A Virginia man having an affair with the family’s Brazilian au pair was found guilty Monday of murdering his wife and another man that prosecutors say was lured to the house as a fall guy.
Brendan Banfield, a former IRS law enforcement officer, told police he came across Joseph Ryan attacking his wife, Christine Banfield, with a knife on the morning of Feb. 24, 2023. He shot Ryan and then Juliana Magalhães, the au pair, shot him too.
But officials argued in court that the story was too good to be true, telling jurors that Banfield set Ryan up in a scheme to get rid of his wife. It later came out that Brendan Banfield and Magalhães had been having an affair.
Magalhães pleaded guilty to manslaughter and testified against her former lover at trial. She revealed they had impersonated Christine Banfield on a website for sexual fetishes to lure Ryan to the house for a sexual encounter involving a knife, staging the scene to look as though they had shot an intruder attacking the wife.
Defense attorney John Carroll argued that Magalhães’ testimony could not be trusted due to her cooperation with prosecutors to avoid a long prison sentence. Banfield described this testimony as absolutely crazy in his own statement.
Carroll introduced evidence showing dissent within the police department regarding the theory that Magalhães and Banfield impersonated Christine Banfield in a “catfishing” scheme. An officer asserting Christine’s authorship of a social media account that indicated the scheme was later transferred as punishment for disagreeing with the department’s favored theory.
In closing arguments, prosecutor Jenna Sands told the jury they did not have to rely solely on Magalhães’ testimony, presenting other evidence including expert opinions on blood stains linking Christine’s blood to Ryan.
The jury deliberated for nearly nine hours across two days before reaching a verdict. Banfield is facing a possible life sentence, while Magalhães is scheduled for sentencing soon and could be released if sentenced to time served.
