Judge Rules Confession Admissible in William Walsh Murder Case

Prosecutors will be allowed to admit physical evidence, defendant’s statements at Walsh’s upcoming murder trial

MINEOLA, NY - A Nassau County judge ruled today that physical evidence and a written confession can be admitted as evidence by prosecutors at the upcoming trial of a Bethpage man accused of killing his wife last October.

William Walsh, 30, is accused of strangling his wife, Leah, and dumping her body in a wooded area off the Long Island Expressway. Walsh has been charged with Murder in the Second Degree, Tampering With Physical Evidence, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree. He faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted. A trial date has yet to be set.

Rice said in the early morning hours of October 26, 2008, William Walsh choked his wife, Leah, to death during an argument in the bedroom of their Bethpage apartment. He then covered her with black trash bags and spent the rest of the morning at the gym. At around 10 p.m. that evening, Walsh took his wife’s body and put her in the passenger seat of her Ford Focus and drove to a wooded area of the Long Island Expressway, where he dumped her body. He then parked and abandoned her car on the side of the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway near the Plainview Road exit.

During the next few days, Walsh made public pleas for information on his wife’s disappearance. He was arrested on October 29 when Leah’s body was discovered off the North Service Road to the LIE in North Hills.

“My office has fought hard to introduce every last shred of evidence against this defendant,” Rice said. “This ruling will give jurors a clear picture of exactly what happened to this innocent young woman.”

Assistant District Attorney Michael Walsh of the Major Offense Bureau is handling the case for the DA’s Office. The defendant is represented by William Petrillo, Esq.

The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.