Friday, January 30, 2026-In a high‑profile double murder trial in Fairfax County, Virginia, Brendan Banfield, a 40‑year‑old former IRS agent, took the stand to firmly reject prosecutors’ claims that he orchestrated a deadly plot involving his wife and another man.
Banfield acknowledged he had an affair with the family’s au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, but he told jurors under oath that there was no plan to kill his wife, Christine Banfield, and another man, Joseph Ryan. “I think that it’s an absurd line of questioning for something that is not serious, that a plan was made to get rid of my wife,” Banfield said, calling the idea “absolutely crazy.”
Prosecutors allege a complex scheme in which Banfield and Magalhães used a fetish‑focused social platform to lure Ryan to the couple’s Herndon home under the guise of a violent sex encounter and then murdered both Ryan and Christine Banfield.
They contend the supposed plot was driven by Banfield’s intent to frame Ryan for the murders and start a new life with Magalhães. Magalhães, who has pleaded guilty to a manslaughter charge and is testifying for the prosecution, maintains that Banfield was deeply involved in planning the killings. The prosecution’s narrative is backed by testimony about digital evidence and messages suggesting a more serious relationship between Banfield and Magalhães than he claims.
Banfield’s defense paints a starkly different picture, emphasizing his love for his wife despite past infidelities and arguing that he did not conspire to murder anyone. He asserted that his wife and he had worked through previous marital difficulties and that there was no coordinated plan to end her life.
With closing arguments expected soon and jurors set to deliberate, the case which could result in a life sentence if Banfield is convicted hinges on whether the jury finds his denial credible against the backdrop of conflicting testimonies and evidence presented at trial.
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