Father admits to affair with au pair but denies murder plot
Virginia murder suspect Brendan Banfield admitted to an affair with his au pair in bombshell testimony, but denied allegations they plotted to murder his wife together.
Banfield, 39, took the stand in his own defense on Wednesday as he faces life behind bars for the February 2023 killing of his wife Christine, 37.
Prosecutors say he schemed with their nanny, 25-year-old Juliana Peres Magalhães, to kill Christine by luring stranger Joseph Ryan, 39, to the home with a fake advert on BDSM site Fetlife.
The pair allegedly planned to have Ryan carry out a '[sexual assault] fantasy' with Christine without her knowledge, having him sneak into the home with a knife to make it look like he was an intruder.
Magalhães previously testified that Banfield shot Ryan in hopes of it appearing as 'self-defense', before he also stabbed his wife to death to frame Ryan.
In his testimony on Wednesday, Banfield maintained his innocence as he insisted he loved his wife and did not plan her murder, but admitted to having an affair with Magalhães behind her back.
Banfield Reveals How the Affair Began
Asked how the affair began, Banfield said he and Magalhães were having dinner with his young daughter one evening while his wife was out of town, and claimed she initiated the fling by 'scooting' her chair to his at the dinner table.
He said she followed him into his bedroom later that evening, and admitted he didn't stop her.
Earlier in the trial, it was revealed that investigators discovered Magalhães had moved into Banfield's marital bed and was still sleeping with him months after Christine was murdered.
Banfield testified that he and Magalhães carried out the affair for months, but denied prosecutors' claims that they plotted to kill his wife and Ryan with the bizarre scheme.
'I think that it's an absurd line of questioning for something that is not serious, that a plan was made to get rid of my wife,' he testified. 'That is absolutely crazy.'
In Magalhães's testimony, she alleged that Banfield left his home on the morning of February 24, 2023, and ordered her to wait outside in her car while he waited at a nearby McDonald's.
Au Pair Juliana Magalhães’ Testimony
She said that he told her to call him when Ryan arrived to carry out the '[sexual assault] fantasy', so that he could come home and catch him on top of his wife.
When they entered the home, she testified they took Banfield's child to the basement before going upstairs to find Ryan struggling with Christine.
'When I got to the bedroom, he yelled, "Police officer",' she said of Banfield, who at the time was an armed IRS agent.
'Christine yelled back at Brendan, saying, "Brendan! He has a knife!" That's when Brendan first shot Joe,' she told the court.
After shooting Ryan, Banfield then began stabbing his wife, Magalhães alleged.
She said she tried covering her eyes as the alleged murder unfolded, but admitted that she then saw Ryan moving on the ground, so she shot him with a gun that Banfield had given her.
Magalhães was also initially charged with murder but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter in 2024.
Au Pair Key Witness And Awaits Sentencing
She has become the key witness in Banfield's murder case, and will be sentenced at the conclusion of his trial.
In Banfield's testimony, he said that Magalhães's description of a plot to kill his wife was a lie, and insisted that 'there was no plan.'
Authorities say that Banfield and Magalhães initially told investigators that they tried to save Christine when they saw Ryan entering the home and that both of them shot him in self-defense.
Prosecutors have alleged that the entire scene was staged and that it was intended to look like Ryan was shot as an intruder who was stabbing Christine during a botched robbery.
Jurors previously heard that Banfield moved his mistress into his marital bed shortly after the killing.
Magalhães was sleeping in the bed Christine had shared with her husband eight months after the murders, Fairfax County Sgt. Kenner Fortner told Banfield's trial last week.
Detective Says Master Bedroom Had Been Changed Months Later
Fortner first entered the residence in February 2023 as part of the investigation into the murders and photographed the home, including both the primary and Magalhães's bedrooms, Fox News reported.
When he visited the home again eight months later, 'red, lingerie-style clothing items' and a yellow t-shirt with green trim that had previously hung in the au pair's closet had been moved to the master bedroom, he testified.
'They had gotten new flooring, new bedroom furniture,' Fortner said, noting how photographs that once featured the Banfields had been 'taken down and replaced with Brendan and Juliana together.'
Banfield's attorney, John Carroll, alleged in his opening statements that Magalhães only changed her story in exchange for a 'sweetheart' deal to avoid murder charges.
'The whole reason she was arrested was to flip her against my client,' Carroll argued.
Defense Alleges 'Turmoil' Inside Police Department Over the Case
Carroll also alleged that the initial lead homicide and forensic detectives disagreed with the theory that Banfield set up the plot to frame Ryan and both were later transferred off the case.
The defense attorney said there was 'turmoil' inside the police department over the case, as he attempted to undermine the argument put forward by the prosecution.
'You're going to see a presentation of a horrible, tragic, awful event,' he said. 'However, there's an awful lot more to look for.'
Carroll surprised the court when he announced that Banfield had decided to take the stand in his own defense - opening him up to cross-examination from prosecutors that will take place later this week.
Au pair testifies in double murder trial
The au pair lover of a husband accused of murdering his wife told a Virginia court he had to 'get rid' of her so they could be together.
Juliana Peres Magalhães, 25, testified that Brendan Banfield, 39, did not feel he could just leave his wife Christine Banfield, 37, and so hatched the twisted plan.
Banfield is accused of killing his wife and a stranger, Joseph Ryan, 39, on February 24, 2023. Prosecutors said he lured Ryan to his home after making a fake advert for a adult website under his wife's name in order to make it seem like he had killed her.
The husband, a former IRS officer, has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
However, the au pair told the court that he said that divorce was not an option. 'Money was involved,' Magalhães said Tuesday in Fairfax County Court. She added that Banfield had no plans to share custody of his young daughter with his murdered wife.
The nanny claimed Banfield told her that he couldn't split from his wife because she would end up having more money than he would, in addition to not being good for their child.
Magalhães said it was while on a trip to New York with Banfield and his daughter that he opened up about his thoughts about killing Christine.
After they returned to Virginia, the au pair said that he told her about the website FetLife, a adult website. Prosecutors said Magalhães and Banfield worked together to lure Ryan to the home through the site and staged the scene to make it look like he killed Christine.
