Brian Walshe trial: Defense begins its case Thursday morning

Brian Walshe ’s defense team will begin presenting its case to jurors in his murder trial Thursday morning.

Prosecutors rested their case on Wednesday afternoon after calling a pair of key witnesses who were close to Walshe’s wife, Ana. The jury heard from Gem Mutlu , who spent New Year’s Eve with the couple, and Alissa Kirby, one of Ana Walshe’s closest friends in Washington, D.C., where she worked.

It’s not known how long Walshe’s defense will go — they listed just eight possible witnesses, making it unlikely their case will go as long as the government’s.

But it does appear likely that Walshe himself will testify in his own defense.

Judge Diane Freniere denied a motion from Walshe’s defense for a required finding of not guilty after prosecutors rested their case, finding that,