The Au Pair Who Turned on Her Lover: The Murders of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan
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What happens when a suburban love affair turns deadly? When the prosecution's star witness is also negotiating a Netflix deal from her jail cell?
The first week of the Brendan Banfield murder trial has been nothing short of explosive.
The Victims
On the morning of February 24, 2023, a quiet home in the Herndon area of Fairfax County, Virginia became the scene of something investigators would later describe as appalling.
Christine Banfield was a 37-year-old pediatric ICU nurse at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus. She was described by colleagues as a mentor, a fierce patient advocate, and someone who would go above and beyond for anyone—especially those she worked with. She was married to Brendan Banfield, an IRS Criminal Investigative Division agent, and they had a young daughter together.
Joseph Ryan was a 39-year-old man who, according to prosecutors, had been communicating online with someone he believed was Christine Banfield. The messages discussed violent sexual fantasies. Joseph thought he was meeting Christine for a consensual encounter. Instead, he walked into a trap.
Both Christine and Joseph were found dead that morning. But prosecutors say their deaths were not what they appeared to be.
The Accused
Brendan Banfield is charged with two counts of aggravated murder and one count of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Prosecutors allege that Brendan and the family's au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, were having an affair and decided to kill Christine rather than divorce her.
The Star Witness
Juliana Peres Magalhães, the 24-year-old Brazilian au pair who lived with the Banfield family, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Joseph Ryan's death as part of a plea deal. In exchange for a reduced sentence, she is testifying against Brendan as the prosecution's star witness.
And here's where it gets even more complicated: Juliana is reportedly negotiating a Netflix deal to sell her story, while actively testifying in the trial.
What Happened, According to Prosecutors
Prosecutors say that Brendan and Juliana created a fake online persona using Christine's laptop and phone. Posing as Christine, they contacted Joseph Ryan on a fetish website and invited him to the Banfield home, discussing violent role-play scenarios.
On February 24, 2023, Joseph arrived at the house believing he was meeting Christine for a consensual encounter. Instead, prosecutors say, Brendan and Juliana were waiting for him. Joseph was shot and killed. Christine was also killed, and the scene was staged to look like a home invasion gone wrong, as if Joseph had broken in to attack Christine, and Brendan had shot him in defense.
But investigators found inconsistencies:
•Forensic evidence suggested the crime scene had been staged
•The messages to Joseph Ryan were sent from Christine's devices, but she was at home, just feet away, when they were sent
•Sound-dampening windows had allegedly been installed in the home prior to the murders
•Jailhouse love letters between Brendan and Juliana revealed their affair
Juliana's Testimony
During the first week of trial, Juliana testified that Brendan orchestrated the entire plan. She claims he asked her to help him kill Christine, and that she went along with it because she was in love with him and feared losing her position in the family.
The defense, however, is working to discredit Juliana's testimony, arguing that she has every reason to lie—she's facing prison time, and she's trying to sell her story to Netflix.
What's Next
This trial is ongoing. Brendan Banfield faces life in prison if convicted. Juliana has already pleaded guilty to manslaughter and will be sentenced after the trial concludes.
We'll continue to follow this case and bring you updates as the trial progresses.
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Sources
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/02/24/woman-fatally-stabbed-man-shot-herndon-va-home/
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/2-dead-after-shooting-stabbing-inside-fairfax-county-home-police
https://fcpdnews.wordpress.com/2023/10/19/family-au-pair-charged-in-reston-fatal-shooting-case/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/12/23/herndon-double-homicide-au-pair/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/09/19/brendan-banfield-juliana-magalhes/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/09/27/brendan-banfield-bond-hearing/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/06/13/4-year-old-testimony-murder/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/07/10/banfield-au-pair-murder-detectives/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/12/16/banfield-child-abuse-charges-herndon/
https://apnews.com/article/banfield-husband-wife-killing-au-pair-10b52b2c8f7ced2a7c476b2d20c2d904
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/wifes-murder-connected-sex-fetish-plot-rcna22747
