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The trial is set to begin with opening statements on Tuesday Man accused of murdering wife And another man is in a romantic relationship with a Brazilian au pair.
Brendan Banfield charged with aggravated felony murder Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan were killed in their north Banfield home in February 2023 virginia. He has pleaded not guilty and faces life in prison.
Brendan Banfield and the family’s au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, initially told investigators they found Ryan’s stranger stabbing and then shooting Christine Banfield in her bedroom.
Prosecutors said Banfield and Magalhães lured Ryan into the house and pretended they had shot the intruder. The two began a relationship about a year ago.
Both men were initially arrested and charged with murder. 2024, Magalhães pleads guilty to a lesser charge A manslaughter charge occurred after cooperating with investigators.
Magalhães told them that she and Brendan Banfield created an account on his website wifeNames on social media platforms for people interested in sexual fetishes. Ryan linked the account and made plans to meet on the morning of February 24, 2023, for a sexual encounter involving a knife.
Not all officials investigating the case believe Banfield and Magalhães lured Ryan to the home.
Brendan Miller, former digital forensics examiner fairfax county The police department testified last year that it analyzed dozens of devices and concluded that Christine Banfield was connected to Ryan himself. evidence analysis team University of Alabama Miller’s digital forensic findings were peer-reviewed and confirmed based on evidence presented to the court.
Miller transferred out of the department’s digital forensics unit in late 2024, but the former Fairfax County commander confirmed the transfer was not punitive.
Banfield’s attorney, John Carroll, argued that Miller’s transfer was directly related to his work on the case. Carroll also noted in court that Fairfax County police reassigned the lead detective on the case after the man refuted the catfish theory.
“It’s a theory that looks for facts, rather than a set of facts that support a theory,” Carroll said.
Banfield’s then-4-year-old daughter was also at home on the morning of the incident, and Banfield was also charged with child abuse and felony child abuse in connection with the case.
He will also face the charges during his aggravated murder trial.