Jury seated as Brendan Banfield murder trial gets underway
HERNDON, Va. - The murder trial of Brendan Banfield is now underway in Fairfax County after jury selection Monday. Banfield is accused of murdering his wife and another man — all amid an alleged affair with the family’s au pair.
What we know:
Sixteen Fairfax County residents have been seated to sit as jurors in this complicated murder case — 12 jurors and four alternates.
Judge Penney Azcarate showed little mercy on Monday when it came to hardships for those in the pool of 80 prospective jurors who would have trouble dedicating four weeks to a trial.
"You have sympathy for jurors who have been selected four weeks — no question that’s a really long commitment. You have to do your civic duty, but definitely it’s going to be a challenge. Going to be a lot of really difficult information they’re going to have to process over the next month. And avoid news media, because a lot of people knew about this case. Absolutely — it’s on the news," said dismissed juror Brian Griebel.
The prospective jurors were asked whether they’d heard about the case. Some said they were just reading about it this morning.
They were asked their opinions about the police, infidelity, whether they’d be OK if some of the evidence concerned bondage, domination, and sadomasochism.
Banfield was in the courtroom wearing a sports jacket and tie — no handcuffs. He’s been held since his arrest more than a year ago.
He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
Au Pair Affair Murder Trial: Jury selection DAY 1
FOX 5 DC's Guy Lambert breaks down some of the details of the Brendan Banfield murder trial on day one of the jury selection. Prosecutors allege Banfield came up with an elaborate plot to kill his wife and a stranger in 2023 so he could run off with the family's au pair. The defense denies those claims. Tune in over the next few weeks as we continue to cover this trial.
Who is Brendan Banfield?
The backstory:
Brendan Banfield is the 40-year-old former IRS agent on trial for murder and child neglect.
He is accused of stabbing his wife Christine to death in their bedroom while their 4-year-old daughter was in the basement.
Starting in late 2021, Banfield allegedly started an affair with the family’s Brazilian au pair, Juliana Magalhaes — now 25 and set to testify at trial.
Prosecutors allege Brenden wanted to kill his wife — luring a Springfield man named Joseph Ryan to their house in Herndon on February 24, 2023.
Prosecutors say Banfield and Magalhaes shot and killed Ryan, calling 911 saying they were victims of a home invasion committed by Ryan at knifepoint.