Virginia au pair affair murder: Alleged plot and latest court details

HERNDON, Va. - It's been nearly two and a half years since an alleged love affair led to the tragic killings of an innocent man and woman in Herndon, Virginia, with their suspected killers still on trial.

What we know:

Joseph Ryan, 39, was killed on February 24, 2023, at the home where 24-year-old Juliana Peres Magalhães worked as an au pair for Brendan and Christine Banfield.

A gruesome scene was discovered inside, with 37-year-old Christine found with multiple stab wounds and Ryan suffering from gunshot wounds. Brendan and Christine's daughter was in the basement while the killings occurred, according to authorities. 

Ryan was pronounced dead at the scene, while Christine died shortly after being taken to the hospital.

Initially, Brendan told dispatchers that Ryan had broken into their home, stabbed his wife and that he had shot Ryan in self-defense. 

Dig deeper:

A seven-month investigation led to the indictment of Peres Magalhaes for the shooting of Ryan. She was arrested on October 19, 2023, and charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony. 

On September 16, 2024, a grand jury indicted Brendan Banfield, 39, on four counts of aggravated murder and one count of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony for the deaths of his wife Christine and Ryan.

The alleged plot

Authorities allege that the killings were part of a scheme between Peres Magalhães and Brendan Banfield, who reportedly began a romantic relationship in August 2022. 

They both traveled to New York City together six months prior, and took romantic photos, according to Fairfax County Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Eric Clingan.

In court last October, prosecutors said that Banfield allegedly told Peres Magalhães he wanted to get rid of his wife, then used a sex fetish website and "settled on Joseph Ryan" to lure him to the Herndon home on the morning of February 24, 2023.

"Ryan likely thought he was going to the home for a violent sexual foreplay," a prosecutor said.

The timeline

On the morning of the killings, prosecutors said Peres Magalhães took the couple’s daughter to the zoo. 

She returned home soon after, realizing she had forgotten their lunches and spotted Ryan’s car in the driveway, according to court documents.

"When she could not reach Christine, she contacted Brendan, who returned to the residence," the documents state.

Prosecutors said they found Ryan in the Banfield’s bedroom with Christine, where Ryan was subsequently shot in the head and chest. It is believed that Christine was stabbed in the neck by her husband.

Au pair pleads guilty

Peres Magalhães pleaded guilty to manslaughter in October 2024.

"Today’s agreement marks a significant step forward in this case, and it is an important development in our pursuit of justice for the victims and their families," Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said.

Husband charged

Brendan Banfield was indicted by a grand jury on aggravated murder charges for the double homicide that claimed the lives of his wife and another man. He's charged with four counts of aggravated murder. 

He was in court earlier this month, where the defense argued that the investigation was flawed – questioning whether prosecutors or police may have evidence that would clear Banfield. 

Police testified in court that there was pressure from higher-ups in the Fairfax County Police Department to bend the facts of the investigation to fit their theory.

At issue: Who was using a laptop computer in the house to lure Joseph Ryan into the deadly mix. The defense claims it was Christine Banfield — and that digital evidence confirms that.

Questions were also raised about why a number of detectives and investigators involved in the case have been transferred to other jobs within the department as this case has progressed. The judge overseeing the case has asked police and prosecutors to explore those concerns.

Daughter interviewed

The daughter of Brendan and Christine Banfield was in the basement of their home when the killings occurred, according to authorities. 

The young daughter spoke with a forensic interviewer about what she believed was happening the morning her mother was killed at her home. 

Fairfax Circuit Court Chief Judge Penney Azcarate ruled on July 25 that the interview could not be used in the prosecutors' case against Banfield. 

Prosecutors had argued that the interview should be admissible as evidence because the daughter is a victim of her father's alleged killing. 

"It’s an act of abuse against her by virtue of what her father did that morning," said Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Eric Clingan.

In December, Banfield was indicted with child abuse and felony child cruelty in connection with the case.

Banfield's attorney argued that he did not consent for his child to be interviewed. 

Azcarate said the interview would be admissible if the child was being directly victimized by the parent, but that the child-abuse related charges were not the basis for the officials' interview. 

What's next:

Peres Magalhães faces up to 10 years on the manslaughter charge, and is set to be sentenced in December.

Banfield’s trial is scheduled for October. He faces a life sentence if convicted. 

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