A Virginia courtroom heard dramatic testimony from the au pair involved with a man accused of murdering his wife, claiming he felt he needed to “get rid” of her to pursue a relationship with the au pair.
Juliana Peres Magalhães, 25, took the stand to testify that Brendan Banfield, 39, expressed that he could not simply leave his wife, Christine Banfield, 37, prompting him to conceive a sinister plan.
Brendan Banfield is facing charges for the alleged murders of his wife and a stranger, Joseph Ryan, 39, which took place on February 24, 2023.
According to the prosecution, Banfield orchestrated a plot by creating a fake advertisement on a BDSM website using his wife’s identity, intending to implicate Ryan in her murder.
The former IRS officer has pleaded not guilty to all charges, maintaining his innocence. However, Magalhães testified that Banfield had indicated to her that divorce was not a feasible option.
“Money was involved,” Magalhães revealed during her testimony on Tuesday in Fairfax County Court.
She added that Banfield had no plans to share custody of his young daughter with his murdered wife.
The nanny claimed Banfield told her that he couldn’t split from his wife because she would end up having more money than he would, in addition to not being good for their child.
Nanny Juliana Peres Magalhães, 25, testified on Tuesday in Fairfax County court explaining the reasoning behind Brendan Banfield’s alleged twisted plot ‘to get rid of her (his wife)’
Brendan Banfield faces four charges of aggravated murder and firearm offenses for the murder of his wife, Christine Banfield, 37, along with a stranger, 39-year-old Joseph Ryan
Magalhães said it was while on a trip to New York with Banfield and his daughter that he opened up about his thoughts about killing Christine.
After they returned to Virginia, the au pair said that he told her about the website FetLife, a BDSM fetish website.
Prosecutors said Magalhães and Banfield worked together to lure Ryan to the home through the site and staged the scene to make it look like he killed Christine.
The nanny said Banfield would only message strangers while his wife was home to ensure phone records would match up.
She added that she and Banfield had also gone to a gun range on two separate occasions before the Fetlife account was made.
It was on the site that the husband found Ryan, said Magalhães: ‘He made Brendan feel confident enough that he would be the person to play the role, which means being aggressive and hold her down and come over to the house and bring stuff and all that.’
She added that they also spoke on Telegram in another account that Banfield created. The au pair told the court she posed as Christine during a phone call with Ryan, who she said was surprised by her accent.
Ryan allegedly sent a photo of the knife he planned to bring to the encounter and Magalhães testified that Banfield said he was expecting a sharper, more ‘pointy’ knife that would be easier to use.
Banfield also faces child abuse and neglect charges because his 4-year-old daughter was at home when the murders occurred
Banfield and Magalhães allegedly tried to frame Joseph Ryan for Christine’s murder after creating a fake account for Christine on a BDSM site and made plans to have ‘rough sex’ with Ryan before they were both killed
The nanny described how they prepared for that tragic day by testing the sounds of screams inside the house to see if they were audible from outside.
Magalhães also added that Banfield used an app on his wife’s phone to unlock his home for Ryan.
She recalled the moment that the husband allegedly shot Ryan as he was on top of Christine with a knife.
In horrific detail, Magalhães described in court how Banfield began repeatedly stabbing Christine as she tried to look away.
The au pair pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter as part of a plea deal in exchange for cooperating in Banfield’s prosecution.
In his opening statement, Banfield’s lawyer sought to undermine her testimony.
‘The whole reason she was arrested was to flip her against my client,’ John Carroll said.
He admitted the two were having an affair but insisted, ‘there’s an awful lot more to look for’.
Nanny Juliana Peres Magalhães (pictured with Banfield) pleaded guilty to manslaughter in exchange for her cooperation in his prosecution
On the day of the killings, prosecutors said Magalhães called 911 at least twice within minutes, but ended the calls before speaking with first responders.
More than 10 minutes later, prosecutors alleged in court, Magalhães called 911 a final time and reported the emergency.
Prosecutors said evidence suggested Ryan was gunned down as part of a scheme to get rid of Christine.
Investigators first became suspicious about Magalhães’ story after she and Banfield failed to disclose their alleged romance when speaking to detectives.
Police said they uncovered evidence of a secret lovers’ getaway and pointed out that just eight months after the killings, Magalhães had moved into the main bedroom.
Banfield also faces child abuse and neglect charges because his four-year-old daughter was at home when the alleged murders occurred, in addition to his four charges of aggravated murder and firearm offenses.
Banfield’s trial continues. The Daily Mail has approached his attorney for comment.
