Overview
- Banfield has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder and a firearm charge in the deaths of his wife, Christine Banfield, and Joseph Ryan, and he remains held without bond.
- Prosecutors allege Banfield and au pair Juliana Peres Magalhães conspired to lure Ryan via a Fetlife account, stage 911 calls, and make the scene look like self-defense.
- Peres Magalhães pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter under a deal recommending time served and is expected to be a key prosecution witness at trial.
- A former Fairfax County digital forensic examiner testified that Christine Banfield herself connected with Ryan, a finding peer-reviewed by a University of Alabama team, which the defense cites to challenge the state’s theory.
- The case stems from Feb. 24, 2023, 911 calls that led police to find Christine stabbed and Ryan fatally shot with no forced entry; the four-week trial also includes child abuse and cruelty counts tied to Banfield’s daughter being in the home.