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Au pair affair: Virginia man accused of killing wife, man to stand trial

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Au pair affair: Virginia man accused of killing wife, man to stand trial


A man accused of carrying out an elaborate fetish sex plot to kill his wife and a man inside his Northern Virginia home is set to stand trial.

Nine men and seven women were selected to the jury Monday in the trial for Brendan Banfield. Four of those 16 jurors are alternates who will step in if other jurors can’t attend for some reason.

Banfield is charged with aggravated murder in the killings of his wife, 37-year-old Christine Banfield, and a stranger, 39-year-old Joseph Ryan, at the Banfields’ Herndon home on the morning of Feb. 24, 2023.

Prosecutors say Brendan Banfield was having an affair with the family’s au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, for months before the killings, and that he conspired with his then-4-year-old daughter’s caretaker to get his wife “out of the picture.”

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Peres Magalhães told prosecutors Brendan was the mastermind of the alleged plan. She said he created a fake profile on FetLife.com, a kink, BDSM and fantasy dating website, pretending to be Christine. Peres Magalhães said she and Brendan logged onto Christine’s work computer and used the fake FetLife account to solicit a stranger, Ryan, to the house to carry out a rape fantasy involving a knife.

When Ryan showed up to the house and started carrying out the plan, Brendan Banfield and Peres Magalhães burst into the bedroom pretending to save the day, prosecutors said. Banfield allegedly shot Ryan and then stabbed Christine.

Peres Magalhães said in an interview with prosecutors that she also shot Ryan. She pleaded guilty to manslaughter and spoke to prosecutors as part of her plea agreement.

The Fairfax County man accused of murdering his wife and another man in their home will stand trial starting Monday. News4’s Aimee Cho shares what to expect.

Banfield has denied the allegations. Defense attorneys argued in a hearing last summer that investigators have a secret folder of evidence that dismantles the so-called “catfish theory” that Brendan Banfield created the FetLife account.

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A Fairfax County detective trained in digital forensics testified that he pulled and analyzed all the digital data on the devices used to access the FetLife profile. It was his professional conclusion that it was Christine on the computer, not Brendan, he said.

He said during a July 10 hearing that police command staff disagreed with his findings because they didn’t support their theory that Brendan Banfield was behind the fetish site profile.

The detective said his supervisors reassigned him off of the case against his will.

Multiple Fairfax County Police Department employees said under oath that the evidence did not support the theory that Brendan Banfield catfished Ryan to the family’s home.

Opening statements are expected to begin Tuesday, and the trial could take about four weeks.

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News4 is getting rare, video access inside the courtroom. Watch a daily livestream of the trial and follow updates here and on the NBC4 Washington YouTube.



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Virginia Marie Tarney Obituary

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Virginia Marie Tarney Obituary


Virginia M. Tarney, 84, passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 16, 2026, surrounded by her loving family.
Born on April 19, 1941, in Laporte, Indiana, she was the daughter of Robert F. Berns and Henrietta (Thompson) Berns. Virginia was…



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Southwest, Central Virginia Weather | 7:45 a.m. – April 25, 2026

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Southwest, Central Virginia Weather | 7:45 a.m. – April 25, 2026


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At WSLS, we are committed to informing and delighting our audience. In our commitment to covering our communities with innovation and excellence, we incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to enhance our news gathering, reporting, and presentation processes. Read our article to see how we are using Artificial Intelligence.



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Virginia Supreme Court to hear redistricting oral arguments next week

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Virginia Supreme Court to hear redistricting oral arguments next week


The Virginia Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Monday, April 27, in a legal challenge connected to redistricting in the state.

A Tazewell County Circuit Court judge blocked the certification of votes from Tuesday’s congressional map referendum. Roughly 51 percent of voters voted “yes” to redraw the state’s congressional maps.

The Tazewell County judge ruled that the referendum was illegal.

Attorney General Jay Jones filed an appeal on Thursday, warning the decision would invalidate the votes of millions of Virginians and could pose problems ahead of the Aug. 4 primary.

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Oral arguments are set for 9 a.m. Monday and an audio livestream will be available on the Virginia Supreme Court’s website.



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