A Virginia jury discovered Brendan Banfield responsible of killing his spouse and one other man as half of an elaborate scheme with the household’s au pair.
Prosecutors argued Banfield plotted with the au pair – with whom he was having an extramarital affair – to lure one other man, Joseph Ryan, into their dwelling with a fetish web site and body him for the murder of his spouse, Christine Banfield.
Brendan Banfield was convicted of two counts of aggravated murder, a firearms offense and youngster endangerment. His daughter, who was 4 on the time, was in the house on the time of the killings, prosecutors stated.
Banfield appeared stoic because the Fairfax County jury’s verdict was learn aloud in courtroom. The panel bought the case noon Friday and deliberated a lot of Monday.
He is predicted to be sentenced to life in jail, the necessary penalty for the very best murder cost in Virginia. Sentencing is scheduled for May 8.
Steve Descano, commonwealth’s legal professional for Fairfax County, stated Banfield’s actions have been “monstrous.”
“I hope he thinks about his wife in jail and about what a heinous thing he did,” Descano instructed reporters after the decision Monday. “Because that’s something he’s rightfully going to have to live with for the rest of his life.”
Banfield was in love with the au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, and plotted to get rid of his spouse so that they could possibly be collectively, prosecutors stated. Together they created faux accounts to pose as his spouse on a fetish web site to lure Ryan to the house below the guise of a consensual however violent sexual encounter with Christine, the au pair testified.
Prosecutors say Banfield fatally stabbed his spouse and shot Ryan when he intervened in the 2023 encounter between Ryan and his spouse after which staged the crime scene to make Ryan’s killing look like an act of self-defense.
The trial started January 12. Prosecutors referred to as about 20 witnesses in the case over 4 days and one other two witnesses in a brief rebuttal.
The protection referred to as a number of legislation enforcement witnesses to bolster its claims of a flawed investigation that led prosecutors to govern proof to make a case in opposition to Banfield. The protection additionally placed on a digital forensics analyst who stated knowledge recovered from Christine Banfield’s gadgets suggests there couldn’t have been a catfishing scheme as prosecutors asserted.
The defendant took the stand
Banfield, who’s maintained his innocence, took the stand in his own defense, acknowledging the affair with Peres Magalhães began in August 2022 however denying any plans to kill his spouse.
He testified he beloved his spouse regardless of them each having affairs all through their practically 20-year relationship and stated his newest dalliance with the nanny wasn’t going to vary his marriage.
Banfield additionally stated he and Peres Magalhães had damaged up at totally different instances in their affair and weren’t actively in a relationship the day of the killings.
Prosecutor Jenna Sands, who cross-examined Banfield, stated he was dishonest and chilly throughout his testimony.
“He showed absolutely no human emotion that we’d expect to see of someone in that position,” Sands stated after the decision on Monday.
The prosecution’s case relied closely on the au pair’s testimony detailing the scheme she says she helped Banfield execute to “get rid” of his spouse. According to the au pair, she watched Banfield fatally stab his spouse and stage the crime scene to border Ryan earlier than they referred to as 911.
Peres Magalhães was arrested for Ryan’s murder in October 2023 and a 12 months later agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in opposition to Banfield in change for a advice she be sentenced to time served.
Banfield was not arrested and charged with murder for his spouse’s and Ryan’s deaths till September 2024.
Banfield testified on February 24, 2023, he’d left for the day in anticipation of an vital work assembly when Peres Magalhães referred to as him to say she noticed a wierd man enter the household’s dwelling. Banfield stated he thought his spouse may’ve been having an affair and drove dwelling from a close-by McDonald’s to research.
He stated Peres Magalhães adopted him into the house and up the steps, leaving his 4-year-old daughter alone in the basement. Banfield, an armed IRS particular agent, stated he entered his bed room along with his service weapon drawn, discovering Ryan attacking his bare spouse. Banfield testified he introduced himself as police and shot Ryan after the person repeatedly stabbed Christine Banfield.
Peres Magalhães fired a second shot at Ryan with Banfield’s private firearm. He testified he by no means instructed her to get the gun from his secure or shoot Ryan, however the au pair stated Banfield had taught her how you can shoot earlier than the incident and gave her the gun earlier that morning.
When law enforcement officials arrived on the scene, they discovered Banfield kneeling over his spouse’s physique along with his arms on her neck. Banfield testified his spouse, nonetheless acutely aware on the time, directed him to use stress to her wounds to sluggish the bleeding.
Brendan Banfield’s DNA was not discovered on the knife used to fatally stab Christine. Analysis solely recovered DNA from Christine and Ryan, who prosecutors say introduced the knife there at Brendan Banfield’s path, posing as his spouse.
The jury deciding whether or not to convict Banfield on Virginia’s prime murder cost needed to weigh Banfield’s credibility over Peres Magalhães. Prosecutors and Banfield’s protection legal professional agreed to not provide the jury much less extreme murder expenses to think about in opposition to Banfield.
This is a creating story and can be up to date.