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Jury selection begins in Herndon double murder trial
Jury selection is underway in a high profile Fairfax County case involving a husband and the family’s au pair, both accused in a double murder in Herndon. This marks only the second time in recent years that Fairfax County has allowed cameras inside a courtroom.
FAIRFAX, Va. - A Virginia man who had a relationship with a Brazilian au pair goes on trial Monday in what prosecutors describe as an elaborate double‑murder plot to frame another man for stabbing his wife.
What we know:
Brendan 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.
According to court records, Banfield and the family’s au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, were with Christine Banfield and Ryan in the primary bedroom the morning the victims were killed.
READ MORE: Jury selection begins Monday in Brendan Banfield murder trial
Authorities say the pair initially told investigators they saw Ryan, a stranger, stab Christine after entering the home, and that both of them then shot him.
Prosecutors argue that Banfield and Magalhães lured Ryan to the house and staged the scene to make it appear they shot a predator in self‑defense. Investigators say the two had been romantically involved since the year before the killings.
Both Banfield and Magalhães were arrested between 2023 and 2024 and initially faced murder charges. In 2024, Magalhães pleaded guilty to a reduced manslaughter charge after giving a statement that supported parts of the prosecution’s theory.
Watch live, ongoing coverage of the jury selection and trial on YouTube, FOX LOCAL and on the FOX 5 DC TikTok page.
What they're saying:
In that statement, Magalhães said she and Banfield created a social media account in Christine Banfield’s name on a fetish platform. Ryan connected with the account, and plans were made to meet on Feb. 24, 2023, for a sexual encounter, according to authorities.
Prosecutor Eric Clingan said last year that Magalhães’ statement helped solidify the state’s theory ahead of trial.
Not all officials investigating the case have believed Banfield and Magalhães lured Ryan through a false online identity.
Brendan Miller, a former digital forensic examiner with Fairfax County police, testified last year that after analyzing dozens of devices, he concluded Christine Banfield herself had connected with Ryan on the platform.
A University of Alabama evidence analysis team peer‑reviewed and affirmed Miller’s findings, according to court filings.
Miller was reassigned from the department’s digital forensics unit in late 2024, though a former Fairfax County commander testified the move was not disciplinary.
Banfield’s attorney, John Carroll, argued the transfer was directly tied to the case. He also said the lead detective was reassigned after challenging the department’s catfishing theory.
Banfield, whose daughter was home the morning of the killings, is also charged with child abuse and felony child cruelty. Those charges will be heard during the aggravated murder trial.
READ MORE: Virginia au pair affair murder: Alleged plot and latest court details
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press and previous FOX 5 reporting.