Husband Accused of Killing Wife During Affair With Their Au Pair Goes on Trial in Virginia

A Virginia man accused of killing his wife and another man during an affair with his family’s au pair is on trial for murder.

Brendan Banfield is charged with aggravated murder in the fatal stabbing of his wife, Christine Banfield, and the shooting of Joseph Ryan at his home in Herndon, Virginia in February 2023, according to authorities.

Banfield’s trial began on Monday, January 12. His defense attorney, John Carroll, did not immediately return Us Weekly’s request for comment.

According to prosecutors, Brendan, 40, plotted the killings of his wife and Ryan with Juliana Peres Magalhães, an au pair working for him, while having a romantic relationship with Peres Magalhães, according to prosecutors, WTOP reported.

Brendan and Peres Magalhães are accused of trying to frame Ryan in Christine’s death.

On February 24, 2023, Brendan and Peres Magalhães called 911 to Brendan’s home, according to Fairfax County police, who said responding officers found an “appalling scene” when they arrived.

They saw Christine, 37, had been stabbed and Ryan, 39, of Springfield, had been shot, police said.

Brendan and Peres Magalhães told authorities that Ryan, who they described as a stranger, came into the house and stabbed Christine, according to The Associated Press. They said that they both shot Ryan in response, according to authorities.

Prosecutors, however, argue that Brendan and Peres Magalhães lured Ryan to the home as part of the plot to kill Christine, The Associated Press reported.

Peres Magalhães ultimately pleaded guilty to manslaughter in October 2024 in connection with fatally shooting Ryan, 39, according to Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano. She was 24 at the time of her guilty plea.

Before Peres Magalhães pleaded guilty, she gave a statement to authorities in which she said that ahead of the killings, she and Brendan had used Christine’s name on a social media site for sexual fetishes, according to The Associated Press.

On the website, the account they used for Christine communicated with Ryan to coordinate plans for a sexual meetup involving a knife on February 24, 2023, the day they were killed, according to Peres Magalhães’ statement, The Associated Press reported.

According to prosecutors, Brendan was behind what has been described as a ruse and had been messaging with Ryan, who “likely believed” that he was going to meet with Christine for a “violent sexual role play” experience, CNN reported.

Brendan, who formerly worked as an IRS agent, began having an affair with Peres Magalhães in August 2022, after she started working for him and his wife in late 2021, prosecutors said, CNN reported.

“In the fall of 2022, Brendan Banfield expressed to Peres Magalhães his desire to be rid of his wife and soon thereafter began planning to kill his wife as well as, ultimately, Joseph Ryan, the victim in this case,” prosecutors have alleged, according to the outlet.

Brendan’s daughter was home when prosecutors said he stabbed Christine and shot Ryan. His daughter was 4 years old at the time.

After being charged with four counts of aggravated murder and one count of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced additional charges against Brendan in December 2024.

The charges relating to Brendan’s daughter include one count of felony child abuse and neglect and one count of felony child cruelty, Descano said.

“My office is committed to bringing the strongest case possible against Brendan Banfield for the alleged murders of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan,” Descano said in a statement at the time.

Brendan has pleaded not guilty in Christine and Ryan’s deaths, The Associated Press reported.

It will be recommended that Peres Magalhães should be sentenced to time served, according to her plea agreement, as part of her cooperation in the case, CNN reported.