Topline: A Virginia jury convicted the former IRS agent of aggravated murder in the 2023 deaths of his wife and Joseph Ryan.
Published: February 4, 2026 1:47 pm ET
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Left: Brendan Banfield, Center: Juliana Peres Magalhaes, Right: Christine Banfield (via CourtTV; AP; Facebook)
FAIRFAX, VA — A Virginia jury convicted a former federal agent of aggravated murder for the 2023 killings of his wife and a stranger lured to the family home through a sexual fetish website.
Brendan Banfield was found guilty on Feb. 2 in the deaths of Christine Banfield, 37, and Joseph Ryan, 39. According to NBC News, Banfield orchestrated the slayings with the family’s au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhaes, to continue their romantic affair.
Banfield faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. The verdict follows a trial that detailed a conspiracy involving digital deception and a staged crime scene, ABC News reported.
Investigators said the plot began in late 2022 after Banfield and Peres Magalhaes started a relationship. Peres Magalhaes testified that Banfield rejected the idea of a divorce because of financial concerns and potential custody disputes over their daughter.
In trial testimony reported by CNN, Banfield created a fraudulent profile on the website FetLife while pretending to be his wife. He used the account to contact Ryan, inviting him to the home for a violent sexual encounter.
On Feb. 23, 2023, Ryan arrived at the residence believing he was meeting a willing participant for a tryst. Prosecutors said Banfield was waiting at a nearby McDonald’s while Peres Magalhaes remained inside the house.
Peres Magalhaes testified that Banfield instructed her to call his wife’s phone when Ryan entered the home. She then called Banfield to signal his arrival.
Banfield returned to the house and shot Ryan in the head. Prosecutors said Banfield then stabbed his wife to death in an attempt to frame Ryan for her murder.
Peres Magalhaes told the jury she witnessed Banfield stabbing his wife while she crouched on the floor. She previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with Ryan’s death and agreed to testify against Banfield.
“When I first saw that happening, I ran to the other side of the bed, and I was just crouching down … and covering my ears and covering my eyes,” Peres Magalhaes testified about the killings, per CNN. “And a few times I looked and I was able to see him stabbing her.”
During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence of the affair between the defendant and the au pair. As reported by the Washington Post, this included photos of the pair at a shooting range and a picture of them together in a bathtub.
Christine Banfield was a pediatric intensive care nurse. Ryan was a stranger to the couple before being contacted through the fetish website.
Law enforcement officials said the crime scene was staged to look like Banfield had interrupted an intruder. However, digital forensics and testimony from Peres Magalhaes contradicted his account.
The jury deliberated for nine hours before returning the guilty verdicts on all counts, including aggravated murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Banfield showed little emotion as the clerk read the guilty verdict.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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A Virginia jury convicted the former IRS agent of aggravated murder in the 2023 deaths of his wife and Joseph Ryan.
By Kate Byrd
Published: February 4, 2026 1:47 pm ET
Left: Brendan Banfield, Center: Juliana Peres Magalhaes, Right: Christine Banfield (via CourtTV; AP; Facebook)
FAIRFAX, VA — A Virginia jury convicted a former federal agent of aggravated murder for the 2023 killings of his wife and a stranger lured to the family home through a sexual fetish website.
Brendan Banfield was found guilty on Feb. 2 in the deaths of Christine Banfield, 37, and Joseph Ryan, 39. According to NBC News, Banfield orchestrated the slayings with the family’s au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhaes, to continue their romantic affair.
Banfield faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. The verdict follows a trial that detailed a conspiracy involving digital deception and a staged crime scene, ABC News reported.
Investigators said the plot began in late 2022 after Banfield and Peres Magalhaes started a relationship. Peres Magalhaes testified that Banfield rejected the idea of a divorce because of financial concerns and potential custody disputes over their daughter.
In trial testimony reported by CNN, Banfield created a fraudulent profile on the website FetLife while pretending to be his wife. He used the account to contact Ryan, inviting him to the home for a violent sexual encounter.
On Feb. 23, 2023, Ryan arrived at the residence believing he was meeting a willing participant for a tryst. Prosecutors said Banfield was waiting at a nearby McDonald’s while Peres Magalhaes remained inside the house.
