FAIRFAX, Va. — Juliana Peres Magalhães, a Brazilian au pair who has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, provided gripping testimony against her former employer and lover, Brendan Banfield, during the ongoing double homicide trial. Prosecutors allege that the couple was involved in a disturbing plot to eliminate Banfield’s wife, Christine Banfield.
Brendan Banfield faces charges of aggravated murder stemming from the 2023 deaths of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan at their northern Virginia home. He has pleaded not guilty and risks a life sentence if convicted.
In her testimony, Magalhães detailed how she and Banfield allegedly impersonated Christine on a social media platform to orchestrate a dangerous and intricate scheme aimed at eliminating her. After luring Joseph Ryan into a plot under your supposed coercion and then killing both him and Christine, they attempted to fake a defense scenario where Christine was attacked in their home.
Originally charged with murder, Magalhães entered a plea bargain for a lesser charge of manslaughter in 2024 after agreeing to cooperate with investigators. She is pending sentencing following Banfield's trial. Depending on her level of cooperation, attorneys suggest she may receive minimal punishment.
During proceedings, Banfield's attorney John Carroll has challenged the credibility of Magalhães, suggesting her guilty plea arose from losing faith in her original counsel after maintaining her innocence for over a year.
Magalhães read excerpts from personal letters authored during her incarceration, which revealed feelings of despair regarding her situation. No strength. No courage. No hope,” she wrote in one instance, shedding light on her emotional turmoil.
The courtroom drama intensified as Carroll pressed Magalhães on her motivations for accepting the plea deal only after Banfield’s arrest. She explained her prolonged withholding of the truth was a mental burden that took a toll on her well-being.
Banfield, who had his four-year-old daughter present during the violent incidents, also faces charges of child abuse and felony child cruelty related to the case, compounding the tragic nature surrounding this horrific event.
