An au pair has been accused of killing a BDSM fetishist as part of an elaborate plot with her IRS agent boss to get rid of his wife so they could be together.
Juliana Peres Magalhaes, 23, is charged with the murder of Joseph Ryan, 39, who was found shot to death inside the million-dollar home of the family he worked for in Herndon, Virginia.
Christine Banfield, 37, a mother of one, was also found fatally stabbed at the scene of her home after being attacked in her bedroom in February 2023. No one has been charged over her death.
Peres Magalhaes and Banfield’s husband, Brendan Banfield, claimed they entered the home and found Ryan attacking Christine. Brendan, an Internal Revenue Service law enforcement officer, told police that he grabbed his service weapon and shot Ryan, who did not die after being hit.
Brendan told police he then ordered Peres Magalhaes to grab another gun and shoot him again, which she did, NBC News reported.
But at a preliminary hearing on Monday, prosecutors said evidence points to a different story, suggesting Ryan was murdered as part of a plan to get rid of Christine so Brendan and Peres Magalhaes could be together romantically.
Juliana Peres Magalhaes, 23, is accused of killing a BDSM fetishist as part of a plot with her boss, an IRS agent, to get rid of his wife so they could be together.
According to prosecutors, the au pair and her boss Brendan Banfield were having an affair, which detectives discovered when they returned to the house after the murders and found frames full of photos of the now couple in the bedroom where Christine died.
Prosecutors say someone created a fake account for Christine on a BDSM site and made plans to have “rough sex” with Ryan before they were both murdered.
The mother reportedly did not seem like herself in her alleged conversations with Ryan, leading police to believe someone else was posing as Christine and set up a meeting at the home on the day of the murders.
According to prosecutors, the au pair and her boss were having an affair, which detectives discovered when they returned to Banfield’s home after the murders and found frames filled with photographs of the now-couple in the bedroom where Christine died.
Detectives also said they found the au pair’s underwear in the room and described her as Brendan’s “live-in mistress.”
Christine Banfield, 37, a mother of one, was also found fatally stabbed at the scene of her home after being attacked in her bedroom in February 2023. She is seen with her husband Brandon.
Joseph Ryan, 39, was found shot to death inside the million-dollar home. Prosecutors suggest
Brendan was questioned in court Monday about his relationship with Peres Magalhaes, but invoked his Fifth Amendment right.
Prosecutors also say Brendan and the au pair went to a shooting range together months before the alleged home invasion, and that Brendan returned later to buy a gun. The couple is also accused of trading in their phones for new ones in the days before the murders.
Peres Magalhaes told police he left the family home with Christine’s four-year-old daughter on the morning of the murder to go to the zoo, but returned shortly after because he had forgotten to bring packed lunches.
The au pair said she noticed a car she didn’t recognize in the driveway when she returned and tried to call Christine, who didn’t answer the phone. She then allegedly called Brendan, who quickly arrived at the scene.
Prosecutors say someone created a fake account for Christine on a BDSM site and made plans to have “rough sex” with Ryan before they were both murdered at the luxury home.
Detectives also said they found the au pair’s lingerie in the room and described her as Brendan’s “live-in mistress.”
When the couple and the girl entered the house, Brendan allegedly went to the bedroom and found Christine and Ryan fighting.
Peres Magalhaes and Brendan told police that Ryan had attacked Christine, so Brendan fired his service weapon. They said they had no connection to the alleged intruder.
Peres Magalhaes was arrested nearly eight months after the murders and charged with second-degree murder for shooting Ryan.
Her lawyer has said she had a sexual relationship with Brendan, but it was not exclusive, adding that the two allegedly left each other unfaithful.
No one has been charged with Christine’s death.
Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis has said he expects more people to be charged in the murders.