An au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhaes, accused of involvement in a shocking double homicide in Northern Virginia is reportedly set to accept a plea deal, as revealed in recent court documents.
In an unsettling case, both Peres Magalhaes and Brendan Banfield, the father of the family she served, are charged with conspiring to murder Banfield’s wife, Christine Banfield, along with a stranger named Joseph Ryan, inside the family’s residence located in Herndon in February 2023.
It remains uncertain whether Peres Magalhaes will provide testimony or cooperate against Brendan Banfield in the ongoing legal proceedings.
Search warrant documents unveiled crucial insights into the conversations that transpired between Peres Magalhaes and Brendan Banfield while they were both incarcerated. News4’s Julie Carey closely reports on these developments.
A double killing
On the fateful morning of February 24, 2023, around 7:30 a.m., Peres Magalhaes left the Banfields’ residence on Stable Brook Way with their young daughter, who is just 4 years old, as investigators have indicated. According to police accounts, the 23-year-old au pair realized she had forgotten to pick up the packed lunches and returned to the home. Upon arrival, she noticed an unfamiliar vehicle parked outside.
Concerned for the family’s safety, she attempted to reach Christine via phone, but after receiving no response, frustration led her to contact Brendan. He responded quickly, arriving back at the house shortly thereafter, authorities disclosed.
Within minutes of his arrival, the three of them re-entered their home. Following this, Brendan ascended the stairs to the bedroom, where he discovered both Christine and Ryan in a distressing situation.
Detectives reported that Brendan and Peres Magalhaes claimed Ryan had assaulted Christine, which led Brendan—who is employed as a law enforcement officer with the Internal Revenue Service—to discharge his firearm at Ryan.
Joseph Ryan, who had no apparent link to the family or their home, became embroiled in this tragic incident that day. However, as the detectives delved deeper into the circumstances surrounding Ryan’s appearance at the Banfields’ home, discrepancies began to emerge between witness statements and the investigators’ findings.
A fetish site used as a lure?
An investigative search of a computer found inside the Banfields’ home unveiled a fetish sex website that catered to various sexual fantasies, including kink and BDSM. Prosecutors alleged that Brendan Banfield and the au pair devised a sinister plan to entice Ryan to their home using this explicit site.
Upon further investigation, detectives discovered a profile belonging to Christine, along with exchanges between her account and Ryan’s. However, authorities expressed concern over inconsistencies present in the conversations.
According to law enforcement, the tone and style of Christine’s messages to Ryan deviated significantly from descriptions provided by her friends and relatives, indicating that someone else may have been impersonating her online, ultimately arranging for Ryan to meet at the family’s home that very day.
Nearly eight months following the tragic killings, Fairfax County law enforcement apprehended Peres Magalhaes, charging her with second-degree murder related to Ryan’s death.
In September, Brendan Banfield was indicted on the more serious charges of murdering both his wife and Ryan, a significant development occurring almost a year after Peres Magalhaes was initially arrested.
Additional evidence included photographs showing Juliana Peres Magalhaes engaging in activities at a Virginia gun range, along with visitor logs that documented her and Banfield’s presence there.
As part of the prosecution’s case, they highlighted the couple’s alleged plans to flee the country, presenting images of a new Brazilian passport acquired by the au pair. It was asserted that Banfield had accompanied Peres Magalhaes to the Brazilian consulate to facilitate her passport application.
