Brendan Banfield of Fairfax, Virginia, is facing life in prison for the February 2023 murder of his wife, Christine Banfield, and Joseph Ryan. Prosecutors allege these murders were a part of a much greater plan between Brendan and Brazilian Au pair Juliana Peres Magalhães.

An Affair Double Murder

Brendan, 40, has been charged with aggravated murder, and prosecutors allege he was having an affair with 25-year-old Au pair Juliana Peres Magalhães. There is a photo of the two of them, dated October 13, 2023, that sat on the bedside in the master bedroom of the Banfield’s home. On the phone, Magalhães is leaning her head onto Brendan’s shoulder, and they appear as any ordinary couple

On the day that the pair were murdered, Magalhães called the police at least three times and hung up the first two times. The third time, Brendan spoke to the 911 operator and said a man stabbed his wife, so he shot the man. Authorities were quick on the scene in Herndon, Virginia, where the Banfields lived. Ryan was found fatally shot, and Christine had multiple stab wounds. She was transported to the hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

Magalhães shared her version of events with the police, which led them to be suspicious. A months-long investigation revealed that Brendan and his au pair were romantically involved. According to prosecutors, the two schemed to kill Christine by inviting a man over to play out a rape fantasy. Ryan was the man they used, and he accepted the invitation with the notion that he was meeting with Christine to indulge in violent sex play. He brought restraints and a knife along. 

Authorities arrested Magalhães in October 2023 for the death of Ryan, and Brendan was arrested in September 2024, nearly a year later, for both deaths. The month after, Magalhães pleaded guilty to manslaughter and claimed Brendan was the mastermind behind the whole plan so he could avoid a divorce. 

Au Pair Testifies

Trial began in Brendan’s case today, January 13, 2026. Prosecutors made their opening statements, claiming Brendan is the reason for these murders and is using Au pair Magalhães as a key witness. She testified that her employer had planned the double murder to avoid a divorce, and he allegedly planned to frame the male stranger for his wife’s murder.

Magalhães took the witness stand on Tuesday, saying Brendan had confided in her as early as October 2022. According to her statements, he wanted to “get rid of” his wife because he was worried about money and the custody of his daughter, who was 4 years old at the time, so he felt that divorce was not an option.

Prosecutors claim Brendan made a profile on FetLife.com, a BDSM and kink community site, which resulted in finding Ryan. Using his wife’s laptop, he posed as her in February 2023, and allegedly invited Ryan to their home to play out a fake rape scenario. Brendan and Magalhães were able to easily access her laptop since she kept it in a backpack by the door. 

“He always made sure for us to make sure to log in on the account when she was home, so it would have, you know, throughout the investigation it’ll be … very clear that, like, whenever she was using the profile, she was home,” Au pair Magalhães said.

Defense Contests Statements

Brendan’s defense attorney, John Carroll, contested the prosecution’s claims that his client posed as his wife on the BDSM website. Carroll intends to show the court digital forensics that will prove Christine was the one to engage with Ryan on the site. They also accused the prosecution of abusing Au pair Magalhães’ situation as an immigrant to testify against her former lover.

“You’ll hear there were at least four or five times during that year leading up to Brendan Banfield being charged, where they came to her, they went through her attorney, and they offered that deal that she now stands to have taken,” Carroll said.

The defense believes the au pair’s false narrative is what will convict their client, and it is not fair to either party. “I understand the situation that she’s in, and I understand the fact that she’s away from home, and she’s young, and she depended on people,” Caroll said. “And she’s also depending on the Commonwealth, and they’ve put her in this situation, and she’s accepted it gladly.”