Wild Au Pair Murder Trial - VA v. Brendan Banfield Day 1

Описание: This case is being tried in Fairfax, Virginia, in front of Judge Penney S. Azcarate (yes, from the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial).


The case centers on Brendan Banfield, a former IRS agent charged with the February 24, 2023 killings of his wife, Christine Banfield, and Joseph Ryan inside the family’s Herndon, Virginia home. Prosecutors allege Banfield conspired with the family’s au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães to stage the scene to look like a self-defense killing. The state’s theory relies heavily on a catfishing narrative, claiming Banfield posed as his wife online, while the defense argues the digital evidence shows Christine herself communicated with Ryan. That dispute led to internal conflict within law enforcement, including the reassignment of investigators who questioned the prosecution’s theory. Magalhães initially faced murder charges but pleaded guilty to manslaughter in exchange for cooperation, with sentencing delayed until after her testimony.


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0:12:50 Commonwealth’s opening
Christine was a nurse with a hectic schedule
Motive: Custody of daughter

0:24:08 Defense opening
Juliana held about a year, then offered manslaughter with time served
Defense says arrest aimed to make her flip on Brendan
She initially declined a misdemeanor
Deal offered multiple times
Her case continued to Nov 12
Brendan arrested right before that date
Defense says investigators did not challenge Juliana’s early statements and her details changed
Defense says digital forensics dispute caused rifts and transfers tied to disagreement with the catfishing theory

0:43:30 Alicia Dale, Custodian of Records (911)
Feb 24, 2023
911 call came in
Dispatch called back
Au pair called again

1:04:55 Officer Justin Hugh
Bodycam audio played
Christine had multiple stab wounds to the neck and was still breathing
Joseph Ryan was shot
Blood in the pistol
One gun near the foot of the bed
Two other firearms on the opposite side

2:08:00 Lt. Michael Gibbons
Asked about Joseph’s pulse, then about Christine
Said a child was in the home
Exhibit 10 audio under seal
“This is my house, this is my wife, I don’t know him. This is the au pair. My daughter’s here.”
Blood soaked into carpet, some clotting

3:35:00 Dr. Meghan Kessler
Gunshot wound to head could explain blood on Joseph Ryan’s face

4:07:00 Christine Banfield autopsy (Kessler)
Partially clothed, socks on
Jewelry and glasses on top of her head
23 horizontal stab wounds to neck
Jugular, carotid, and airway structures damaged
Rapidly fatal, seconds to minutes

5:10:00 Juliana Peres Magalhães takes the stand
Hired late 2021
Romantic relationship began Aug 2022
Live in nanny late 2022
Room, board, $200 per week
Says divorce was not an option due to money and custody
Says Brendan did not want to share Valerie
Says Brendan talked about getting rid of Christine about two months later during a New York trip
Says she thought he was joking

5:32:40 FetLife account
Juliana says Brendan set up the profile and wrote the words

5:42:30 Alibis and usernames
Juliana says she knew there would be an investigation
Said “we” needed alibis, then corrected to “he”
Juliana ties Anastasia 9 to Brendan and Christine
TacoSupreme7000 was Joseph
Says Brendan said Joseph was the right person

6:00:00 Chat conversations
Juliana says Brendan picked Feb 24, 2023

6:20:00 Photos shown
Chain and knife Joseph was expected to bring
Juliana says Brendan told her to swap phones and create a new Apple ID

6:40:00 Juliana’s account of the bedroom
Juliana says she and Brendan entered the master bedroom
Joseph was on top of Christine
Christine yelled, “Brendan, he has a knife”
Juliana says Brendan shot Joseph in the head
Christine told Juliana to call 911
Juliana says Brendan gestured for her to hang up, and she did
Juliana says she did not stab Christine
Juliana says Joseph was still alive, so she took the gun and shot him

Links:
Prosecutor removed after early-morning incident (video):    • Fairfax County Prosecutor Eric Clingan Dri...  
Child interview ruled inadmissible (AP via WLNS): https://www.wlns.com/news/ap-us-news/...
Police reassignment dispute (AP via Yahoo): https://www.yahoo.com/news/police-rea...


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