The chilling murder trial unfolding in Virginia reads like a script too twisted for a crime drama, featuring a former IRS agent, a family nanny, and a bogus BDSM scenario allegedly designed to cover up a cold-blooded killing for insurance money.
From Nanny to Accomplice: A Relationship Turns Deadly
On Tuesday, January 14, 2026, the courtroom heard bombshell testimony from Juliana Peres Magalhaes, the 22-year-old Brazilian au pair at the heart of the case. Magalhaes, who has already pleaded guilty to manslaughter, detailed how her professional relationship with Brendan Banfield, 39, spiraled into clandestine affairs and ultimately, a murder conspiracy targeting his wife, Christine Banfield.
Magalhaes testified that in August 2022, she began a sexual relationship with Banfield. By October, during a trip to New York City, he revealed he wanted his wife "out of the picture" and that divorce was not an option. "He mentioned his plan to get rid of (Christine)," Magalhaes told the court. "Initially, he didn't know what he would do."
The Elaborate and Wicked Setup
Prosecutors allege Banfield then masterminded a complex plot. Using his wife's email and photo, he created a fake profile on a fetish website. He and Magalhaes began propositioning men, eventually settling on Joseph Ryan, luring him to the family's suburban Washington, D.C., home in February 2023 with the promise of a consensual kinky encounter.
Ryan was told that Christine "desperately wanted to be raped." The plan, according to testimony, was for Ryan to enter the unlocked home, find Christine in bed, and assault her. Banfield, meanwhile, would establish an alibi at a local McDonald's, waiting for a staged call from Magalhaes about an intruder.
"He knew that we needed to have some alibis," Magalhaes said. "He knew that he needed to change his routine a few weeks prior."
A Bloody Night and a Staged Crime Scene
The plan unfolded with brutal precision. After ensuring their child was in the basement, Banfield and Magalhaes set the trap. Magalhaes made the call, feigning fear. Banfield returned home, entered the bedroom, and shot Joseph Ryan to death. He then stabbed his wife while Magalhaes pointed a gun purchased a month earlier.
"When I got to the bedroom, Brendan yelled, 'Police officer,'" Magalhaes recounted. "Christine's first reaction... she yelled back at Brendan, saying, 'Brendan, he has a knife,' and that's when Brendan first shot Joe." She described feeling blood on the carpet and pulling her hands away.
The pair then staged the scene to look like a home invasion gone wrong before calling 911. Initially, Magalhaes told police she and Banfield had discovered Ryan attacking Christine and opened fire to stop him.
Juliana Peres Magalhaes pleaded guilty to manslaughter in October 2024 and will be sentenced after Banfield's trial. If convicted of the murder charges, Brendan Banfield faces the possibility of life in prison. The trial is expected to last four weeks.
