Husband Charged with Murder of Wife & Man Found In Bedroom In Twisted Homicide Case

The Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney's Office announced this week that Brendan Banfield (above left) was indicted for the aggravated murders of both his wife and Ryan at their home on February 24, 2023. The charges come after a 19-month investigation, "along with new information recently obtained by the detectives in this case."

According to prosecutors, 39-year-old Banfield is accused of stabbing his wife to death, as well as shooting Ryan. The family's live-in au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhaes (inset), was arrested back in October 2023 and charged with murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in Ryan's death; she remains in custody.

"Early last year, a double murder devastated two families and shocked our entire community," said Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano in a statement. "I will ensure that my office puts forward the strongest case possible at trial, and that we continue to seek justice for the victims and their families."

In the early morning hours of February 24, 2024 a woman was fatally stabbed and a man was shot and killed at a residence in a quiet Northern Virginia neighborhood. But in the months since, mystery has surrounded what happened inside the home that fateful day.

Fairfax County Police Department previously said officers responding to the 911 call in February discovered an "appalling scene" at the home. Ryan was shot dead and a female 37-year-old resident, Banfield, was fatally stabbed in an upstairs bedroom, with wounds to her neck.

According to Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis, dispatch received a call from the au pair's cellphone that immediately hung up. Then, approximately 13 minutes later, another call was made from the same phone -- with Magalhaes reportedly saying a friend of hers had been hurt, while Brendan allegedly claimed he shot another male in his home; a man he claimed was an intruder who stabbed his wife.

Magalhaes was arrested in October 2023 and charged with second-degree murder. Per prosecutors, she later admitted to being the one who shot Ryan.

Prosecutors believe Magalhaes and Brendan began having an affair months before the killings, with officials allegedly finding "intimate" photos of the pair together. Authorities also claimed she had moved into the main bedroom of the Banfield's home by the time she was arrested, while a framed photo of them was found on the nightstand next to their bed.

As the investigation continued, authorities allegedly discovered Ryan arrived at the house that February morning for a planned meeting with a woman he was talking to on a fetish website, FetLife. The account was allegedly maintained on Christine's computer, with conversations between Ryan and the account including talk of blood play.

Prosecutors, however, said they haven't found "one iota of evidence [Christine] was into knife play, binding, BDSM."

In a new statement, Police Cheif Kevin Davis said, "On February 24, 2023, I stood in the middle of a cul de sac street in Fairfaix County and described the deaths of two persons inside a residentail home. This much is clear: we have evidence now to allege that Christine Banfield's life was unlawfully taken and Joseph Ryan's life was unlawfully taken."

Banfield is expected to be arraigned later this week, with a court date set for September 19. Magalhaes' trial, meanwhile, is set for November.