A Brazilian au pair who once lived in a quiet Northern Virginia household gave dramatic testimony on Tuesday, describing what prosecutors say was a calculated plan to kill a suburban mother and pin the crime on a man recruited online. The testimony came during the opening days of a closely watched double-murder trial involving former federal agent Brendan Banfield.
Witness Recounts Events Leading Up to the Killings
On the stand, 25-year-old Juliana Peres Magalhães told jurors she began an affair with Banfield months before the death of his wife, Christine. According to Magalhães, Banfield confided that he wanted his wife gone, fearing financial consequences and custody battles if he pursued divorce. She said Banfield used Christine’s laptop to create a profile on a fetish site, pretending to be his wife in order to contact Joseph Ryan, a stranger who eventually became part of the plot.
Prosecutors said online messaging between Banfield and Ryan continued for weeks as the staged scenario was developed. Jurors were shown digital exchanges instructing Ryan to enter the home, encounter a supposedly sleeping Christine, and proceed with a violent assault. Magalhães testified that Banfield acquired new phones, researched nearby cameras, and even had specialized windows installed to limit noise.
Description of the Fatal Morning
Magalhães said February 24, 2023, began with Banfield unlocking the home’s entrance for Ryan. With Banfield briefly leaving the property and Magalhães waiting with his child outside, Ryan entered the residence. When the couple returned inside minutes later, she said a confrontation erupted in the upstairs bedroom. According to her account, Ryan carried a knife and Christine shouted for help as Banfield fired a gun, killing Ryan, before stabbing his wife repeatedly. Magalhães claimed she then fired a second shot into Ryan at Banfield’s direction.
She testified that Banfield altered the scene to support the narrative that a violent intruder murdered the couple’s nanny and wife, forcing further shots to justify self-defense.
911 Calls and Initial Police Response
During the attack, Magalhães said Christine begged for someone to call 911. A disconnected emergency call at 7:47 a.m. was followed by a second call minutes later, in which Magalhães described a bloody struggle and claimed a stranger had broken in. Banfield briefly took the phone, identifying himself as a federal agent and stating that he shot an intruder who stabbed his wife.
Officers arrived to find Christine with fatal stab wounds and Ryan dead from gunfire. Weapons later recovered included two firearms and a knife.
Charges and Legal Agreements
Banfield, 40, faces two counts of aggravated murder along with several firearm and child endangerment charges. He has entered a plea of not guilty and could receive a life sentence if convicted. Magalhães initially faced a murder charge but accepted a plea deal in 2024, admitting to involuntary manslaughter for shooting Ryan. Under the agreement, she must cooperate with prosecutors in exchange for a recommended sentence of time served.
Competing Trial Narratives
Prosecutor Jenna Sands told jurors that forensic evidence – particularly blood-pattern analysis – would place Banfield at the center of both killings, arguing that “physical evidence doesn’t change its story.” Sands described the case as one driven by desire, control, and calculated deception.
Defense attorney John Carroll pushed back on the prosecution’s version, insisting investigators rushed to adopt a “catfish” theory without fully considering digital evidence showing Christine interacting on her own devices. He portrayed Magalhães as unreliable and motivated to save herself after months in custody.
Trial Outlook
The trial opened this week in Fairfax County Circuit Court, with proceedings scheduled through mid-February. A panel of twelve jurors and four alternates will review testimony from law enforcement, forensic analysts, and technology experts.
Authorities say the killings shattered the image of an otherwise quiet neighborhood in Herndon, where Christine – an ICU nurse – lived with her husband and young daughter. The deaths remain among the most unsettling local cases in recent years due to the allegations of staging, online recruitment, and manipulation within the home.
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