Virginia
Virginia man charged in double homicide that left wife dead arraigned on charges
Virginia man charged in double homicide that left wife dead arraigned on charges
A Virginia man indicted for the murder of his wife and another man has been arraigned for the charges, nearly a year after the family’s au pair was also charged in the case.
HERNDON, Va. – A Virginia man indicted for the murder of his wife and another man has been arraigned for the charges, nearly a year after the family’s au pair was also charged in the case.
Brendan Banfield was arraigned in Fairfax County court Tuesday after his indictment on five counts total for the February 2023 killings of his wife Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan. Four of the counts are related to the aggravated murder charge, while the fifth count is for felony firearm use.
“The reason we did that, it’s very lawyerly and technical. Essentially, it boils down to in the aggravated murder statute. There are a number of different options to prove that. When we look at what we intend to present at trial, we believe that our presentation of evidence can possibly hit both of those both of those different subsections elements,” Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano said this week. “The reason we did that we wanted to cover all our bases, make sure that jury had every option. I know that it’s a little unusual, but the aggravated murder statute written is quite unusual in Virginia.”
According to the indictment obtained by FOX 5 on Tuesday, investigators said Brendan Banfield “willfully, deliberately, and with pre-meditation kill and murder Joseph Ryan as a part of the same act or transaction during which he also did kill and murder Christine Banfield.”
READ MORE: Husband indicted in Virginia double homicide nearly a year after au pair’s arrest
The arrest of Brendan Banfield was announced Monday at the Fairfax County Police Department, more than a year-and-a-half after the bodies of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan were found in a bedroom of the Banfield’s Fairfax County home. Ryan had been shot in the head, and Christine Banfield was stabbed multiple times in the neck.
Two other people were in that bedroom: Juliana Peres Magalhaes, the couple’s au pair and Christine Banfield’s husband Brendan.
“We know Brendan Banfield and Juliana Magalhaes, the family au pair, were involved in a romantic relationship at the time of the murders. I will not describe our victim Joseph Ryan’s relationship with anyone involved in the case at the moment because this investigation continues. And like any criminal investigation or probing of the fact does not end when arrest is made,” Chief Kevin Davis said this week. “This much is clear. We have evidence to now allege that Christine Banfield’s life was unlawfully taken and Joseph Ryan’s life was unlawfully taken.”
READ MORE: Au pair charged with murder in Herndon double homicide: police
Police did not indicate at what point Brendan Banfield became a suspect, nor did they specify whether Peres Magalhaes had anything to do with new information being presented to police prior to Banfield’s arrest.
“It’s digital evidence, physical evidence, forensic evidence, circumstantial evidence detectives. The prosecutors have worked meticulously to ensure that every T is crossed and every I is dotted, but the work still goes on,” Davis said. “I knew, I suspected, I had a feeling that there was a lot more to what met the eye that morning. Certainly, it has taken a road, 570 days later, where we are finally in a position to announce that two persons are being charged and held responsible and introduced to our criminal justice system for these two murders.”
According to court filings as of Tuesday, more than 40 subpoenas have been filed in Peres Magalhaes’ case on the second-degree murder charge. She is currently scheduled for a hearing on Thursday and her trial is set for November.
A manhunt is underway in Virginia for a suspect accused of killing a sheriff’s deputy while he was conducting a welfare check, law enforcement officials said.
Deputy Logan Utt was fatally shot after police received a request from a family member to do a welfare check at the location, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said.
A man at the home opened fire on the two deputies who responded to the location, according to the sheriff’s office. The deputies returned fire, the sheriff’s office said, and both were hit by gunfire. Utt was pronounced dead, while the second deputy was struck in his ballistic vest. That deputy is currently receiving medical evaluation and is reported to be in stable condition, officials said.
“Deputy Utt was a devoted husband, loving father, cherished family member, friend, and respected member of our law enforcement family. His service, courage, and dedication will not be forgotten,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Utt joined the sheriff’s office in 2023, after serving in the military.
A search is underway for the suspect. He should be considered armed and extremely dangerous, law enforcement officials said.
“My office is closely monitoring this tragic incident,” Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger wrote on social media. “I encourage anyone with information on the suspect’s whereabouts to contact Virginia State Police. My thoughts are with the deputy’s family and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office as we work through this awful situation.”
“I didn’t know I could go that fast,” Richard Delcid, the general manager of a Domino’s Pizza in Manassas, told WTOP.
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‘I didn’t know I could go that fast’: Virginia pizza maker breaks record
A general manager of a Domino’s Pizza in Manassas, Virginia, won the chain’s “World’s Fastest Pizza Maker” competition this month.
Richard Delcid prepared a pepperoni pizza, mushroom pizza and cheese pizza for the oven in 31.22 seconds.
“I didn’t know I could go that fast,” Delcid told WTOP.
“Eight seconds better than the previous record,” Robert Donner, one of the owners of the Domino’s on Centreville Road, said.
The competitors at the May 13 Las Vegas event came from Domino’s locations around the world, and Donner said the competition is about more than speed.
“They’re judged by weight, they’re judged by portion, and they’re judged on whether they’re sellable to a customer,” Donner said.
When Delcid first started working for Domino’s in 2012, he was a teenager. He was much slower then, he joked.
As with anything, practice makes perfect.
“We record ourselves during practices,” Delcid said. “We dissect videos, we look at body movement, hand movement, everything.”
Delcid was not alone in Vegas. Donner, who is part owner of more than 30 Domino’s Pizza locations in Virginia and Maryland, brought dozens of employees to the event.
Coming in second at the competition was another member of Donner’s team.
Joe Burr, who is known as “Domino Joe,” is the local director of training, and calls himself the Dan Marino of the Domino’s World’s Fastest Pizza Maker competition.
“I’ve won third place a couple times, I’ve won second place like three or four times,” Burr said. “So I’m like always a bridesmaid, but never a bride.”
Don’t let Burr’s jokes fool you — he has known Delcid for a long time and is very proud of him.
“I like to say it’s not the sculptor, it’s the clay. Richard is the best clay,” Burr said.
Along with a championship belt and a trophy, Delcid’s record‑breaking performance earned him $5,000 from Domino’s Pizza corporate, and his local bosses kicked in another $5,000.
Virginia
Netflix casting Central Virginia singles for “Love on the Spectrum” after Danville man joins show
DANVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Netflix is searching for singles in Central Virginia to appear on its documentary-style dating series “Love on the Spectrum,” after a Danville man was cast for an upcoming season and producers are now looking to find his match.
The series follows adults on the autism spectrum as they navigate dating.
Monica Karavanic, executive director of The Arc of Southside in Danville, said the person cast has ties to her organization.
SEE ALSO: City leaders tour $100M Lynchburg CSO tunnel aimed at improving Lynchburg waterways
“This show has been loved by millions internationally and so for it to come to Danville is pretty awesome and we’re just really excited and hoping to make it work,” Karavanic said.
Casting is focused on singles ages 25 to 40, of any gender, who live near Danville or Lynchburg and would be interested in going on a date with a man on the spectrum. Producers say the time commitment could be as little as half a day.
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For more information on how to apply, you’re asked to email: production@northernpictures.com.au
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