A former US Internal Revenue Service agent accused of murdering his wife to pursue an affair with the family's nanny moved his mistress into the marital bedroom shortly after the killing, a court has heard.
The Gruesome Allegations and Twisted Plot
Brendan Banfield, 39, is on trial for the February 2023 killings of his 37-year-old wife, Christine, and a 39-year-old stranger, Joseph Ryan, at their home in northern Virginia. Prosecutors allege he stabbed Christine to death in their bed as part of an elaborate scheme to be with the couple's 25-year-old Brazilian au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães.
The court was told the plot involved creating a fake online sex profile in Christine's name, suggesting she wanted to enact a rape fantasy. Joseph Ryan responded to this profile and was subsequently killed by Banfield, in what prosecutors say was an attempt to frame Ryan for Christine's murder.
A Home Transformed After the Murders
Fairfax County Sergeant Kenner Fortner testified on Thursday that when he revisited the residence eight months after the initial investigation, Magalhães was sleeping in the master bedroom Christine had shared with her husband. During his first visit in February 2023, he had photographed all rooms, including the au pair's separate bedroom.
"They had gotten new flooring, new bedroom furniture," Fortner stated, noting the stark changes. Photographs of the Banfields had been "taken down and replaced with Brendan and Juliana together." Items of red lingerie and a distinctive yellow t-shirt with green trim, previously seen in the au pair's closet, were now hanging in the master bedroom.
Weapons Found in the Bedroom
The lead crime scene detective, Detective Terry Leach, also testified on Thursday. He described finding the murder weapon, a knife, concealed in the marital bed. "The knife was found underneath the blankets, between the edge of the blanket and the bed," Leach said. "The only thing we could see when we arrived was the handle."
Two handguns were also discovered in the room, which Leach determined had been moved from their original locations after first responders arrived. The bodies of both Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan were found in the master bedroom.
The Nanny's Testimony and Guilty Plea
Earlier in the week, Juliana Peres Magalhães took the stand. She testified that Banfield felt he could not simply leave his wife, leading them to hatch a plan to "get rid" of Christine. Magalhães claimed Banfield was motivated by money, fearing a divorce would leave his wife financially better off, and by concerns over child custody.
She detailed how they lured Ryan to the house using a BDSM site, shot him, and staged the scene. "I just couldn't keep it to myself, the feeling of shame and guilt and sadness," she told the court about the ruse.
Magalhães was initially charged with second-degree murder but has since pleaded guilty to a downgraded charge of manslaughter. She will be sentenced after Banfield's trial, with attorneys suggesting she could be sentenced to time already served, depending on her cooperation.
Defence Scrutiny and Additional Charges
Banfield's defence attorney, John Carroll, spent a day scrutinising Magalhães's testimony and motives for pleading guilty. He pressed her on who created the fake social media account and specific messages sent from it, to which she often replied she could not remember or was unsure.
Banfield, who has pleaded not guilty to two counts of aggravated murder, could face life in prison if convicted. He also faces charges of child abuse and felony child cruelty, as his four-year-old daughter was in the house on the morning of the killings. Those charges will be addressed during the ongoing trial.
