Ep. 107 - 108 | Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan
On the morning of February 24, 2023, police responded to 911 calls from the Banfield residence in Herndon, Fairfax County, Virginia, where they found Christine Banfield suffering from multiple stab wounds and Joseph Ryan dead from gunshot wounds inside an upstairs bedroom. Brendan Banfield — Christine's husband and a former IRS special agent — and the family's Brazilian au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, initially told police that Ryan had entered the house, attacked Christine with a knife, and was shot by both of them in self-defense, but investigators concluded this account was contradicted by physical and digital evidence.
Prosecutors alleged that Brendan and Peres Magalhães were engaged in an extramarital affair and, rather than face divorce and a custody dispute, Brendan created a fake FetLife profile under Christine's name to lure Ryan — a complete stranger — to the home under false pretenses, intending to kill Christine and frame Ryan for her murder by staging it as a home invasion gone wrong. Peres Magalhães was arrested in October 2023, later pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in Ryan's death, and testified as the key prosecution witness against Brendan at trial, where she was ultimately sentenced to ten years in prison. In early 2026, a Fairfax County jury convicted Brendan Banfield of aggravated murder on all counts, with a mandatory life sentence to follow.
SOURCES:
ABC News (20/20), "How a Plot Involving a Fetish Website and an Au Pair Affair Led to Murder," Cristina Corbin, Mason Leath, Sophie Sonnenfeld, February 20, 2026. https://abcnews.com/US/plot-involving-fetish-website-au-pair-affair-led/story?id=129895465 (Used for anonymous sugar baby affair claim — [VERIFY — single source, 20/20 interview])
ABC News, "Au Pair in Virginia Double Murder Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison," February 14, 2026. https://abcnews.com/US/au-pair-virginia-double-murder-sentenced-10-years/story?id=130136784
ABC News, "Brazilian Au Pair Testifies Against Former Employer and Lover in Double Homicide Case," January 14, 2026. https://abcnews.com/US/wireStory/brazilian-au-pair-testifies-former-employer-lover-double-129210132
CBS News, "Husband Plotted Double Murder to 'Get Rid of' His Wife After Affair, Au Pair Testifies," January 14, 2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brendan-banfield-trial-killing-wife-au-pair-testifies-virginia/
CNN, "Au Pair Who Plotted Elaborate Double Murder With Brendan Banfield Sentenced to Maximum 10 Years in Prison," February 13, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/13/us/au-pair-sentencing-brendan-banfield
CNN, "Closing Arguments Friday in Brendan Banfield Trial After He Testifies He Saw His Wife Stabbed Before Shooting Attacker," January 30, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/29/us/brendan-banfield-murder-trial-testimony
Court TV, "VA v. Brendan Banfield: Au Pair Affair Murder Trial," updated February 2, 2026. https://www.courttv.com/news/va-v-brendan-banfield-au-pair-affair-murder-trial/
DC News Now, "Affairs, Fetish Activity Alleged at Hearing for Au Pair Charged in Reston Murder; Fairfax County Judge Denies Bond," April 1, 2024. https://www.dcnewsnow.com/news/local-news/virginia/fairfax-county/defense-prosecution-outline-adult-relationships-activities-at-hearing-for-au-pair-charged-in-reston-murder-fairfax-county-judge-denies-bond/
DNYUZ / Washington Post, "Banfield Guilty of Murdering Wife and Another Man in Plot With Au Pair," February 3, 2026. https://dnyuz.com/2026/02/03/banfield-guilty-of-murdering-wife-and-another-man-in-plot-with-au-pair/
Fairfax County Police Department, "Family Au Pair Charged in Reston Fatal Shooting Case," October 19, 2023. https://fcpdnews.wordpress.com/2023/10/19/family-au-pair-charged-in-reston-fatal-shooting-case/
Fox News, "Affluent Virginia Suburb Rocked by Love Triangle Murders as Prosecutors Highlight Key Evidence," October 7, 2024. https://www.foxnews.com/us/affluent-virginia-suburb-rocked-love-triangle-murders-prosecutors-highlight-key-evidence.amp
Fox News, "Virginia Nanny's Jailhouse Letters Reveal Conflicting Loyalties in Love Triangle Murder Trial," January 15, 2026. https://www.foxnews.com/us/virginia-nannys-jailhouse-letters-reveal-conflicting-loyalties-love-triangle-murder-trial
