A Virginia husband accused of murdering his wife and another man so he could be with his au pair lover sobbed as the 911 call from the night they died was played in court.
Brendan Banfield was overcome with emotion during the hearing at Fairfax County Court on Tuesday.
Prosecutors allege that he murdered his wife, Christine Banfield, 37, along with stranger, Joseph Ryan, 39, as part of a twisted plot to be with his 25-year-old Brazilian au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães.
The disturbing call was made on February 24, 2023, from the Banfields' home in Herndon, where Christine was found inside her bedroom suffering from stab wounds alongside Ryan, who was shot.
Prosecutors said Magalhães and Banfield worked together to lure Ryan to the home through a BDSM website and staged the scene to make it look like he killed Christine.
Banfield, a former IRS officer, stared down at the desk in front of him as the recording of Magalhães frantically asking a 911 operator for help began playing.
The alleged murderer hardly glanced up as the phone call continued except to jot some notes down as his voice was heard for the first time on the call.
'There's somebody here I shot him (Ryan), but he stabbed her (Christine),' Banfield was heard stating, per NBC's report.
The husband added during the call that his wife had several marks on her neck and was bleeding as he asked the operator what to do.
Brendan Banfield appeared in Fairfax County court on January 13, for allegedly murdering his wife and another man as part of a plot to run off with his au pair lover
Nanny Juliana Peres Magalhães (pictured with Banfield) pleaded guilty to manslaughter in exchange for her cooperation in his prosecution
As the call played, Banfield began to rub away his tears with his eyes locked on the table in front of him.
'She's got a very big hole in her neck,' he told the operator during the nine-minute call.
On the day of the killings, prosecutors said Magalhães called 911 at least twice within minutes, but ended the calls before speaking with first responders.
More than 10 minutes later, prosecutors alleged in court, Magalhães called 911 a final time and reported the emergency.
Prosecutors said evidence suggested Ryan was gunned down as part of a scheme to get rid of Christine.
Investigators first became suspicious about Magalhães' story after she and Banfield failed to disclose their alleged romance when speaking to detectives.
Police said they uncovered evidence of a secret lovers' getaway and pointed out that just eight months after the killings, Magalhães had moved into the main bedroom.
Christine Banfield was found stabbed to death in her bedroom on February 24, 2023
Banfield and Magalhães allegedly tried to frame Joseph Ryan for Christine's murder after someone created a fake account for Christine on a BDSM site and made plans to have 'rough sex' with Ryan before they were both killed
Throughout most of the nearly nine-minute phone call Banfield wiped tears away from his face as his eyes remained locked on the desk in front of him
They submitted a picture showing a framed photo of Magalhães and Banfield on her nightstand while her clothes were in Christine's closet.
They allege that someone created a fake account for Christine on a BDSM site and made plans to have 'rough sex' with Ryan before they were both killed.
In court, it emerged that the fetish website account Ryan had been messaging on was maintained on Christine's computer under the username Annastasia9.
However, there was 'not one iota of evidence that she was into knife play, binding, BDSM,' said prosecutor Eric Clingan.
Ryan and the account user discussed rough sex and bloodplay, an act where someone deliberately cuts another.
During the chats, Annastasia9 wrote that she cheats on her husband 'whenever she wants to'.
Banfield also faces child abuse and neglect charges because his 4-year-old daughter was at home when the murders occurred
'We're here today because Brendan Banfield, the man seated behind me, killed his wife, Christine Banfield, and another man, named Joseph Ryan,' said Prosecutor Jenna Sands during her opening statement.
'Those two individuals had no reason to know each other but for the plotting and planning of Brendan Banfield.'
She added that the physical evidence should be focused on. 'Without a doubt, the blood cannot lie, and the blood puts Brendan Banfield standing over Christine, stabbing her in the neck, in the neck until she died.'
Banfield also faces child abuse and neglect charges because his four-year-old daughter was at home when the alleged murders occurred, in addition to his four charges of aggravated murder and firearm offenses.
Magalhães told police she had left the family home to take the child to the zoo, but returned after realizing she had left their lunches.
She said she left the child in the basement after she and Banfield heard what sounded like an intruder before they discovered Christine being attacked.
Magalhães pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter as part of a plea deal in exchange for cooperating in Banfield's prosecution.
Banfield's defense sought to undermine Magalhães' testimony and claimed that she 'flipped' in exchange for a sweetheart plea deal
Authorities became suspicious after Magalhães and Banfield failed to inform officer of their alleged romance
In his opening statement Banfield's lawyer sought to undermine her testimony.
'The whole reason she was arrested was to flip her against my client,' John Carroll said.
He admitted the two were having an affair but insisted, 'there’s an awful lot more to look for'.
Banfield's trial continues. The Daily Mail has approached his attorney for comment.
