The trial of Brendan Banfield, a former IRS agent accused of orchestrating a double murder to cover up an affair with his family’s au pair, started Tuesday in Virginia. Juliana Peres Magalhães, the nanny, took the stand and delivered explosive testimony.
Banfield faces aggravated murder charges in the February 2023 deaths of his wife, Christine Banfield, and family friend Joseph Ryan at their home in Herndon, Virginia.
Alleged Affair and Murder Plot
Prosecutors say Banfield impersonated his wife on a fetish website to lure Ryan to the home. They claim he aimed to hide his affair with 22-year-old Magalhães.
“Those two had no reason to meet except for Brendan Banfield’s planning,” prosecutor Jenna Sands said.
Magalhães told investigators she and Banfield discovered Ryan allegedly stabbing Christine. They opened fire to stop the attack. Defense attorney John Carroll said her October 2023 arrest was meant to pressure her against Banfield. Magalhães pleaded guilty to manslaughter in October 2024 and will be sentenced after Banfield’s trial.
Mistress Details Affair
Magalhães testified that her relationship with Banfield became sexual in August 2022. She said she first learned of Banfield’s alleged plan to harm his wife during a trip to New York two months later.
“He mentioned he wanted to get rid of Christine,” she told prosecutors. “He hadn’t decided yet and said he would think about it.”
Banfield allegedly created a fake fetish website profile using his wife’s photo and email. Magalhães said he planned alibis and changed routines weeks before the murder to avoid suspicion.
“He knew we needed alibis,” she testified. “He changed his routine so it wouldn’t look unusual.”
The Deadly Incident
Prosecutors say Banfield and Magalhães lured Ryan to the home with a fake sexual encounter. Magalhães testified that Banfield told Ryan to be aggressive.
On the day of the murders, Banfield waited at a nearby McDonald’s for a call about the “intruder.” He and Magalhães put the child in the basement before confronting Ryan and Christine in the bedroom.
Banfield allegedly shot Ryan with his service weapon and stabbed his wife. Magalhães held a firearm he had bought a month prior. She described blood soaking her hands, shoes, and socks.
Banfield then staged the scene as a home invasion. Magalhães called 911, claiming Ryan was an intruder who stabbed Christine.
