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Au Pair Resumes Testimony in Virginia Double-Murder Trial of Brendan Banfield

Prosecutors contend he posed as his wife on a fetish site to lure a man they say he would use as a patsy for her killing.

Overview

  • Juliana Peres Magalhães testified that Banfield shot Joseph Ryan and repeatedly stabbed Christine Banfield after she briefly hung up on 911 at his direction.
  • She pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for Ryan’s death and is cooperating under a deal recommending time served.
  • The defense says her account changed after plea negotiations and argues digital and forensic records undermine the prosecution’s staged-encounter theory.
  • Jurors heard 911 recordings and saw evidence including a blood‑stained handgun and the knife Ryan brought, with graphic images restricted to the jury.
  • The four‑week Fairfax County trial allows cameras, and Banfield also faces child‑endangerment charges tied to his daughter being in the home.