Overview
- Jurors found Banfield guilty of two counts of aggravated murder, using a firearm in a felony, and child endangerment.
- The panel deliberated for nearly nine hours over two days before returning the verdict on Monday.
- Prosecutors said Banfield conspired with au pair Juliana Peres Magalhães to lure Joseph Ryan to the home via a fetish website, fatally stabbed his wife Christine, shot Ryan, and staged the scene.
- The defense argued Banfield shot Ryan to protect his wife, highlighted investigative disputes and a lack of Banfield’s DNA on the knife, and questioned the au pair’s credibility.
- The aggravated murder convictions carry a mandatory life sentence under Virginia law, while Magalhães has pleaded guilty to manslaughter with time served contemplated at sentencing.