MarketMurders of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan
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Murders of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan

The murders of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan, dubbed the au pair affair and the au pair murders in the media, occurred on February 24, 2023, in Herndon, Fairfax County, Virginia. In 2026, a Fairfax County jury convicted Banfield's husband, former Internal Revenue Service agent Brendan Banfield, of the aggravated murder of his wife and Ryan in what prosecutors described as a premeditated plot in which he and his lover, the family's Brazilian au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, lured Ryan to the family's house to commit the murders and stage the crime scene as a home invasion gone wrong. Peres Magalhães had previously pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in Ryan's death and testified as the key witness for the prosecution at Banfield's trial, and was herself sentenced to ten years in prison.

Background
Christine Banfield was a pediatric intensive care nurse living in Herndon, Virginia, with her husband, Brendan Banfield, and their young daughter. Brendan Banfield created a fake FetLife account under Christine Banfield's name to lure Ryan to the Banfield's home under the false pretense that Christine wanted to participate in BDSM roleplay. ==The murder==
The murder
On the morning of February 24, 2023, police responded to 911 calls from the Banfield residence. Officers found Christine Banfield suffering from multiple stab wounds and Joseph Ryan dead from gunshot wounds inside an upstairs bedroom. There were no signs of forced entry, and the Banfields' child was found unharmed in the basement. Brendan Banfield and Peres Magalhães initially told police that Ryan had entered the house, attacked Christine with a knife, and was then shot by both Brendan Banfield and Peres Magalhães in self-defense. Investigators concluded that this account was contradicted by physical and digital evidence. ==Investigation and arrests==
Investigation and arrests
Peres Magalhães was arrested in October 2023, and charged with second-degree murder and firearm offenses. Peres Magalhães pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter in Ryan's killing in October 2024, agreeing to testify against Brendan Banfield for the prosecution. ==References==
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