RICHMOND, Va. – In a gripping testimony on Wednesday, a man asserted his love for his late wife and his desire to remain married, despite admitting to an affair with the family’s au pair. This revelation is central to a complex double homicide case that has captured public attention.
Brendan Banfield, attired in a gray suit and plaid tie, recounted under oath in a Fairfax, Virginia, courtroom the events leading up to his infidelity with Juliana Peres Magalhães. He described an evening when, with his wife Christine Banfield away, Magalhães moved her chair closer during dinner and later followed him into his bedroom, where he did not resist her advances. He characterized the affair as casual.
However, Banfield firmly denied any involvement in plotting to murder his wife and another man, countering the prosecution’s allegations.
“The suggestion that I orchestrated a plan to eliminate my wife is utterly ridiculous,” Banfield stated during his testimony. “It’s an absurd line of questioning for something that is not grounded in reality.”
Charged with aggravated murder for the deaths of Christine Banfield and Joe Ryan, Banfield’s testimony is a pivotal component of the trial currently unfolding in northern Virginia. Having entered a plea of not guilty, he faces the possibility of a life sentence if the jury finds him guilty.
Prosecutors contend that Banfield and Magalhães conspired to lure Ryan to their home, where they allegedly shot him and then staged the scene to make it appear as if Ryan had attacked Christine Banfield, whom they say Banfield stabbed.
One of the witnesses who corroborates prosecutors’ theory is Magalhães herself.
Earlier in January, Magalhães testified that she and Banfield had created an account in Christine Banfield’s name on a social media platform for people interested in sexual fetishes. There, Ryan connected with the account, and the users made plans to meet for a sexual encounter involving a knife.
She testified to Banfield’s plan to kill his wife and live his life with Magalhães after they began their affair, plotting for months their ruse.
Banfield testified that the au pair’s omission to officials was a lie, saying “there was no plan.” He also said that both he and his wife had affairs throughout the course of their 19-year relationship, but decided through couples therapy to continue their marriage.
His testimony comes as John Carroll, Banfield’s attorney, spent much of the trial scrutinizing Magalhães’ motives in the case. The former au pair was initially charged with second-degree murder in Ryan’s killing, but has since pleaded guilty to a downgraded manslaughter charge.
For instance, Magalhães didn’t remember who created the email address connected to the social media account and where she and Brendan Banfield were on the day it had been procured. She testified that she did not remember who wrote what messages to Ryan. And she admitted under oath to negotiating with a true-crime author and producers to share her story for money.
On the stand, Banfield spoke of his relationship with his wife, describing them as inseparable despite the affair. “We were together the entire time. We didn’t break up at any point,” Banfield said.
“Did you love your wife?” Carroll asked at one point.
“Very much,” he said.
“Did you want to continue your marriage with your wife?” his attorney said.
“Yes.”
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Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
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