The key witness in a sensational murder trial involving a US tax official and a fabricated BDSM scenario is the family's former nanny, who was also his lover. Brendan Banfield, who worked for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), stands accused of orchestrating the murders of his wife, Christine Banfield, and another man, Joseph Ryan.
The Fatal Night and the Alleged Plot
Prosecutors allege that on February 23, 2023, Christine Banfield was fatally stabbed in her home in Herndon, Virginia. Joseph Ryan was found dead from gunshot wounds nearby. The case hinges on a bizarre and sinister plot allegedly masterminded by Brendan Banfield.
The court heard that Banfield was having an affair with Juliana Peres Magalhães, the Brazilian au pair who lived with the couple and their four-year-old daughter. Prosecutors claim the murder plan was conceived after Banfield stated he wanted to "get rid" of his wife and that "divorce was not an option."
A Web of Deceit on a Bondage Site
A month before the killings, Brendan Banfield allegedly created a profile on a bondage website, posing as his wife, Christine, who was a paediatric intensive care nurse. Using this fake identity, he began communicating with Joseph Ryan.
Their discussions, according to prosecutors, centred on a "consensual sexual encounter" that would involve restraints, cutting off Christine's clothing with a knife, and other violent role-play. To bolster the ruse, Banfield allegedly made Ms Peres Magalhães call Mr Ryan while pretending to be Christine.
The Nanny's Guilt and Crucial Testimony
Juliana Peres Magalhães, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in relation to Mr Ryan's death in October 2024, is now the prosecution's star witness. She told the court she agreed to testify because she "could no longer carry the guilt and shame" of what happened.
She described the events of the night, stating that Banfield gave her a gun and instructed her to call Christine's phone when Ryan entered the home, and then to call Banfield himself. When Ryan arrived, she told him Christine was sleeping.
In a recorded interview, she explained the pretence: "We told him before that it was kinda part of the game... I would act like scared, like, try to run or try to scream... she would just get kinda freaked out and try to resist but it was like part of the game."
After the call, Brendan Banfield drove home. Prosecutors allege he then shot Joseph Ryan in the head and stabbed his wife. Ms Peres Magalhães was accused of then shooting Mr Ryan after seeing him move.
Following the violence, she said she and Brendan "reported the offence as if Mr Ryan was an intruder who stabbed Christine." Brendan Banfield has pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated murder. The trial continues.
