bed on New Year’s Day in 2023 — calling her death sudden and unexplained — and then panicked and lied to police as they investigated her disappearance.

Prosecutors said Brian Walshe premeditatedly murdered and dismembered his wife, then disposed of her remains in dumpsters. The internet history on his devices on Jan. 1, 2023, included searches such as “best way to dispose of a body,” “how long for someone to be missing to inherit,” and “best way to dispose of body parts after a murder,” prosecutors said.

Evidence presented during the trial included surveillance footage of a man believed to be Brian Walshe buying tools and other supplies at a Lowe’s on Jan. 1, 2023. A receipt showed that items, including a hacksaw, utility knife, hammer, snips, Tyvek suit, shoeguards, rags and cleaning supplies, totaling $462, were purchased with cash.

Additional surveillance footage presented in court showed someone throwing out trash bags at dumpsters on multiple days in early January 2023.

Several blood-stained items recovered from dumpsters by investigators — including a hacksaw, a piece of rug, a towel and hairs — and an unknown tissue were linked to Ana Walshe through DNA testing, a forensic scientist from the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory testified during the trial.

Ana Walshe was reported missing by her employer on Jan. 4, 2023. Brian Walshe told police at the time that she had a “work emergency” at her job in D.C. and left their Cohasset home on New Year’s Day, according to audio of his interview played in court.

Jurors heard testimony, including from a D.C. man with whom Ana Walshe was having an affair, that the mother of three was upset about being away from her young children so much — who were 2, 4 and 6 at the time — and there was stress in the marriage.

At the time, Brian Walshe and their three children were living in Massachusetts while he was awaiting sentencing in a federal fraud case after pleading guilty to a scheme to sell counterfeit Andy Warhol paintings. He was ultimately sentenced to 37 months in federal prison in that case.

Freniere said Thursday it is her understanding that the federal sentence will run concurrent with the one she imposed.

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