Jury selection begins Monday in Brendan Banfield murder trial

Banfield murder trial set to begin Monday

FOX 5 DC's Julie Donaldson has the latest in the case of Brendan Banfield, who is accused of killing his wife and another man at their Herndon home in 2023. 

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA. - A high-profile trial is set to begin Monday in Fairfax County as Brendan Banfield faces double murder charges.

Jury selection for the trial of Brendan Banfield, accused of killing his wife, Christine Banfield, and Joseph Ryan, is scheduled to start Monday at 10 a.m. at the Fairfax County Courthouse.

What we know:

Banfield is charged with aggravated murder in the February 2023 deaths of his wife and Joseph Ryan at their Northern Virginia home, according to previous FOX 5 DC reporting. 

Prosecutors allege that Banfield and the family's Brazilian au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, staged the scene to look like a home invasion.

Magalhães, who had an extramarital relationship with Banfield, pleaded guilty to a reduced manslaughter charge and is expected to testify against him, also according to previous reporting. 

What they're saying:

"The problem becomes with these high-profile cases that a lot of times in the news, people will have already seen specific pieces of evidence, and they'll already have made judgments about certain facts," Madeline Summerville, CEO of Georgia Trial Consulting, told FOX 5 DC. "You're supposed to limit your knowledge and your judgments to only what you've heard in the courtroom."

The trial is anticipated to last four weeks.

What we don't know:

Details about the defense's strategy and how Banfield will respond to the testimony of Magalhães remain unclear.