The judge presiding over the upcoming murder trial of Brian Walshe , who allegedly killed and dismembered his wife in Cohasset in 2023, on Monday ordered him to undergo an evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital to determine whether he’s mentally competent to stand trial.

Judge Diane C. Freniere , after a hearing in Norfolk Superior Court, ordered that Walshe “be hospitalized for 20 days” at the psychiatric facility to determine whether he’s competent to go to trial, legal filings said.

Freniere also delayed the start of Walshe’s trial, which had been scheduled for Oct. 20, and set a hearing on the competency issue for Oct. 27, records show.

It wasn’t immediately clear what prompted Freniere’s order. The Norfolk district attorney’s office referred questions to Walshe’s lawyers, wh

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