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FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - Brendan Banfield returned to court Wednesday as newly released body-worn camera footage showed the moments he was told about his wife’s death.
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Banfield back in court as new body cam video surfaces
Brendan Banfield returns to court Wednesday as newly released body-worn camera footage shows the moments after his wife’s death.
Banfield is charged with aggravated murder in the February 2023 killings of his wife, Christine Banfield, and Joseph Ryan at the couple’s northern Virginia home. He has pleaded not guilty.
What we know:
According to court records, Banfield and the family’s au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, were with Christine and Ryan in the bedroom the morning the victims were killed.
Authorities say Banfield and Magalhães initially told investigators they saw Ryan, a stranger, stabbing Christine after entering the home, and that both of them then shot him.
Prosecutors argue the scene was staged. They say Banfield and Magalhães lured Ryan to the house and made it appear as though they shot an intruder in self‑defense. Investigators have also said the two were involved in a romantic relationship that began the year before the killings.
READ MORE: Banfield murder trial LIVE UPDATES: Brendan Banfield to take the stand
Banfield back in court as new body cam video released
Both were arrested between 2023 and 2024 and initially faced murder charges. In 2024, Magalhães pleaded guilty to a downgraded manslaughter charge after giving a statement that supported parts of the prosecution’s theory.
The newly released video, recorded by an officer who accompanied Banfield to the hospital the morning of the killings, was played in court last week but is only now being made public.
Defense attorneys wanted jurors to see the moment Banfield was told his wife had died.
READ MORE: Deadly Desire? Brendan Banfield on Trial
Banfield back in court as new body cam video released
Defense attorney John Carroll surprised the courtroom last week when he announced that Banfield will take the stand.
The defense has worked to raise doubts about the prosecution’s case. Much of Friday’s testimony came from a digital forensics expert who said he believed Christine Banfield, not her husband or the au pair, may have been the one creating the email and social media accounts used to communicate with Joseph Ryan.
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BODY CAM FOOTAGE from Banfield murder released
The bodycam footage following the murder of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan has been released. The footage was shown in court last week during the double murder trial against Brendan Banfield. The trial is expected to continue tomorrow, and Brendan is expected to take the stand to testify.
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