New revelations surfaced in a Virginia murder case this week, involving the fatal shooting of a man who had stabbed a woman at a home in Herndon, VA. The victim, Christine Banfield, was stabbed by Joseph Ryan, who was then shot by both Banfield’s husband, Brendan Banfield, and his mistress, Juliana Peres Magalhaes. Brendan Banfield is an IRS criminal investigative agent and Peres Magalhaes was the family’s au pair who was having an affair with him. The case began over a year ago, and only the au pair has been arrested and charged with murder.
According to prosecutors, Brendan Banfield and Peres Magalhaes witnessed Ryan holding a knife to a naked Christine Banfield and took action to stop him. Brendan called 911 and reported that he shot at Ryan with his service weapon during the altercation. Peres Magalhaes then shot Ryan while he was on the ground, retrieving another gun as directed by Brendan. It was Peres Magalhaes’ gunshot that proved fatal. Despite the arrest of the au pair, no one has been charged in the death of Christine Banfield, although there are suggestions that there may be more to the story.
It was revealed during a preliminary hearing that Brendan Banfield and Peres Magalhaes had been having an affair for several months leading up to the shooting. The pair continued their relationship even after the deaths of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan. Prosecutors presented business records showing that Brendan Banfield purchased a Glock from a shooting range weeks before the shooting, which Peres Magalhaes allegedly used to shoot Ryan. Commonwealth Assistant Attorney Eric Clingan suggested in court that the gun was used to eliminate the only living witness to the events that unfolded.
According to Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Assistant Attorney Kelsey Gill, Ryan had been solicited to come to the house through a website that caters to sexual fetishes. It remained unclear who was behind the online profile on the website. Peres Magalhaes had been entrusted with taking the Banfield’s daughter to the zoo around the time of the incident, and she alerted Brendan Banfield when she saw Ryan entering the house. When Brendan and Peres Magalhaes arrived home, they found Ryan and Christine Banfield in the bedroom. Gill questioned Brendan Banfield’s actions, wondering why he only shot at Ryan after he had already stabbed his wife multiple times.
The au pair’s lawyer, Ryan Campbell, has argued that his client acted in self-defense, asserting that she fired a second shot to ensure Ryan was no longer a threat to anyone. Brendan Banfield reportedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during questioning at the hearing. The case continues to unfold as more details emerge about the events leading up to the tragic shooting and the complicated relationships between those involved.
