In a dramatic turn in the high-profile double-murder trial of Brendan Banfield, the au pair Juliana Peres Magalhães took the stand this week, explaining that she finally agreed to testify against her former employer and lover because she could no longer bear the weight of her involvement in the 2023 killings. Her testimony, which spanned two days in Fairfax County Circuit Court, painted a detailed picture of a premeditated plot to murder Christine Banfield and frame an innocent man, Joseph Ryan, for the crime.
Peres Magalhães, a 25-year-old from Brazil, began living with the Banfield family in October 2021 and started an affair with Brendan Banfield in August 2022. According to her account, Banfield soon expressed a desire to “get rid of” his wife, citing financial concerns and unwillingness to share custody of their young daughter. He ruled out divorce, telling Peres Magalhães that it was not an option, and instead hatched a plan that involved creating a fake online identity to lure a stranger to their home.
The plan centered on using the fetish website FetLife, where Banfield, posing as his wife, created a profile to attract someone willing to participate in a violent fantasy. After messaging several candidates, they settled on Joseph Ryan, whom Banfield believed would be aggressive enough to play the role of an intruder. Ryan was instructed to come to the Banfield home on February 24, 2023, with specific directions to tie and rape Christine Banfield, who was to be asleep in bed.
On the day of the killings, Peres Magalhães testified that she waited in a car with the Banfields’ daughter while Ryan arrived. After calling Christine’s phone—which had been disabled by Banfield—she then alerted Banfield, who was waiting nearby. Together, they entered the home through the basement, leaving the child there before proceeding upstairs. In the bedroom, Christine Banfield yelled that the intruder had a knife, and Ryan appeared shocked. Banfield then shot Ryan, and when Christine asked for help, Peres Magalhães said she hung up a 911 call at Banfield’s direction before watching him repeatedly stab his wife.
Following the murders, Peres Magalhães was arrested in October 2023 and initially charged with murder. After months in jail, she pleaded guilty in October 2024 to a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter for fatally shooting Ryan, in exchange for cooperating with prosecutors against Banfield. She has been held in detention since her arrest and faces a recommendation for time served if her testimony aids the prosecution.
During cross-examination, Banfield’s defense attorney, John Carroll, challenged Peres Magalhães’ credibility, suggesting that she was arrested specifically to flip on Banfield and that her plea deal was motivated by self-interest. He presented letters she wrote from jail expressing loyalty to Banfield, but she countered that those messages were monitored and did not reflect her true feelings. She testified that guilt and shame ultimately drove her to confess, stating, “The world deserved to know what really happened.”
The trial has garnered significant media attention, with Peres Magalhães acknowledging that producers have approached her about selling her story. She said that one production company has even contributed to her commissary account, but she has not signed any contracts yet. Meanwhile, Banfield has pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated murder and firearm offenses, facing life in prison if convicted.
As the trial continues, the jury must weigh Peres Magalhães’ testimony against the defense’s claims of manipulated evidence and coerced cooperation. The outcome could hinge on her credibility and the corroborating evidence presented by prosecutors. This case highlights the complexities of criminal conspiracies and the psychological toll on those involved, with the final verdict awaited by a public captivated by the grim details.
