A mansion murder mystery has shaken an affluent Virginia suburb, with a nanny set to go on trial.
In November, Juliana Peres Magalhaes will be tried in Fairfax County, Virginia, for second-degree murder.
A peaceful Virginia community. A typical family of three. A Brazilian caregiver. A tragic double homicide.
The investigation into the murder of Christine Banfield, a wife, mother, and Fairfax County NICU employee, and Joseph Ryan, the 38-year-old man who arrived at her home with a knife, in Herndon, Virginia, in February 2023, is ongoing.
Juliana Peres Magalhaes, a 23-year-old au pair from Brazil, is set to be tried for second-degree murder and the use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a crime that led to Ryan's death.
Authorities have not filed any charges in connection with Banfield's death.
The initial crime
On February 24, 2023, the mystery started when Magalhaes informed police that she left Christine and husband Brendan Banfield's home in the 13200 block of Stable Brook Way in Herndon to take their daughter to the National Zoo. She stated that she had started driving but realized she forgot the lunches she packed for their outing, so she turned around and noticed an unknown car in the driveway.
The Washington Post reported that she called Brendan, a former criminal investigative agent for the IRS who had left for work, and informed him about the mysterious car in their driveway. The pair decided to meet at the Banfields' home and walk inside together.
Brendan and Magalhaes entered the house and saw an unknown man, Ryan, holding Christine at knifepoint. Ryan was fully clothed while Christine was naked in the main bedroom. Magalhaes described Ryan as an intruder.
The details of what happened inside the home on that Friday morning are still unclear, but it is known that Magalhaes and Brendan both confessed to shooting Ryan while he was holding a knife to Christine. Ryan tragically lost his life in the incident, while Christine sustained stab wounds to the neck and ultimately passed away in the hospital.
The Fairfax County police launched an investigation after someone inside the home made a 911 call that morning.
"This is evolving and changing. This is very dynamic." — Fairfax County Police Department Chief Kevin Davis
During the press conference, Fairfax County Police Department Chief Kevin Davis stated that there were no additional suspects in the case other than the four adults present in the home at the time of the double homicide. Additionally, he mentioned that there were no signs of forced entry and that all individuals inside the home were acquainted with one another.
At the time of the murder, the police chief stated that the Banfields' daughter was present in the home.
Investigation revelations
The investigation into the double murder led Fairfax authorities to discover intricate details about the four suspects.
Court documents allege that Magalhaes and Brendan were having an affair, which was unknown to Christine. The pair went to a shooting range just weeks before the double murder, according to the Post.
The Post reported that prosecutors claimed a computer at the Banfield home was linked to an account on a sexual fetish website.
The photo of Christine in a bathing suit on the computer account was unclear as to who was communicating on it. Additionally, the profile did not provide any evidence that she was into knife play, binding, or BDSM, prosecutor Eric Clingan stated in court, according to the Post.
The man who held Christine at knifepoint, Ryan, also had an account on the website and had been communicating with whoever was accessing the site from the Banfield computer.
In November 2023, a grand jury indicted Magalhaes, who had been living in the Banfields' main bedroom since October 2023, and her trial is scheduled to take place in November.
Ryan Campbell, Brendan's attorney, stated that Brendan shot at Ryan first while holding a knife to his wife's neck. Afterwards, Brendan requested that Ryan retrieve another gun from the closet of the main bedroom. According to the Post, Magalhaes fired at Ryan because she believed he posed a threat to her employers.
"You have a stranger in the house and a dying woman." — Attorney Ryan Campbell
In court, Campbell stated that Mr. Banfield, a law enforcement officer, shot the individual once, according to the Post. The attorney did not respond to a request for comment from Planet Chronicle Digital.
Magalhaes' mother maintains that her daughter is not guilty.
Marina Peres Souza, in an interview with the Washington Post, stated that she prays for the prosecutors and judge to comprehend that Juliana is not guilty in this case.
In a June email to her mother, Magalhaes expressed her unhappiness and desire to leave the current situation, stating, "I am tired of this place and nothing makes me happy. I just want to go back home and be with you guys."
The IRS confirmed to Planet Chronicle Digital on Thursday that Brendan is no longer employed by the agency. During a preliminary hearing in April, he invoked his right to the Fifth Amendment in response to questions about his alleged ties to the case.
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