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A jury in Fairfax County convicted Brendan Banfield on all counts, including two counts of aggravated murder, in the 2023 killing of his wife, Christine Banfield, and the fatal shooting of Joseph Ryan, a man prosecutors said was lured to the family’s home as part of a plan to make him look like an intruder.
The verdict closes the trial’s central dispute: whether Banfield acted in a chaotic, defensive confrontation inside the home, or whether the violence was the endpoint of a premeditated plot tied to his relationship with the family’s Brazilian au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães.
Prosecutors’ Theory: A Lure, a Staged Narrative, and a Fall Guy
According to AP News, prosecutors said Banfield and the au pair used a fetish website to contact Ryan and bring him to the house under false pretenses, then tried to shape the scene and the story afterward to place blame on Ryan for Christine Banfield’s death.
Local coverage of the verdict emphasized the gravity of the convictions and Banfield’s demeanor in court as the jury’s decision was read.
The Cooperating Witness and the Plea That Set the Stage
Magalhães testified at trial after entering a plea deal in the broader case, a dynamic that became a focal point for both sides: prosecutors relied on her account to help explain motive and sequence, while the defense attacked her credibility and incentives.
A statement released by Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office in October 2024 confirmed Magalhães pleaded guilty to manslaughter for shooting Ryan on February 24, 2023, framing the agreement as a key development ahead of the remaining defendant’s trial.
Banfield’s Defense: Interrupted Attack, Not a Conspiracy
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Banfield’s defense argued he walked into a violent assault already underway and that he shot Ryan in response, disputing the prosecution’s claim that the encounter was engineered.
Reporting on the case has repeatedly highlighted how jurors were asked to choose between two sharply different narratives about what happened inside the home that morning, and why.
A Child in the Home, and the Additional Counts
Jurors also convicted Banfield of child endangerment, with prosecutors pointing to the presence of the couple’s young daughter in the home during the killings.
Sentencing Dates and Expected Penalties
Banfield is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8, 2026, according to multiple outlets covering the verdict, including WJLA and The Washington Post.
The Washington Post reported the convictions carry a mandatory life sentence without parole under the aggravated murder findings.