Peres Magalhaes testified that Banfield instructed her to call his wife’s phone when Ryan entered the home. She then called Banfield to signal his arrival.
Banfield returned to the house and shot Ryan in the head. Prosecutors said Banfield then stabbed his wife to death in an attempt to frame Ryan for her murder.
Peres Magalhaes told the jury she witnessed Banfield stabbing his wife while she crouched on the floor. She previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with Ryan’s death and agreed to testify against Banfield.
“When I first saw that happening, I ran to the other side of the bed, and I was just crouching down … and covering my ears and covering my eyes,” Peres Magalhaes testified about the killings, per CNN. “And a few times I looked and I was able to see him stabbing her.”
During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence of the affair between the defendant and the au pair. As reported by the Washington Post, this included photos of the pair at a shooting range and a picture of them together in a bathtub.
Christine Banfield was a pediatric intensive care nurse. Ryan was a stranger to the couple before being contacted through the fetish website.
Law enforcement officials said the crime scene was staged to look like Banfield had interrupted an intruder. However, digital forensics and testimony from Peres Magalhaes contradicted his account.
The jury deliberated for nine hours before returning the guilty verdicts on all counts, including aggravated murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Banfield showed little emotion as the clerk read the guilty verdict.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Brendan Banfield Found Guilty of Murders in Brazilian Au Pair Affair
A Virginia jury convicted the former IRS agent of aggravated murder in the 2023 deaths of his wife and Joseph Ryan.
By Kate Byrd
Published: February 4, 2026 1:47 pm ET
Left: Brendan Banfield, Center: Juliana Peres Magalhaes, Right: Christine Banfield (via CourtTV; AP; Facebook)
FAIRFAX, VA — A Virginia jury convicted a former federal agent of aggravated murder for the 2023 killings of his wife and a stranger lured to the family home through a sexual fetish website.
Brendan Banfield was found guilty on Feb. 2 in the deaths of Christine Banfield, 37, and Joseph Ryan, 39. According to NBC News, Banfield orchestrated the slayings with the family’s au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhaes, to continue their romantic affair.
Banfield faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. The verdict follows a trial that detailed a conspiracy involving digital deception and a staged crime scene, ABC News reported.
Investigators said the plot began in late 2022 after Banfield and Peres Magalhaes started a relationship. Peres Magalhaes testified that Banfield rejected the idea of a divorce because of financial concerns and potential custody disputes over their daughter.
In trial testimony reported by CNN, Banfield created a fraudulent profile on the website FetLife while pretending to be his wife. He used the account to contact Ryan, inviting him to the home for a violent sexual encounter.
On Feb. 23, 2023, Ryan arrived at the residence believing he was meeting a willing participant for a tryst. Prosecutors said Banfield was waiting at a nearby McDonald’s while Peres Magalhaes remained inside the house.
Peres Magalhaes testified that Banfield instructed her to call his wife’s phone when Ryan entered the home. She then called Banfield to signal his arrival.
Banfield returned to the house and shot Ryan in the head. Prosecutors said Banfield then stabbed his wife to death in an attempt to frame Ryan for her murder.
Peres Magalhaes told the jury she witnessed Banfield stabbing his wife while she crouched on the floor. She previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with Ryan’s death and agreed to testify against Banfield.
“When I first saw that happening, I ran to the other side of the bed, and I was just crouching down … and covering my ears and covering my eyes,” Peres Magalhaes testified about the killings, per CNN. “And a few times I looked and I was able to see him stabbing her.”
During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence of the affair between the defendant and the au pair. As reported by the Washington Post, this included photos of the pair at a shooting range and a picture of them together in a bathtub.
Christine Banfield was a pediatric intensive care nurse. Ryan was a stranger to the couple before being contacted through the fetish website.
Law enforcement officials said the crime scene was staged to look like Banfield had interrupted an intruder. However, digital forensics and testimony from Peres Magalhaes contradicted his account.
The jury deliberated for nine hours before returning the guilty verdicts on all counts, including aggravated murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Banfield showed little emotion as the clerk read the guilty verdict.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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