Juliana Peres Magalhaes, a Brazilian au pair who lived with the Banfields in Virginia, testified she pleaded guilty because it felt like "the right thing to do." Prosecutors allege her former lover, Brendan Banfield, used a Fetlife profile to lure a stranger and stage a violent encounter to cover a plot to kill his wife, Christine. Joseph Ryan was shot and Christine was stabbed in February 2023; Peres Magalhaes pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Ryan's death and is now the prosecution's key witness. Brendan has pleaded not guilty and his defense says Peres Magalhaes was pressured to cooperate.
Brazilian Au Pair Says She Testified Because It Felt "Right" As Alleged BDSM Murder Plot Against Wife Is Central To Trial
Court TV; Fairfax County Police DepartmentJuliana Peres Magalhaes, left, and Brendan Banfield
Juliana Peres Magalhaes, a Brazilian au pair who lived with Brendan and Christine Banfield in Virginia, has become a central witness in the murder trial of Brendan Banfield. Prosecutors allege Brendan plotted to kill his wife by luring a stranger to the home through a fetish website and staging a violent sexual encounter as cover for the crime.
Brendan Banfield is charged with the deaths of his wife, Christine Banfield, and another man, Joseph Ryan, in February 2023. Authorities say Brendan used a Fetlife.com profile, allegedly impersonating Christine, to communicate with Ryan about a purported "consensual" encounter involving restraints and simulated violence. According to the prosecution, Ryan was later shot and Christine was stabbed in the couple's Herndon, Virginia home.
Peres Magalhaes pleaded guilty in 2024 to manslaughter in connection with Ryan's death and has testified for the prosecution at Brendan's trial, which began this week. On the witness stand, she told prosecutors she accepted responsibility because it felt like "the right thing to do," saying she could no longer carry "the feeling of shame and guilt and sadness."
Christine Banfield/FacebookChristine Banfield
Peres Magalhaes testified: "The thought of being the right thing to do, I guess. The world deserved to know what really happened and I just couldn't hold it — I just couldn't keep it to myself."
Prosecutors allege the scheme began after Brendan told Peres Magalhaes he wanted to "get rid" of his wife and that "divorce was not an option." They contend Brendan supplied Peres Magalhaes with a gun and instructed her to call Christine's phone once Ryan entered the home, then wait while Brendan positioned himself nearby. Prosecutors say Brendan was waiting in a nearby McDonald's when he received a call, drove to the house, fatally shot Ryan and stabbed Christine to create the appearance that Ryan had killed her; Peres Magalhaes then shot Ryan again after he moved.
Brendan has pleaded not guilty to charges that include aggravated murder. His attorney, John Carroll, argued in court that Peres Magalhaes was arrested and then pressured to "flip" against his client. The prosecution's case hinges on Peres Magalhaes' testimony alongside physical evidence and investigative findings presented at trial.
News organizations reporting on the proceedings include People, WUSA, CNN, NBC4, Court TV, and information provided by the Fairfax County Police Department. As the trial progresses, prosecutors and defense attorneys will continue to present competing narratives about motive, intent and who was responsible for the February 2023 deaths.
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