Kriti Mehrotra
The double homicide of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan inside the former’s suburban Fairfax County, Virginia, home on February 24, 2023, is a case that shocked many. ABC’s ’20/20: The Au Pair, the Affair, and Murder’ evidences the same by revisiting what transpired that fateful morning, the investigation to identify their assailants, and the subsequent legal ramifications. After all, it eventually came to light that they were both victims at the hands of Christine’s husband of nearly 13 years, Brendan Banfield, and their family’s au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães.
Brendan Banfield and Juliana Peres Magalhães’ Bond Was More Than That of an Employer-Employee
Brendan Banfield first met Christine Ann Benson by pure chance in Long Island, New York, and they soon fell head over heels in love. While he studied accounting at St. Joseph’s University before launching a children’s math tutoring center, she earned a nursing degree from Quinnipiac University and later became a pediatric intensive care nurse. Therefore, they not only shared deep feelings for one another but also seemed to mesh well on paper, driving them to ultimately tie the knot in a cozy ceremony in the summer of 2010.
Brendan and Christine welcomed their only child into the world in 2018, shortly after which they relocated to Northern Virginia for better career and overall growth opportunities. The couple reportedly thrived there, juggling their respective careers as an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Division agent and a pediatric nurse while also being devoted parents. Thus, it comes as no surprise that they needed an au pair, and that’s how Brazilian native Juliana Peres Magalhães came into their lives – she was hired by the matriarch sometime in 2021.
Juliana had happily moved into the couple’s home to help with their toddler, but according to records, things changed in August 2022 as the equation between her and Brendan shifted drastically. That’s when they went from employer-employee to lovers, starting an extramarital affair behind Christine’s back despite their 15-year age difference: by early 2023, she was 22, and he was 37. According to reports, they wanted to start afresh together; thus, prosecutors alleged, the two conspired in a “calculated” plan to “get rid of” Christine.
Brendan Banfield and Juliana Peres Magalhães Were Arrested for Murder a Year Apart
Brendan and Juliana essentially led a double life during their liaison, behaving ather professionally at home in front of Christine, but then going on full-fledged dates and romantic getaways. They even went to New York together with the Banffields’ young daughter in October 2022, which is when the IRS agent allegedly brought up getting “rid of” his wife for the first time. According to the au pair, she had suggested a divorce because she wanted to start a new chapter with him as soon as possible, but he refused since he didn’t want to have a custody dispute or lose anything financially.
“(Brendan) didn’t really know what he would do,” Juliana testified in court. “He just mentioned that he was thinking about it, and he would think better and let me know when he thought about it.” She added that she initially believed he was joking, but as he spoke more about not wanting to do it himself or hire anyone for the job, she realized he was serious and still went along with it. The couple ultimately decided on faking a fatal attack on her and then killing the “scapegoat.” According to court records, Joseph Ryan had been contacted through an online account made under Christine’s name.
On the morning of February 24, 2023, two 911 calls were made from the Banfields’ home, with Brendan and Juliana alleging he had come home to find Joseph stabbing Christine in an upstairs bedroom. They claimed he used his service weapon to shoot Joseph before moving towards Christine to help her, adding that it was then that Juliana fired another shot while the toddler was in the basement. However, by October, officials realized there was more to the story as they had uncovered the affair and other evidence, leading to the Brazilian’s arrest for Joseph’s murder. She admitted to her involvement a year later, culminating in the IRS agent’s arrest in September 2024.
Brendan Banfield and Juliana Peres Magalhães Are Both Incarcerated in State Prison Today
It was in October 2024, a month after Brendan was arrested and held without bond, that Juliana pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter in connection with Joseph’s death. She was able to do so because of her eventual cooperation in the investigation and her agreement to testify against her former boyfriend for the prosecution whenever he would stand trial. His trial commenced in January 2026, during which she detailed their affair, that the two had conspired the double murder, and he had taught her to use a gun in the months preceding the killing.
In the end, on February 2, 2026, Brendan was convicted of two counts of aggravated murder, one count of use of a firearm, and one count of child endangerment against his then-4-year-old daughter. A week later, Juliana was handed a 10-year prison sentence, with the judge disregarding the prosecutors’ recommendation of time served owing to her crucial testimony in the case. The former’s sentence hearing is reportedly scheduled for May 2026, but with the death penalty having been abolished in Virginia, he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. Therefore, today, while the 40-year-old remains detained in county jail, the 25-year-old is incarcerated in a state prison, where she is expected to remain until at least October 2033.
Read More: Christine Banfield Murder Details and Investigation Timeline
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