What to Know
- Brendan Banfield’s trial is picking back up after last week’s bombshell testimony, photos and forensic evidence.
- Banfield, a former IRS officer, is accused of killing his wife, Christine Banfield, and a stranger, Joseph Ryan, at the Banfields’ home in Fairfax County, Virginia.
- Prosecutors say the killings were part of a calculated plan so Brendan could get Christine out of the picture and start a new life with his family’s au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães. The two began having an affair months before the killings, the Brazilian au pair testified.
- Peres Magalhães pleaded guilty to manslaughter for her role and agreed to cooperate with investigators. During her testimony last week, Peres Magalhães said Brendan told her divorcing Christine wasn’t an option. She said he created a fake profile for Christine on a sex fetish website to lure a stranger to the home and pin his wife’s murder on them.
- Defense attorney John Carroll claims the au pair was arrested so prosecutors could flip her against Brendan. He questioned her memory and why she wrote to her family “we deserve something” when discussing a possible documentary deal with Netflix.
- An officer who returned to the home months after the killings testified the au pair’s clothing was moved to the primary bedroom, and a framed photo of Brendan and Peres Magalhães was on the nightstand. Other witnesses said Brendan bought a gun and had noise-reducing windows installed at his home before the killings.
- He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
- Watch a livestream of the trial in the video player above and follow here for live updates.
Editor’s Note: Some people may find the details of the trial disturbing. Discretion is advised.
It’s the fourth day of testimony in the trial of Brendan Banfield, the Fairfax County man accused of killing his wife and a stranger as part of a calculated plot to start a new life with the family’s au pair. Follow live updates below.
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