A man who is a husband and father has been accused of killing his wife and a stranger at his residence one year after starting a romantic relationship with the family’s au pair. Brendan Banfield, aged 39, faces charges of aggravated murder in relation to the deaths of his wife, Christine Banfield, aged 37, and Joseph Ryan, aged 38, in northern Virginia, USA. The tragic incidents involved stabbing and gunshot wounds inflicted on the victims.
Authorities allege that Banfield and Juliana Peres Magalhaes, the 25-year-old Brazilian au pair, conspired to execute a complex plan to frame another individual for the fatal stabbing of Banfield’s wife. Court documents reveal that on the day of the killings, Banfield and Magalhaes claimed to witness Ryan, a stranger, attacking the wife inside the Banfield home, prompting them to shoot him in defense.
However, prosecutors contend that Banfield and Magalhaes orchestrated a scheme to lure Ryan to the residence and create a scenario where he and the au pair appeared to have acted in self-defense by shooting an intruder. The couple had been engaged in a romantic affair since the year prior to the murders and were both apprehended and charged with murder between 2023 and 2024.
Magalhaes eventually pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter in 2024 after providing a statement endorsing elements of the prosecution’s narrative. According to her statement, she and Brendan Banfield set up a social media account in his wife’s name, through which Ryan connected with Christine Banfield for a planned encounter involving a knife on the morning of February 24, 2023.
Prosecutor Eric Clingan emphasized the significance of Magalhaes’ statement in consolidating the state’s case before the trial. The investigation initially presented multiple theories, but Clingan noted that they now adhere to a unified theory. Notably, not all investigators involved in the case believed that Banfield and Magalhaes deceived Ryan.
Former digital forensic examiner Brendan Miller, who analyzed electronic devices related to the case, asserted that Christine Banfield had independently interacted with Ryan through the online platform. Despite some dissenting opinions, evidence analysis from the University of Alabama validated Miller’s findings.
Banfield’s defense attorney, John Carroll, contended that Miller’s reassignment from the police department was linked to his involvement in the case and criticized the law enforcement’s catfishing theory as unsupported. The lead detective on the case was also reassigned after disputing the prevailing narrative.
Additionally, Banfield faces charges of child abuse and felony child cruelty related to the presence of his daughter at the time of the killings. Denying all accusations, Banfield is set to confront these charges alongside the aggravated murder allegations in the upcoming trial.