Law & Crime, "'An Appalling Scene': Family Au Pair Who Called 911 Charged With Murder Months After Puzzling Stabbing and Shooting Unfolded With 4-Year-Old Girl Inside Home," October 19, 2023. https://lawandcrime.com/crime/an-appalling-scene-family-au-pair-who-called-911-charged-with-murder-months-after-puzzling-stabbing-and-shooting-unfolded-with-4-year-old-girl-inside-home/
NBC News, "Au Pair Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison in Brendan Banfield Double Murder Case," February 13–14, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/au-pair-brendan-banfield-double-murder-trial-sentenced-rcna258923
NBC Washington, "Au Pair Charged in Killing at Northern Virginia Home," October 19, 2023. https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/au-pair-charged-in-killing-at-northern-virginia-home/3448799/
NBC Washington, "Virginia Man Indicted in Deaths of Wife, Stranger in Alleged Plot With Au Pair," September 17, 2024. https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/virginia-man-indicted-in-deaths-of-wife-stranger-in-alleged-plot-with-au-pair/3718825/
NBC Washington (WUSA9), "Recap: Juliana Peres Magalhães Gets 10 Years in Au Pair Affair Murder Case," February 13, 2026. https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/live-updates-juliana-peres-magalhaes-to-be-sentenced-in-au-pair-affair-murder-case/4059322/
Primetimer, "What Happened to Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan? Details Explored Ahead of 20/20 on ABC," Arvind Singh, February 20, 2026. https://www.primetimer.com/features/what-happened-to-christine-banfield-and-joseph-ryan-details-explored-ahead-of-20-20-on-abc (Used for poisoning/accidental death planning claim — [VERIFY — single source])
Washington Post, "Christine Ann Banfield, 37, Joseph Nathan Ryan, 39, Were Killed in Herndon," February 25, 2023. https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/02/24/woman-fatally-stabbed-man-shot-herndon-va-home/
Washington Post, "Woman Charged With Murder in Shooting at Herndon, Va. Home," October 19, 2023. https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/10/19/virginia-nanny-murder-arrest/
7News (WJLA), "Former Au Pair Sentenced to 10 Years in Fairfax County Double Murder Case," February 14, 2026. https://wjla.com/news/local/judge-to-determine-sentence-for-au-pair-juliana-peres-magalhaes-trial-brendan-banfield-double-murder-fairfax-county-virginia-christine-banfield-joe-ryan-commonwealth-courts
7News (WJLA), "Brendan Banfield Found Guilty on All Counts in Au Pair Murder Trial," February 3, 2026. https://wjla.com/news/local/brendan-banfield-virginia-fairfax-county-murder-homicide-jury-au-pair-affair-crime-deliberations-christine-joe-ryan-juliana-peres-magalhaes-commonwealth-attorney-jenna-sands-joe-ryan-john-carroll-catfish-iris-dalley-graff-leeann-singley-brendan-miller
7News (WJLA), "LIVE UPDATES: Au Pair Murder Trial Enters Week 2: Blood Spatter Analyst Takes the Stand," January 22, 2026. https://wjla.com/news/local/reston-au-pair-virginia-banfield-fairfax-county-prosecutors-juliana-magalhaes-affair-christine-joseph-ryan-break-in-witness-testimony-lawyers-defense-crime-murder-judge-double
WTVR, "Au Pair Juliana Peres Magalhães Arrested After Joseph Nathan Ryan Killed at Herndon Family's Home," October 22, 2023. https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/au-pair-juliana-peres-magalhaes-arrested-joseph-nathan-ryan-murder-herndon-virginia
WUSA9, "Blood Spatter Expert Takes the Stand in Brendan Banfield Murder Trial." https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/true-crime/brendan-banfield-murder-trial/blood-spatter-expert-brendan-banfield-murder-trial/65-97372a7d-1265-416d-ac2f-34c82b5b4a4a
WUSA9, "Fingerprints on Knife Could've Belonged to Banfield, Analyst Testifies in Murder Trial." https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/true-crime/fingerprints-knife-analyst-testifies-brendan-banfield-murder-trial-au-pair-affair/65-790f14aa-af69-4349-a2db-acaefde71b9a
WUSA9, "'We Believe in Justice for Both' — Grand Jury Indicts Au Pair in Connection to Man's Death." https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/grand-jury-indicts-au-pair-in-connection-to-mans-death-in-fairfax-county/65-7958c778-e8c6-4ed9-ad11-b695b598357c
